MSD: THE MAN, THE LEADER

by Biswadeep Ghosh

Distraction was not a part of his mental make-up. This made him a formidable opponent in sports and good enough in studies.

Banerjee remembers Dhoni as a boy with ‘tremendous willpower and sincerity.’ ‘When we had matches, there were times when he used to be inside the classroom with the bus waiting to leave for the venue. The team would wait for him. I wanted him to board the bus earlier, but he left the class and joined us only after the period got over. When I think of it today, it is this approach to life that has made him such a fine player. He was a focused boy. Besides, he was always very calm, which shows in his captaincy today.’

During the presentation ceremony, after the loss against South Africa, he was booed by followers of Indian cricket who were present there. To his credit, he handled it remarkably well. ‘It’s not the first time I have been booed. When we lost in 2007 World Cup (against New Zealand), mera antim sanskar (my last rites) was also done. But I don’t feel bad. It shows the expectation levels of fans,’ he said. Then, he narrated an interesting anecdote, ‘I was told by a senior a few years ago. He said if somebody is appreciating you, don’t hit seventh heaven. If you fall on the floor, it wouldn’t be good for you. So adopt a central path. I try to do so.’ As years went by and he accepted cheers and jeers with the same degree of calmness, why he took this suggestion seriously became inceasingly evident.

Matches flew. India won quite a few, lost the others, but Dhoni’s approach on the field remained as calm and understated as ever. During crises as well as wins, he seemed to be in complete control over his mind. He was getting accustomed to criticisms as well as praises. The average viewer saw him as a rock star in spite of a few shortcomings, which showed up from time to time. In press conferences, he responded to questions without getting flustered. He was a good leader to play under, his fans believed as his career progressed.

‘Leadership has three levels/types with inspirational leadership being at the top of the heap. The first is efficiency which, in the context of cricket, implies that a leader must strive to be the best batsman, best bowler or the best all-rounder in his team. Then comes effectiveness. An effective leader is someone who puts a team of efficient people together and makes it perform at 150, not 100 per cent of its true potential.’ Nayar adds, ‘The final tier is that of the inspirational leader. Inspirational leaders are rare, and they ensure that the team performs at 500 per cent of its true potential. While Sunil Gavaskar and Kapil Dev were effective leaders, Sourav Ganguly and Mahendra Singh Dhoni have gone beyond effectiveness.’