MS Dhoni, one of the best captains of the Indian National Cricket team, isn’t called Captain Cool just like that. He has this unique ability to remain calm and focused despite the insurmountable odds.
When he stays calm, he is able to focus on the game which helps him to understand the situation & plan his strategy. Also, because he’s leading from the front, he can inspire confidence in his teammates. As such, he can play the right shots, or set the best field, which ultimately puts the pressure back on the opponents. This helps him to win matches which otherwise would have been unwinnable. Of course, keeping a cool mind does not always help Dhoni win all his games, and he has also lost many games. But nonetheless, this cool nature has helped him lead his team to win the T20 World Cup (2007), the ODI World Cup (2011), three IPL titles for the Chennai Super Kings (2010, 2011, and 2018).
While it is common sense that these benefits will accrue to anyone who remains calm and focused, unfortunately, not everyone can do that. So how does he?
Although there are many qualities that Dhoni possesses, the one thing I feel that helps him to keep his cool is that he doesn’t consider a defeat as a permanent loss. He understands that he can always take the learnings from a defeat into the next game. With the expectation of a win or the stress of a loss in a game “off the table”, he can focus on the thing that needs his attention at that moment – i.e., playing the game.
This is the exact message propounded by Lord Krishna in the Bhagwad Gita. “You are only entitled to the action, never to its fruits.” By putting his 100% in the game, and then not worrying about a possible failure, Dhoni’s mind is not cluttered with the stress of an eventual failure.
Such is a fact for all. For you and I. We will experience failures and we will experience pain. We would be passed over for a promotion or may not even get a raise. Or an important client may decline our offer. However, despite all of this, we need to keep in mind that the outcome is never in our control. What we can, however, control is our efforts. So keep at it – today, tomorrow and thereafter. Any recognition and reward is just incidental.