Blog: Leadership Lessons from Lagaan 
By IndiaFM News Bureau, October 16, 2007 - 08:31 IST
Leader is one who takes up missions, which are challenging. Is one who is passionately involved in his pursuit to accomplish his mission? A
determination to make the passion reflect in practice. A torchbearer who not only knows the direction but also courageously copes up with
uncertainty of finding the right path. Conviction to conquer is palpably visible in him. He knows it is he who has to take the initiate and
institutionalise the team essentially to accomplish a mission. A faith to succeed only resides in the heart and mind of a leader, which others
cannot sense it or see it. The dexterity of a leader lies in mobilizing the fragmented skills and latent talents of his team members.
What was demonstrated in the movie Lagaan was Aamir Khan as a leader with passion and determination could subtly show the imperative
traits of a successful leadership. A team member (Kachra, the sweeper) was crippled, Aamir’s observation made him identify the latent talent in
a disabled untouchable. The entire village was hostile with his decision of the inclusion of untouchable cripple in the game of cricket. As a
leader he was able to spot the talent and place it appropriately in his game plan. Another team member (Bhura, the murgiwalaa) had spent
sizeable portion of his life in hounding behind the hens and catching them with perfection. He saw his quick reflection when this person
caught the ball, which nobody even thought of it. A dumb member (Bagha, the mute temple drummer) who was strong and stout, the leader
could think of how to channelise his physical power into constructive contribution to the team. A leader has to keep his ego and pride in
isolation when on a march to achieve the mission. Another member (Goli, the farmer with a larger piece of land) was stubborn against the
participation to take up the challenge. Aamir Khan knew this man’s attachment to his land. He could identify the right opportunity and
conveyed in a manner the facts that his non-participation may result in relinquishment of the prized possession of his land. This ability to
skillfully convince the team members should be an integral part of any leader. With all prevailing resistance he took up the initiative by
chiseling out a bat from a wood piece.
As a leader one should make oneself confident and comfortable in the task and demonstrate in front of others to make them realise that the
insurmountable hurdles they see is just an artificial perception. The perception can change only through experience and observations.
Unshackling their pre-conceived notions about the challenges of the mission is a pre-requisite skill of a successful leader. Leading by
demonstration not just by giving sermons. The team had a traitor (Lakha, the woodcutter); anybody could have subjected him to abject
punishment. But as leader he restrained his temperament and took time to understand the culprit. A leader should forgive mistakes when
sincerely acknowledged by the doer. Forgiveness and fair chance brought wonders to contribution of the team performance. Members may
have antagonism against the opposition or your competitor. A leader has to tone these negative energies into positive use in the
accomplishment of the mission. That was reflected in the conversion of another member’s (Deva, the Sikh from a neighbouring village)
vengeance against the Britishers.
Aamir Khan as a leader had brought so much passion into his mission that everybody was intrinsically motivated to offer his or her best
effort. The member (Ishwar Kaka, the vaid) was completely exhausted but he kept his personal agony in abeyance and just went ahead with
his leader’s call. The member (Ismail, the potter) who was badly hurt in the dwell garnered all his courage to take the bull by his horn and was
with the leader to strengthen his determination. Not to undermine the words of the member (Guran, the fortune teller) who constantly created
that feeling of triumph. Definitely has magical effect in moulding the thinking and orientation of members to visualize a winning situation.
Another member (Arjan, the blacksmith) whose vengeance against the opposition was transformed into constructive energy and was timely
unleashed in the game.
As a leader one should have a passion for the mission and a faith full of grit. To make his belief a part of his team member he should be able to
know the strengths and weaknesses of each of his member. This comes with keen observation and interaction with involvement. It’s only
through infusion of human touch that an impossible mission becomes possible. Human touch of forgiving a confessor, spotting talent in
everybody even in a crippled, channelising negative energy into positive use, highlighting the significance of the need of each one’s
contributions, convince with persuasion not with imposition, demonstration of how easy not how difficult a task is and finally the word of
assurance and comfort that as a team we are going to succeed. Are few of the vital traits that differentiate a successful leader from an
unsuccessful one? In fact those aspirants to be a leader should see the movie Lagaan to learn the lessons of leadership. A picture (Lagaan)
is worth a thousand words (you may have read about leadership in your management courses)…. aptly applied Axiom.
Leaders like him have the uncanny ability to understand the power of the business they are in. They realise their limitations and their
boundaries. They know how to spot an opportunity, and how to convert that into business. They know their people, their weaknesses and
their strengths. They know how to tap their energies and produces winners. These are leaders who dare to dream, that become a vision. Then
it becomes an obsession that wouldn’t let them rest until their dream becomes a reality. In a world of me-toos, they have the ability to stand
out from the pack. By creating distinguishable traits that separate the best from the rest. They do not follow the herd. They create their own
paths to prosperity. In a world of equals, “Lagaan” makes the difference…
Nihar Pradhan blog can be accessed at
http://nihar-pradhan.sulekha.com/blog/post/2007/10/leadership-lesson-s-from-lagaan.htm
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