Demonstrating Leadership away from Limelight - the MS Dhoni Way!

I read a tweet on Sunday that Hindustan Times lead picture did not have Dhoni in the frame. Then I noticed that it was difficult to spot him even in Times of India picture. On news channels also, the pictures of the players with the cup did not have Dhoni in them.

Where is Dhoni? And I was aghast. This set me thinking.

Dhoni has won the T20 world cup, got India to the No 1 in test ranking, won the IPL and CL, and finally, after 28 years THE world cup. But who is taken around the stadium on the players’ shoulders? Sachin. Who is the stadium rooting for? Sachin. What is the mystery?

You can turn around and say that Dhoni was lucky to have been the captain at the right time. He had great senior players and talented youngsters in the team. However, fact is that he has had very different teams in all the championships that he has won. T20, Tests, IPL/CL and ODIs. He has been the glue to put the teams together, not the other way around. The fact that leaders are often considered to be lucky when the times are going good, but does someone really take note of the invisible efforts being put in by the individual. Keeping the team together and excited in one of the most important, but undermined, jobs done by a successful leader – doesn’t Dhoni just demonstrate that?

Look at Dhoni’s statements over a period of time, which are honest to say the very least. “We are not a good fielding side”, “I took some wrong decisions”, “reading the pitch wrong and playing 3 seamers”. Taking on his team mates publicly. He backs team members and takes tough decisions at the same time. Backing Piyush Chawla to the hilt or dropping Yuvraj or Raina are tough decisions taken by him. I am yet to notice bias in his decision making. He has dropped Ashwin from ODIs, despite him being a worthy team mate in CSK. More often than not, leaders with a WYSIWYG (What you see is What you get) style of working are the most criticized lot, even if it helps keeping the team aware of their strengths and weaknesses promptly. When this leader takes the blame upon himself, he is criticized for not carrying out things properly, but when the same leader blames it on his team, it is seen as a “Blame Game”. Aren’t we a bit too critical for leaders, including Dhoni?

Since becoming captain in ODIs he transformed himself from a dasher to an accumulator. With enough dashers around, he changed his role in the team for the sake of the team. As a captain his average is 52.7 vs 44.2 as a non captain, though his strike rate drops from 96.3 to 82.4. His numbers of 6s per innings go down to 0.56 from 0.95.  A number of times, a leader puts his individual performance at the back seat and adapts as the team requires him to.

I can go and on and on about Dhoni’s professional achievements as a captain. His humility as an individual (his pictures of sharing birthday cake with my colleague or pictures with my sons are some examples). Any comparisons with Ganguly and Afridi are misplaced. He definitely doesn’t wear his emotions on his sleeve. He is the real man taking “criticism” and “Failures” on his face and letting go the entire credit of the Achievements to his individual Team Members. To me, all this, and more make Dhoni a True Leader!

Then suddenly the realisation dawns on me! This is about where the limelight lies, or where it is not? So, “Do leaders shy away when it comes to being in limelight?”

We should not pity him for missing from the frame of Hindustan Times lead picture on the day nation went crazy. We should give him due credit. It is about stepping back and letting your colleagues savour the moment! This is about having confidence and absence of insecurity – a situation in which you let your team steal the limelight while you smile at the back end, content with your and your team’s performance. It is this confidence, that makes him appreciate the past. Examples are of co sharing the trophy with Kumble, or letting Ganguly lead the last few overs of his test career. It is this confidence, that still makes him thank all his seniors for the victory of his team!

I can say that true leaders only create Limelight and not necessarily be in it – Just the MS Dhoni way!

PS: As usual, would be looking forward to your feedback and opinion on this blog! You can also reach me out at @agrawalsanjeev on twitter.

Twists and Turns are part of life and not just cricket.

Starting on a lighter note, I would like to mention a joke which is being widely circulated on SMSes and BBM these days:

Couple Silent on Bed.

Wife Thinks : Why is he not talking to me? Is he thinking of some other woman? Don’t I appeal to him anymore? Are wrinkles showing on my face? Is he trying to dump me? I put on weight at the wrong places?  WHY IS HE UPSET?

Husband Thinks: Why the hell did Dhoni give the last over to Nehra?

Well, I know that this decision of Dhoni gave a lot of us enough reason to be upset that night. What is also clear that Cricket is an unpredictable game, and a single ball can change the direction of the game!  In 1992, Pakistan were on the verge of elimination from the World Cup but went on to win the tournament. In 1999 no one was sure whether Australia would get past the Super Six stage but they ended up winners. We started off very badly in the 2003 World Cup and the entire Indian team was heavily criticized after our first two matches. We did turn around and reached the final. And then, an inner voice asked – “Are these twist and turns only a part of cricket? Isn’t this what happens in our lives too?”

Quite some time back, it so happened that I felt that i was in the slow lane in my career. Things were happening fine but something just wasn’t feeling right. And, soon enough, my portfolio changed to a new and  exciting one. What  was mundane day and week for me, suddenly converted into new and exciting times – something that I will always remember and smile back upon! The sudden “Twist” in my life gave me enough reason to get back to the field and bat on the front foot. Doesn’t it happen to all of us? Just when we are thinking that there’s no solution and we are caught in the web of problems, a sudden event occurs and changes all of it. You get stuck in traffic everyday and one day a new flyover is inaugurated, and its all solved! You were struggling with one process and automation is introduced making life better. You always struggled with this particular colleague and one fine day, he shifts to another profile – A pleasant event can solve your long term problems just about any moment. Any Ball can suddenly turn into a Sixer! Remember what happened with Russell (WI vs Eng). Was it a Six or a Catch was separated by a couple of Centimeters, or Trott's shirt.

At another point in time, my stock portfolio was going great guns and I was happy to have put my monies into best of the companies, and with each passing day, my portfolio would end at something higher than what it started at. Then, January 21, 2008 happened. After that, when it started falling, it didn't stop. Before I could digest one big loss, another big one would just make its way in.  The happy me became a worried and low myself. Just when I thought I had scored a 50, I was Run Out. Just like the pleasant “twists”, even the bad and not wanted ones are as much a part and parcel of our lives. Suddenly a  “Devil in Pinstripes” becomes your Boss. One new process is introduced that makes your life hell every day, The neighbor you travelled everyday to work with changed address – some things that are so “not wanted” but still happened to complicate things around, just like that dreaded ball which gets you LBW!

These twists and turns have left me with a lot to learn. The twists have helped me become a more hopeful person. Now any time I feel unexcited, low, lonely, I do have this streak of hope that suddenly something will happen and things will be alright. More often than not, such moments do come!  Positivity in thoughts do bring positivity in actions and results. For the “turns”, I have definitely become a more humble person because now I know that any sudden turn can spoil the party. Expecting a “turn” every now and then helps me stick to the ground. This whole phenomenon of “Twists” and “Turns” help me hope for the Best and be prepared for the worst. This Balance has helped me cruise through a lot of pleasant and not-so-pleasant experiences in  life. What I do continue is putting in a lot of hard work, dedication and sincerity in everything I take up, so that the “twists” keep happening and the “turns” don’t bother me enough. What I will be proud of is “My Innings” even if the entire match was not completely in my hands!

PS. Do share this with others and your feedback with me. pl do get in touch with me on twitter @agrawalsanjeev