Retired Infosys chairman Narayana Murthy pens heartfelt tribute to MS Dhoni

Murthy showered rich praise on Dhoni's leadership qualities.

MS Dhoni | GettyCo-founder and retired chairman of Infosys Technologies, NR Narayana Murthy, on Monday (August 17) showered rich praise on the just-retired MS Dhoni, saying the corporate world can learn a lot from the former Indian skipper.

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In a column for Times of India, Murthy wrote Dhoni brought more than just performance to the table, mentioning qualities that corporate world can imbibe from his leadership.

"Dhoni was a quintessential leader. There is much that we, in corporate India, can learn from just watching his cricket matches," he wrote.

"The first responsibility of a leader is to craft a grand vision, articulate it, and raise the aspiration, confidence, pride, hope and enthusiasm of his people. Dhoni did it to perfection."

Murthy also cited the example of Dhoni leading India to victory in the ICC World T20 2007 as a moment that changed the mindset of the entire country.

He further wrote: "A great leader leads by example. That is what Mahatma Gandhi taught us. Dhoni led from the front. He walked the talk and practised the precept. He personified the determination to win. He became India’s best finisher.

"... he was second to none in showing aggression when needed. In the process, he showed his commitment to excellence in execution, an important attribute of a good leader."

Narayana Murthy also pointed out Dhoni’s generosity as a leader by giving the example that the latter allowed Sachin Tendulkar and Gary Kirsten take limelight after the 2011 World Cup triumph.

"That day clearly belonged to Dhoni with his astute captaincy and excellent performance throughout the tournament, his match-winning unbeaten 91 in the final, and his shot for a six off the last ball. Generosity is the hallmark of a great leader," he wrote.

In the end, Murthy wrote that there is plenty to learn from Dhoni's ability to plan in advance, referring to the final over he gave to Joginder Sharma in the T20 Word Cup 2007 final against Pakistan.

"A competent leader remains calm but plans his next move well in the hour of crisis. Dhoni is a good example of this. My mind goes back to September 24, 2007, the day of the T20 final against Pakistan.

"The equanimity that Dhoni demonstrated after a match, whether it was a win or a loss for India, showed how a good leader should react to wins and losses for his company in the marketplace."

 
 

By Salman Anjum - 18 Aug, 2020

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