A True Leader

By CAM

While cricket like many is a team sport, one cannot discount the huge advantage a good captain brings to the team. Now when I say, a good captain, I am not just talking about a cricketer that excels in all areas of the game, but one that can lead his players with the true qualities of a leader to achieve the common goal. There have been many captains from around the world that have taken their respective teams to great heights. However, in the world of cricket today, it is not easy to find a captain that possesses the qualities of leadership as does Mahendra Singh Dhoni.

I am not alluding to his many accomplishments as captain, such as taking India to the top in the ICC Test rankings or lifting the trophy in IPL3. I am talking about the exemplary qualities of a leader that he demonstrates on and off the field. Let us look at a few of them…

Leading by Example

One had to only witness the final moments of the Dharamsala contest between the Chennai Super Kings and the Kings XI Punjab to really understand what it means to ‘lead by example’. Sixteen runs to win, 6 balls to go. With a four, a two, a huge six, followed by another six, a cool Dhoni sealed the victory for Chennai with two balls to spare!!

Responsibility

At the presentation in Dharamsala, Dhoni said, “Your franchise pays you so much money you should at least make the semi-finals”. Talk about taking on responsibility!

Respect

It is very easy to get emotionally carried away during the game and show disrespect to other players, umpires, etc. We have all witnessed the heat of the moment causing players to act in a way they have felt sorry for later. Dhoni’s cool and calm way of handling the task at hand creates an incredible team atmosphere that all sporting teams in the world can watch and learn from. Through his leadership, the Chennai Super Kings won the Fly Kingfisher Fair Play Award in 2008 and in 2010. Not only did CSK win the award this year, but they ended up with a perfect score of 140 after fourteen games!

Giving Due Credit

Listen to any post match interview with Dhoni and you will see him praising the ones on his team that excelled and produced the win. Granted, most captains do the same. However, Dhoni is truly a master at getting the best from his team players, one of the greatest traits a leader can possess.

In the words of John C. Maxwell, “Leadership is Influence”. Whether Dhoni has studied Maxwell or not he certainly exemplifies the key qualities of a leader.