I don’t watch cricket anymore, but did catch the video of Dhoni’s very colourful exchange with Manish Pandey in the 2nd T20 vs South Africa earlier this year. Interesting as it was, what really caught my attention was how Dhoni calmly hit a six in the very next ball! Think about it – you’re annoyed about something but able to quickly not just get over it, but do a spectacular job in the next few seconds! This not a one off incident, because this is essentially how the man earned the “Captain Cool” moniker.
I related it to this fantastic long read at Farnam Street about how fighter pilots technique quick and accurate decisions. It’s called the OODA loop and the letters stand for Observe, Orient, Decide, Act. Daniel Kahneman’s Thinking, Fast & Slow is one of the most insightful books I have read, but I wished there would be an application guide on how to practice it in daily life. I think the OODA loop is the best practitioner’s guide I have seen. (more…)