Want to achieve Dhoni-like success in investing? Learn these 5 traits from him

India's one of the most successful cricketers and captains, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, announced his retirement from international cricket on August 15.

Dhoni is retiring with many records, leaving behind a bright legacy that will continue to keep him among the role models for the world.

At this time, when we are wondering if we will get anyone like him who will fit in his shoes, the biggest tribute to the charismatic player will be learning his traits to excel in our respective fields.

Here are the five traits that we can learn from him and apply in investing:

Patience: He was called ‘Captain Cool’ because of his remarkable emotional stability even during times of extreme stress. Consequently, most of the time, even if the team lost, he emerged as a victor.

Patience has no alternative to investing. There may be many factors, events, or developments that will keep market volatility. If you understand the fundamentals of the stock you have invested in, stay calm. A prudent, well-calculated approach does not fail easily.

G Chokkalingam, Founder, Equinomics Research and Advisory is of the view that patience is the most important trait one can learn from Dhoni as many retail investors lack it.

"Many retail investors lose patience in holding value stocks as they take much longer to perform. When the real story unfolds after 1 to even 3 years, they regret missing such multi-baggers," said Chokkalingam.

"They should hold on to quality value stocks and even keep adding at lower levels and then wait with a lot of patience like Dhoni to unlock substantial value in the long-term," said Chokkalingam.

Staying calm: Staying calm under pressure is another trait of him that not only investors but everybody should emulate.

"Known as ‘Captain Cool’ because of his calm and composed persona on the field during the toughest of situations, MS Dhoni has never succumbed to any on-field pressure and also has been rational when making decisions that would be beneficial to the team as well as the country. Similarly, when it comes to investing, we need to stay calm especially during volatile markets. It’s just a phase. We need to tackle the situation rationally to make the right decisions," said Jyoti Roy, DVP- Equity Strategist, Angel Broking.

Dhoni's calmness also reflected his confidence, his faith in the abilities of his team.

Investors must have confidence while picking a theme for investment as doubt can make them take irrational decisions. However, being overconfident may be harmful.

Being confident means you know when to exit and when to make your next move.

"A young humble boy from a small town proved that small beginnings cause no hindrance if you believe in yourself. When it comes to investing, small systematic investments are the small steps that lead to big financial goals. The important thing is to start, keep at it and believe that even the biggest goals can be met," said Roy.

Be alert always: Remember his fine stumping skills. Cricket pundits have been saying that most of the time, his stumping of key batsmen has been instrumental in the team's victory.

He was always alert and looking for opportunities. What does a successful investor need other than suitable opportunities?

Besides, one should also be quick to realise errors in stock-selection and correct it immediately.

Chokkalingam pointed out that many retail investors, under pressure to make money in the shortest possible time, enter penny stocks and end up destroying wealth forever.

"Dhoni is well-known for quick delivery in the shortest span of time through his helicopter shots. Investors should also apply Dhoni's helicopter shots strategy to throwaway wrong stocks from their portfolios the moment errors in stock-selection are realised," Chokkalingam said.

Never be complacent: There is a grey area between complacency and taking a pause. While it is ok to take a pause and wait for the right moment, one should never be complacent as it hinders growth.

After achieving one milestone, aim for another. After mastering one sector or theme, look for another. This is how an investor grows.

Attain the mastery: When you invest in a sector or in stock, know in and out about it. You must know the strength and weaknesses of your move. You remain aware of what is going on in the economy and in the market and you can read the emerging trends.

Mastery comes with experience, and probably after a lot of failures. Dhoni, as a player, also could not do anything significant in the 2007 cricket world cup. He learned from that failure and what followed is history.

There may be many more traits of Dhoni that we can learn. One of the biggest attributes of a successful investor is the appetite of learning. Investors learn from the successes and failures of themselves as well as of others.

MS Dhoni as a captain had been an encouraging leader, cheering his mates to perform better each day.

"Similarly as an investor, one can encourage family and friends to invest wisely. Tell them how it’s worked for you and how you believe it can help them have a practical approach towards selecting funds for investment which will help them achieve their financial goals successfully," Roy of Angel Broking said.

Disclaimer: Moneycontrol advises users to check with certified experts before taking any investment decisions.