Leadership Lessons from Padmaavat
So at last, Mr Bansali, could overcome the din created by the free will of
some of our worthy countrymen. Who while remaining in the fringes, manage to
capture the limelight thanks to the potency of hate and the medium which fans
it- Media. Getting it to the screens, must have been no mean effort, but then
SLB is no minion when it comes to courting controversies. The consequences of a
PR initiative to contest such social mischief makes good business sense!..and
lo and behold!!...it’s the Media playing Merlin which propels him to yet
another blockbuster!..Yay fourth estate!!
I watched Padmaavat. Accompanied with a houseful audience. Sitting there I made a note to myself...."the road to success are many, but the surest one is the one created by the one who doesnt want you to get to your destination"! The Karni Sena just did that for Bansali over a weekend.
Leadership Lesson #1 : Do not disregard your staunch disbelievers, in their protest...lies your opportunity.
The movie commenced, I wondered, why the 3D glasses? Maybe to amplify the epic, or perhaps to get a better 'look' of madam Deepika. I was now really excited! So, I wore them, settled into my seat and got ready for a shot of Indian history and storytelling. But what the hell!.....did I just watch Allaudin Khilji dancing like he just got bitten by a very angry Tarantula!!....and Padmavati shaking a hip too?...ah! SLB, you are so good at shredding history to a gaudy pulp, stinking of a romance so vile, that only a Bollywood studio can serve and get away with it. Your magic is amazing!
Leadership Lesson#2 : High Standards and Credibility matters. When you have the power, you can become a contortionist, and the world will appreciate the 'truth' you share. And if you want to sell garbage...package it with exceptional professionalism, with a touch of class..and people will applaud its worth!
As the movie unfurled, I realised the plot was a no-brainer. The initial disclaimer on 'jouhar' killed any suspicions I harboured of Deepika getting alive from this flick. The good guys and bad guys were so well demarcated in their character, and Padmavati came out brilliant on the intelligence score too. But what fascinated me more was the leadership skills displayed by both the male protagonists, that was a near match in effectiveness. In fact, although thoroughly black washed by a highly prejudiced script, Khilji was far more impactful in his leadership quotient. Three aspects stood out in him that made him a great Leader:
- Persistence of Mission : From getting an entire Ostrich across continents, to seducing any lass he fancied, this guy was a persuasive junkie! The guy knew how to quell a rebellion too!.....camping an Army waiting for six months in an arid and hostile environment with no definitive common purpose..is no mean task to execute!
- Risk Taker : Numb to fear and taking absurd risks, were his forte. He literally moved with a fearless gut and cared a damn to what people thought of him. He moved with his senses alone, and got what he committed himself too. He knew his craft as a soldier and was exceptional at it. Well yeah...the same cannot be said about his success in taking possession of things...he didn’t see the mass sacrifice coming in the end....otherwise I am sure he would have figured a way to stop that too! This guy was bad ass, but boy, did he get the job done- and how!
- Mutual Trust : As a leader, he knew it was wise to have a band of trusted aides. He trusted them fully and they owed allegiance to him. In fact, he confided completely in Mallik Kafur (unfortunately so poorly projected in the movie, the guy was actually a great general in his own right). He sought his advice and used their consultations as a sounding board to weigh his actions. In fact, his desire to raid the fort of Chittor was affirmed by Kafur, had he not got the support of his aides, his second and final raid into the complex would have been a non starter. And then of course, that dance...Khalbali...with his troops.....no ordinary leader of men can create that kind of intensity in his team!
While I extol the virtues of Khilji, allow me to also make a point before you package me as a follower of the dark side of human existence. This was a Bollywood movie, a resplendent flick, nothing more. So a bad guy has to be reeeaaaallyy bad, and the good guy; saccharine sweet! Come on....you know well...that’s not how the real world goes about doing things!
But what stands out is, a leader may have the highest of virtues and the most potent of skills....but his leadership will entail consequences.....consequences that he may or may not imagine can and will occur. It is these consequences, that Khilji missed out (probably blinded by the image of Padmavati) that did not give him what he aspired for the most.
Talking of Cause and Effect, well.....that is another topic to examine......
For now, it is about learnings from Padmaavat....
and I rest my case
I watched Padmaavat. Accompanied with a houseful audience. Sitting there I made a note to myself...."the road to success are many, but the surest one is the one created by the one who doesnt want you to get to your destination"! The Karni Sena just did that for Bansali over a weekend.
Leadership Lesson #1 : Do not disregard your staunch disbelievers, in their protest...lies your opportunity.
The movie commenced, I wondered, why the 3D glasses? Maybe to amplify the epic, or perhaps to get a better 'look' of madam Deepika. I was now really excited! So, I wore them, settled into my seat and got ready for a shot of Indian history and storytelling. But what the hell!.....did I just watch Allaudin Khilji dancing like he just got bitten by a very angry Tarantula!!....and Padmavati shaking a hip too?...ah! SLB, you are so good at shredding history to a gaudy pulp, stinking of a romance so vile, that only a Bollywood studio can serve and get away with it. Your magic is amazing!
Leadership Lesson#2 : High Standards and Credibility matters. When you have the power, you can become a contortionist, and the world will appreciate the 'truth' you share. And if you want to sell garbage...package it with exceptional professionalism, with a touch of class..and people will applaud its worth!
As the movie unfurled, I realised the plot was a no-brainer. The initial disclaimer on 'jouhar' killed any suspicions I harboured of Deepika getting alive from this flick. The good guys and bad guys were so well demarcated in their character, and Padmavati came out brilliant on the intelligence score too. But what fascinated me more was the leadership skills displayed by both the male protagonists, that was a near match in effectiveness. In fact, although thoroughly black washed by a highly prejudiced script, Khilji was far more impactful in his leadership quotient. Three aspects stood out in him that made him a great Leader:
- Persistence of Mission : From getting an entire Ostrich across continents, to seducing any lass he fancied, this guy was a persuasive junkie! The guy knew how to quell a rebellion too!.....camping an Army waiting for six months in an arid and hostile environment with no definitive common purpose..is no mean task to execute!
- Risk Taker : Numb to fear and taking absurd risks, were his forte. He literally moved with a fearless gut and cared a damn to what people thought of him. He moved with his senses alone, and got what he committed himself too. He knew his craft as a soldier and was exceptional at it. Well yeah...the same cannot be said about his success in taking possession of things...he didn’t see the mass sacrifice coming in the end....otherwise I am sure he would have figured a way to stop that too! This guy was bad ass, but boy, did he get the job done- and how!
- Mutual Trust : As a leader, he knew it was wise to have a band of trusted aides. He trusted them fully and they owed allegiance to him. In fact, he confided completely in Mallik Kafur (unfortunately so poorly projected in the movie, the guy was actually a great general in his own right). He sought his advice and used their consultations as a sounding board to weigh his actions. In fact, his desire to raid the fort of Chittor was affirmed by Kafur, had he not got the support of his aides, his second and final raid into the complex would have been a non starter. And then of course, that dance...Khalbali...with his troops.....no ordinary leader of men can create that kind of intensity in his team!
While I extol the virtues of Khilji, allow me to also make a point before you package me as a follower of the dark side of human existence. This was a Bollywood movie, a resplendent flick, nothing more. So a bad guy has to be reeeaaaallyy bad, and the good guy; saccharine sweet! Come on....you know well...that’s not how the real world goes about doing things!
But what stands out is, a leader may have the highest of virtues and the most potent of skills....but his leadership will entail consequences.....consequences that he may or may not imagine can and will occur. It is these consequences, that Khilji missed out (probably blinded by the image of Padmavati) that did not give him what he aspired for the most.
Talking of Cause and Effect, well.....that is another topic to examine......
For now, it is about learnings from Padmaavat....
and I rest my case
Good work. Accurate enough. Learning never gets outa business, be it politics or the movies. !
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