The Maverick’s Code Leadership Strategies, Principles & Lessons from M.S. Dhoni From Dhoni to MSD…

@9000RPM Publishing Works RAJAT NARANG BHUMIKA CHANDRA

Also by the Authors: Airbus vs. Boeing: Aviation’s Dramatic Narrow-Body Cliffhanger Spanning 3+ Decades – Strategy Perspective – Part I & Part II - By Rajat Narang Airbus vs. Boeing: Strategy Wars, Tactical Dogfights, High-G Maneuvers and the Photo Finishes – 1970s to 2020 – Rajat Narang Birds of Fray – World’s Top 4.5 & 5th Gen Fighter Jet Aircraft Programs Phoenix Junction: The Cauldron of Inner Alchemy – By Bhumika Chandra

i

The Maverick’s Code: Leadership…Strategies, Principles & Lessons from MSD

Copyright © 2021 Rajat Narang & Bhumika Chandra All rights reserved. The right of Rajat Narang & Bhumika Chandra to be identified as the CoAuthors of this work has been asserted in accordance with the Copyright Act, 1957. This work is further protected under Berne Convention for Protection of Literary and Artistic Works, 1886 and the Universal Copyrights Convention. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means including information storage and retrieval systems without obtaining prior written permission. The content is being provided for personal utilization only and redistribution or further circulation in any form or by any means, including, storage on internet on publicly accessible web pages is strictly prohibited. ISBN: 978-93-5493-046-1 Published by: @9000RPM Publishing Works www.9000rpm820582284.wordpress.com Instagram: @9000rpmworks Cover Page Design: Canva.com Front Cover Image: Photo 56974603 © Mitchell Gunn | Dreamstime.com Back Cover Art: © Lakshmanan S (Latchu) https://latchuart.wordpress.com/

ii

From Dhoni to MSD…

DEDICATED TO The Sport of Cricket, the Spirit of Sportsmanship and the Legends of the Game for Some Simply Unforgettable, Magical Moments and Memories over the Decades for cricket fans to cherish forever…To All Armed Forces Personnel, COVID Warriors and Lt. Col. MSD for exemplary on-field leadership and service by going above & beyond the call of duty and raising the benchmark forever… Also, the book is being released for pre-orders on June 06, 2021at precisely the same hour and minute at which the world’s largest sea invasion, under Operation Overlord, began at Normandy 77 years ago in 1944 to liberate the mankind from the clutches of tyranny & oppression. It is to commemorate and to pay tribute to the extraordinary bravery of those valiant souls who, when faced by a certain death looking at them right in the face, stared back at it in the eye and said, ‘To the bitter end…’ May God Bless them all…RIP…

iii

The Maverick’s Code: Leadership…Strategies, Principles & Lessons from MSD

To the ‘Flying Sikh’ Milkha Singh (November 20, 1929 - June 19, 2021) for Inspiring Millions to Chase their Dreams … “Hardwork, Willpower & Dedication – For a person with these Qualities, the Sky is the Limit” – Milkha Singh

iv

Image Credits: © S. Lakshmanan aka Latchu https://latchuart.wordpress.com/

v

The Maverick’s Code: Leadership…Strategies, Principles & Lessons from MSD

Acknowledgements

There was a unique & strange phenomenon which we witnessed while working on this book. All the people and professionals, who became a part of it; everyone had already been or turned out to be a MSD fan, and went that extra mile selflessly, without even being asked, to help with this project as if it was a mission, just like MSD’s team and the cricket players do on the field for him. That's his magic…Thanks to everyone for doing their bit for its creation & existence in this present form…without losing the anchor of objectivity.

vi

From Dhoni to MSD…

vii

Disclaimer The Authors do not have any kind of financial investments, direct or indirect business associations or financial stakes of any sort in MSD or any of the companies or businesses owned, run or promoted by him. This work does not promote or endorse any particular individual, company or industry OEM & its products over others in any manner whatsoever. The opinions expressed throughout are purely authors’ personal and the views & judgments presented are neither directed or targeted at anyone nor meant as pontification of any sort and are solely based on objective assessment of the subject matter. The names of products, systems and/or brand names mentioned wherever through the work are intellectual property of their respective owners and their mention has been done only & purely for information & creative purposes and it does not indicate or reflect and should not be construed as any kind of endorsement or promotion of any kind. The authors do not have any direct business association with any of the mentioned leadership theorists, authors & other domain specialists of past or present and do not have any commercial stakes involved in any of their works or publications. The work intends to provide a structural analysis of the leadership strategies, practices developed, cultivated & pursued by MSD on the field through his playing career, especially, from 2007-2016 period; which has been referred to as the prime span of reference for this work. The contents are not intended at chronicling his life, career events or glorification of achievements etc. in any broad or specific ways from a fan-boy’s perspective. The intent has been to provide objective analysis based on facts from the perspective of leadership against the light of some of the existing, most prominent leadership theories by some of the pre-eminent viii

From Dhoni to MSD…

domain scholars while firmly toeing the thin line of objectivity right in the middle without getting awed by the fanfare or swayed by the criticism. The leadership context presented here has tactical leadership as the core pivot with focus on small, specialized & high performance teams. Statistical analysis provided throughout this work is based on the data hosted & provided by ESPN CricInfo’s Statsguru online searchable cricket statistics database. Players have also been addressed by their last names, nicknames or short names through the work simply for ease of addressing, for congruence with popular, colloquial, public utilization from a linguistic perspective & for being relatable and should not be construed otherwise. The authors are not associated with cricket in any formal or technical capacity. The analysis has been purely anchored on informational evidences sourced from resources available in public domain with due citations and utmost effort has been made to ensure fair play to present the most objective view of reality in light of the available facts & evidences rather than taking a biased view. The approach taken, thus, is intended to clearly avoid the scope for straying towards the dark zone & murky waters marked by controversies, subterfuge & sabotage tactics, black ops, undercover missions, propaganda and/or shows of mudslinging. All the information, data & facts presented herein have been derived from reliable secondary sources, reasonably verified & have been presented for informational purposes only All effort & due diligence has been done to ensure the accuracy of the same, however, the same can’t be guaranteed. The views & opinions expressed throughout have been presented in light of the supporting facts & evidences by duly citing the sources alongside. Feel free to write in case of any concerns. The relevant jurisdiction in case of any judicial intervention would solely be New Delhi. ix

The Maverick’s Code: Leadership…Strategies, Principles & Lessons from MSD

The presented content contains generic information only and is not suitable for addressing specific or particular circumstances of any specific case or scenario. The content, thus, is not intended to be used as a basis for taking decisions of commercial or any other nature. The authors and the publisher disclaim all liabilities originating from the outcomes of the application of the contents in real-life scenarios without duly conducting thorough due diligence and without seeking professional advice & opinion from relevant subject matter experts.

x

From Dhoni to MSD…

xi

CONTENTS Dedicated to Preface Introduction Side A: The Maverick Arrives & Strikes 1 Chapter I: The Disruptive Play-Work & India’s Cricketing Roller Coaster

23

2 Chapter II: The Rise of a Maverick

39

3 Chapter III: The Clash of the Captains

50

4 Chapter IV: The Shorter Games

69

5 Chapter V: The Triple Crown and the Journey from Dhoni to MSD

90

Side B: Leadership: Strategies, Principles & Lessons from MSD

6 Chapter VI: Extreme Ownership Culture – It’s all about ‘Thy’ Ownership

105

7 Chapter VII: Transformational Leadership – Inspiration to Go Above & Beyond the Call of Duty

113

8 Chapter VIII: Decentralized, Self-Directed Teams – The Winning DNA

125

xii

From Dhoni to MSD…

9. Chapter IX: Domain Leadership & Play-by-Wire – It’s the Wired Thing

132

10. Chapter X: Humility & Humble Leadership – It’s All About Serving & the Service

146

11. Chapter XI: The Power of Super Ordinate Goals –The Incredible Power of Emotions

156

12. Chapter XII: Sustaining Leadership - Adapting & Evolving One’s Game Incrementally

166

13. Chapter XIII: Situational Leadership – Between a Tough Task & a Great Team

180

14. Chapter XIV: Courses for Horses – The Long-Term Play Turning Ordinary Stallions into Game-Changer Unicorns

189

15. Chapter XV: The Low-Key Leader, Presence and the Power of Quiet Leadership – Track them Operating Silently in the Stealth Mode, Invisible to the Radar

200

Bibliography List of Illustrations About the Authors Other Titles from the Authors

xiii