KPIT Cummins Blog

‘Great leaders are born, not made’, or ‘great leaders are made not born’?
Ramu Narthu says, ‘great leaders are made by themselves, under the supervision of their team’.

Photo: Danny

We have seen many leaders who did things their own way. Here I am presenting you a new kind of leader. I call him a new type because there are still some questioning, not yet agreeing, that he fits the mould of a great leader.
After seeing more than a decade of Australian supremacy in international cricket, the world discovered a new cricketing gentleman. A middle class guy from a small town in India showed us a new way of conquering the world.

Australians dominated with their aggressive cricket. Dhoni did the same, with a more convincing approach. ‘Just be cool’, and ‘just be grounded’ are his success mantras. People will receive you the best when you are relaxed and centered. The ability to stay cool while handling multiple pressures is an important task for any leader.

1.2 billion Indian’s heard his statement before the World Cup Tournament, ‘be prepared for anything… The team will give its best; let it be a loss or a win.’ Some felt this captain feared a loss. However, this is where we have seen a great leader.

In the group stages Team India was not at its best, but in every post match press conference Dhoni backed his team, never blaming a single player, even when there were faults. In doing this, answering every tricky question with optimism and a cool attitude, he showed us that we all need to support our team.

Selecting the playing 11 is always a difficult task. Dhoni stuck to his preferences, never compromised, and, in the end, it yielded well.

In one of his bravest decisions – arguably one of the bravest cricket decisions to date – he chose to bat up the order ahead of an in-form Yuvraj Singh in the final against Sri Lanka. If he had failed to score, his place in the team surely would have been questioned. When asked about this move in the post-match presentation he said, “I have a point to prove to myself, not to anyone else”, and agreed whole heartedly that he hadn’t played well until that day, but was desperate to do it for the team’s glory.

After India’s 2011 World Cup victory, captain Dhoni preferred to take a back seat as his team circled the ground with Sachin Tendulkar on their shoulders (a player for whom it was perhaps the last cup).
Dhoni gave his teammates the limelight, knowing that it was Sachin’s moment. This is a truly humble leader, and for those familiar with business management theories, a perfect example of the humble leadership approach.

What was happening in boardrooms has moved to cricket pitches. These examples are, perhaps, the new case studies.
Jim Collins, a famous management consultant, once wrote, “the key ingredient that allows a company to become great is having a Level 5 leader: an executive in whom genuine personal humility blends with intense professional will.” That’s the kind of leader Dhoni is.

Dhoni has mastered the art of leadership. Let’s learn it from Dhoni.