Entrepreneurial Lessons from India's Most Iconic Captain - MS Dhoni

ms dhoni

Shubham Kumar

Apr 17, 2021 — 5 min read

MS Dhoni is the most iconic captain that Indian Cricket has ever seen. A journey which started from being a ticket collector to India’s most successful captain is something every entrepreneur should try to imitate. Dhoni has his unique leadership skill that can be useful to any entrepreneurs who are guiding a team or running a business. But there is a lot more behind the scenes of a man who inspired a common man to dream.

For a man hailing from a humble background, conquering the world seems like a fairy tale. Dhoni’s unparalleled success in a short span of time has been accomplished by being fearless in tough times. He has always delivered for the nation when it has mattered the most. The leadership qualities of MS Dhoni have won India three ICC trophies which in itself is a dream for any player leading the side. There is much to learn from Dhoni for leading entrepreneurs and managers.

Important Entrepreneurial Lessons from the Leadership of MS Dhoni

Try Till You Die
Keep Calm Under Adverse Situations
Lead From The Front
Bring The Best Out of Your Team
Humbleness, Modesty, and Humaneness
Believe in your Instincts

Important Entrepreneurial Lessons from the Leadership of MS Dhoni

MS Dhoni's 7 rules of Success to which Entrepreneurs can relate

Try Till You Die

Building a business is like playing in unknown territories. One has to be involved in every aspect of the business. MS Dhoni as a leader didn’t dwell down on successive test failures in England and Australia. Rather, he led India to a tri-series triumph in Australia. He treats each game a new one and with it comes a new challenge. Keeping a similar attitude could greatly help startup founders and leaders to achieve the desired results. Dhoni teaches that victory does not mean never falling, but rising every time you fall.

Leadership Qualities of MS Dhoni — MS Dhoni

Keep Calm Under Adverse Situations

MSD is bestowed upon with “Captain Cool” by the cricket fraternity as he remains calm and composed even when things are not going his way. Everyone has to face up and downs no matter what your field is. But only a few have the ability to control the outburst of the emotions during tough periods. We rarely see him antagonized by bad deliveries, poor throws from the deep.

Every entrepreneur must inculcate his calm and patient approach to deal with the worst situations in a business. A calm leader radiates confidence in a team. A leader, who keeps calm in adverse situations, can think rationally and take appropriate decisions. Thus, a leader must learn to keep clam.

Lead From The Front

A great leader leads by example. Be it a failure or a success, a leader takes full responsibility. A captain has to play a huge role in a sport as Cricket and MSD have always been at the forefront. The skipper is the man behind all the strategies, team combinations and decisions. Batting up the order in 2011 World Cup Final was one such a move which showcased his leadership style and ability to take responsibility when his team needed the most. The same holds true for an entrepreneur as his leadership style decides the fate of the budding organization.

Bring The Best Out of Your Team

MSD has been one of the few leaders who understand the strengths and weaknesses of every individual of the team. Choosing Joginder Sharma to bowl the last over of a T20I final showcased his belief in a young individual and this belief took the best out of the bowler in the crunch moment. This won India their first T20I World Cup. The Right person for the right job has been Dhoni’s philosophy that every manager or company owner must follow to get the best talent within the team.

Humbleness, Modesty, and Humaneness

Above all those accomplishments as a leader and a player, there have been these innate traits that have earned MS Dhoni a name for himself. Seeing every success that a cricketer aspires to, he never got carried away with success. He hands over the winning trophy to his teammates which is his gratitude towards the contribution of every team member.

Tell your team that the success that the company has achieved wouldn’t have been possible without them. Acknowledging every team member imparts confidence in employees and motivates them to work harder.

Believe in your Instincts

MSD has been the most unorthodox cricketer that India has ever seen. As a batsman, he is not technically sound as Sachin Tendulkar or Rahul Dravid and neither his wicket-keeping style resembles cricketing manuals. He faced severe critics for his batting and keeping styles, but he always believed in his abilities and proved others wrong. As an entrepreneur, you must learn to believe in your instincts and move ahead fearlessly.

Final Words

Dhoni’s story has everything to inspire a generation. The numbers speak for the man. Two ICC World Cups, Test No. 1 and Champions Trophy is a rare feat in a captain’s kitty. Take a bow captain! A true servant of Indian Cricket and a true human being.

FAQs

What managers should learn from Dhoni?

These are the leadership qualities of MS Dhoni that managers should learn:

Stay Calm
Stay Grounded
Lead from the Front
Encourage Others to Perform
Share the Credits

Where is from MS Dhoni?

MS Dhoni is from Ranchi.

What is special about Dhoni?

Dhoni is a right-handed batsman. He is known as the greatest captain of all time, having achieved more success than any other captain in the history of cricket. The Indian cricket team won the 2011 Cricket World Cup under his captainship.

Who is the Inspiration of Dhoni?

Hailing from a very small town of Ranchi, Dhoni dared to dream and with courage and guts make that dream a reality. Since a very young age, he idolized Sachin Tendulkar who is known as the God of Cricket and Bollywood actor Amitabh Bachchan.