A leader I look up to...

A Leader Who Inspires Me...

"Captain cool" Mahendra Singh Dhoni is someone I have always been fascinated with. As one of India's most successful captions, Dhoni has over time portrayed impeccable leadership skills and has been hailed as one of the most successful leaders the game of cricket has ever seen. He holds several records including most wins by an Indian captain in Tests and One Day Internationals, and most back-to-back wins by an Indian captain in One Day Internationals. Under his captaincy, India won the 2007 ICC world T20 cup, the 2010 Asia Cup, the 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup and the 2013 ICC Champions Trophy.

Dhoni was made captain of the Indian cricket team ahead of many senior players. He however took his time making changes in the team and even spoke multiple times about first learning from the seniors in the team. He efficiently handled the ego clashes in the team. He recognised the capable players and stars in the team and made them feel secure, instead of feeling threatened by their presence.

If there's one thing Dhoni is most popular for then it has to be his ability to stay calm under pressure. Emotional intelligence is a skill that every leader must possess. Dhoni has always been self-aware, self-regulated and empathetic towards his teammates. Dhoni letting Ganguly captain the side for a little during his last Test match is just one of the many instances that goes on to prove his caliber as a captain.

Dhoni has always remained grounded. He doesn't get depressed because of a loss or get excited because of a win. He has mastered the art of handling both failure and success efficiently.
A team leader needs to lead by example, especially when the team is not performing well and is under pressure. On more occasions than one, Dhoni has lead the team from the front. He has single handedly won matches for India. His winning performance in the 2011 world cup finals is a perfect example to substantiate his leadership skills.

Dhoni has always trusted his team and backed his players in the toughest of the situations. Everybody was stunned when Dhoni gave the ball to Ishant Sharma in a crunch situation in the 2013 ICC Champions Trophy. Sharma had got smacked all over the park in the previous over. Sharma then went on to pick up two valuable wickets that eventually led to team India winning the championship.
Even the God of Indian cricket, Sachin Tendulkar has acknowledged the fact that Dhoni is the best captain he has played under.

Never has Dhoni ever taken credit for the success of his team. Listening to any of his post-match presentations, interviews or press conferences would give anybody an insight into his confidence in his team members and his own team management skills. Even as the caption of the IPL team Chennai Super Kings, Dhoni has attained immense amount of success and his team has so far managed to win the series thrice. This wonderful man has and will continue to inspire me and many like me, who are trying to gauge the intrinsic nature of leadership.