'Earn Respect, develop emotional connect': MS Dhoni shares 5 leadership lessons to become good leader, not just manager

MS Dhoni, the former Indian world-cup winning team and five-time IPL title-winning captain of Chennai Super Kings (CSK), recently shared his thoughts on how to become a good leader and what's really the difference from being just a good manager and a great leader. His views were expressed in a video posted on Dubai Eye 103.8's YouTube channel on Monday.

Follow the Right Principles
Dhoni emphasized that whether in business or life, adhering to the right principles simplifies decision-making. "You can't always move back and forth when making decisions. What is important is to determine what you think is right, keep moving forward, and often that helps you decide the future course of action," Dhoni said.

He also highlighted the importance of adaptability while following your path. "We all have our business plans, considering what is happening around us at the moment. But in the next six months, there may be new technology that requires quick adaptation. So, we all make plans, but once the first ball is bowled, everything depends on how it's going. Adaptability becomes key," Dhoni added.


Earn Respect
Dhoni stated that earning respect from those you lead is crucial for a leader. "One important thing about leaders is that you have to earn the respect of the people you are leading. You can't command or demand respect; you need to earn it. I may hold a position in an institution, and yes, that position needs to be respected, but as an individual in that position, I need to earn that respect. I can't say, 'Okay, I'm in this chair, you need to respect me.' When you have the respect of the people around you, they give maybe 10 or 15 percent more, and that's what is needed in an environment," he said.

Emotional Connect
Dhoni stressed the need for an emotional connection to become a good leader in India. "In India, people talk about being professional. Yes, we Indians are professionals, but our emotional connect is much stronger. As an Indian, my strength is the emotional connect. My connection with CSK is an emotional one. It's not just about being a player who comes, plays for a couple of months, and goes back home."

Lead by Example
Dhoni believes that leaders should lead by example, especially during tough times. "You lead by example through the ups and downs. When you are successful, it's easy to say, 'This is what we do.' But when times are tough, that's the real test. You have to walk the talk. When you say, 'Don't take the pressure; we are not about the result, but about the process,' you must believe it even if you have lost four or five games. That's when you earn respect. What we say is what we mean, and that's what we do," he said.

Detach from Results, Learn from Every Outcome
Dhoni advised that leaders should learn to detach themselves from the results and focus on the lessons learned for future improvement. "As humans, can we learn something from every outcome and detach ourselves slightly from the result? Yes, we feel hurt when we lose or don't achieve the target, but what is important is to learn from it. In modern times, we are so focused on the result that we keep thinking about it. When you start moving on, you do the right thing, which is to take the learnings out of it, not just the result. Identify areas for improvement so that we achieve the target in the next game or the next quarter," he said.