5 Things Entrepreneurs Can Learn From Indian Cricketer MS Dhoni
The most wins recorded by an Indian Captain in Tests and ODIs. The highest net worth cricketer since 2009. One of TIME magazine's 100 "Most Influential People in the World". MS Dhoni has achieved extraordinary success. What's interesting is that many of his cricket strategies and personal philosophies are highly applicable to entrepreneurs. Here are 5 things entrepreneurs can learn from him:
Captain Cool: Mahendra Singh Dhoni
1. Maintain clarity
When asked in an interview how he manages to remain so calm and collected under pressure, Dhoni explained how he "tries to maintain clarity". Maintaining clarity in today's world has becoming increasingly difficult. Maintaining clarity means blocking out irrelevant information, shutting down distractions, staying clear of time-wasting assignments and clearly focusing on formulating and delivering your start-up's value proposition.
2. Focus on playing the game, not the result
For Dhoni, winning and losing is just another part of the game. What he's interested in, is seeing that his players are 100% committed on the field and that he’s performed to the best of his ability. Entrepreneurs, more than anyone else, need to understand that there are a lot of things outside of their control and only focusing on the result (getting acquired, getting more than 50,000 users or getting that one deal) could burn you out very quickly. Focusing on the journey means accepting winning or losing as a part of the game, and allows you to do the best you can right now.
3. Choose your best team and get them in the best positions
Dhoni has a very good understanding of each of his players’ strengths and weaknesses. A great example of this is the T20 World Cup Final back in 2007 where he asked Robin Uthappa, a part-time bowler not known for his bowling at all, to bowl one of the final overs. He was asked to bowl for the simple reason that in the practise nets Dhoni had realised that Uthappa could hit the stumps more times than anyone else.
Entrepreneurship is a team sport. Chose the best team, understand what each person's strengths are and get them in the right position.
4. Take the game to the last over
Particularly in limited over cricket, Dhoni is a big believer of taking the game to the last over in a run chase. He doesn’t give his wicket away cheaply. His belief is that more times than not, if you’re out there in the middle when it really matters with all the skills and focus gained from thousands of hours of practice, you can win the game. Dhoni has won games for his team countless times in the final over of a match.
Too often entrepreneurs give up before getting to the final over. Very few are able to go from idea to action and even fewer can keep that action sustained for long enough to take their start-up to success. Entrepreneurs will encounter many set-backs but if they can keep going until they get to the "final over", to the point where it really matters, they will have a very good chance of winning.
5. Believe in yourself
Of course, Dhoni’s cool, calm and collected exterior comes from within – his sense of self-belief. Dhoni is confidence personified.
Entrepreneurs will face a lot of resistance and believing in yourself and the problem you want to solve with your startup is vitally important.