MS Decoded - Masterclass Of The Mastermind.

MS Decoded - A Masterclass Of The Mastermind.

Going through the usual social media routine today I found out that it's the birthday of India's most loved, admired, accomplished and almost worshipped "Thala". Mahendra Singh Dhoni.

The writer and fan in me always wanted to pay homage to this legend who's interviews have taught me ways of life and management. Here's me putting all those knowledge nuggets into seven condensed points:

1. "It's the result that puts the pressure" - Captain cool has in all his interviews emphasized that the key to remain focused and calm under pressure is not to think of the result and all the possible outcomes. In all such situations focus is the most important asset and the best way to gain it is taking one thing at a time. It can be done by addressing the controllable things & by ignoring the hypothetical outcomes.

2. "I'm always having a good time" - Maahi also lays great emphasis on the fact of life to remain stoic and unwavering through all scenarios in life. He says and I quote "I'm always having a good time, In life you either learn or you're enjoying what you have learnt". When we win we are reaping benefits of our learnings but when we loose we learn and improve till we get a chance to prove ourselves again.

3. Stay true to your calling - M.S. has always vouched for the importance of cricket in his life "Everything that I have today is because of cricket, The biggest crime I can commit is not murder, its match fixing". A strong moral compass with absolute dedication to the game is what has made him the best example of how a cricketer must be and more importantly how a leader should be. Dhoni embodies the spirit of lead by action and be loyal to the work that feeds you.

4. Stay close to game : Being a wicket keeper M.S. has always believed in the working principle of staying in the middle of the game all the time. That is where a leader is most powerful. Being in the heat not only gives you better game reading opportunities, it also helps you analyze your best options and therefore make the most of every input to make completely data driven decisions.

5. Back your players: In true leadership form Maahi has always backed the players and the talent that he has believed in. This has lead to players believing in themselves and then ultimately delivering on the grandest stages of all like Mr. Joginder Sharma in the final over against Pakistan in 2007 T20 World Cup. After getting hit for runs in the first three balls of the final over, M.S. walked over to him and put his hand over Joginder's shoulder to ease his nerves and take the pressure off for the next three balls and the rest became history.

6. Lead from the front and with example: "Dhoni finishes off in style! A magnificent hit into the crowd! India life the world cup after 28 long years......." Dhoni finishing games for India had become a relatively mundane news as such was his consistency to deliver victories to his team at the fag end of the game. When almost all seemed to be lost, there he used to be tightening the straps of his batting gloves and looking for areas to clear the boundary. Much like that, as a manager sometimes we need to step up when the team seems to be at their wits end as all of them do their jobs with a belief that if anything goes south you will be standing there for their support.

7. In between two run outs there is glory : The most important lesson Maahi has taught me is that you might not always have the dreamy start and you might not always have a dreamy conclusion, but if you keep going in between those two, You'll have glory beyond your dreams.

Here's wishing M.S. Dhoni a very happy birthday and a long, healthy and prosperous life!