Lessons from Bollywood - Ch1 Chak de

Bollywood has an indelible impression on all of us. We have seen it with mesmerized eyes in our childhood, probably as early as just seeing it as flickering images on screen. Or as a world of fascination as adult where our unmeasurable energy found the imaginative landscape to achieve unthinkable. 

Few see it as art, analyzing it, trying to make sense of it, learning from it, but almost all of us learn something from movies, be it dialogues, possibilities, human interactions and even emotions.

Management lessons are also embedded in so many Hindi movies. Matters are not black and white only there are lot of contextual parameters, lot of grey matter. Still at the time of making a decision we have to cut down on few and take a call. Decision making is at core of management, and it cannot be put in few lines, pages or even books. Though this might be true, having some general guidelines help in taking decisions swiftly, without overthinking and stress. 

This is an attempt to generalize management concepts from impressions already living in our mind, and provide loose framework for faster, stress-free decision making.

Chapter 1 - Chak de

The iconic movie Chak de, which still resurges whenever their is any major sports event of India. Its songs are passion generators for years now.

Lets dive straight to the management lesson we are searching, and it is one of the dialogue of superstar Shahruk Khan. "Is team ko sirf woh players chaiye jo pehle India ke liye khel rahe hain, India ... phir apni team mein apne saathiyon ke liye ... aur uske baad bhi agar thodi bahut jaan bach jaye toh apne liye ... state government ki naukri ya railway flat ke liye nahin"

 Taking time back more towards school days, i remember the Gandhiji Talisman given on first page of NCERT book, where Gandhji says, "I will give you a talisman. Whenever you are in doubt, or when the self becomes too much with you, apply the following test. Recall the face of the poorest and the weakest man [woman] whom you may have seen, and ask yourself, if the step you contemplate is going to be of any use to him [her]."

These two excerpts give us our first lesson - Whenever in doubt think consequences of your decision for your organization, then for your team and in the end for yourself.

It instantly stirs a thought that what about my personal growth, in todays fast moving world professionals have to ensure their personal growth which might cause change of organizations also. So how in this scenario, keeping organization will contribute in my personal growth.

Though in bollywood Aamir Khan is never casted with Sharukh Khan, lets borrow a thought from 3 idiots. "Success Ke Peeche Mat Bhaago, Excellence Ka Peecha Karo, Success Jhak Maarke Tumhare Peeche Ayegi."

So any organization growth will ultimately lead to your growth, though this indirect growth may seem to be slow. However, in comparison to only individual growth this will give you network, appreciation and also a name and recognition as part of winning team which only individual accomplishment will not provide. Take a look at man of the award giving to loosing team player in cricket. See the videos, think or ask them how much they cherish it. You will find your answer.

Crux, whenever in doubt take decision which is best for your organization, then for your team and in the end for yourself,  at the cost of oversimplification will help in faster and easier decision making in your daily professional life.