Lagaan movie was a great Inspiration for Aspiring Leaders.

The movie taught us many things.

1. To see problems as an opportunities: When the Captain from British challenged

Bhuvan for a cricket match,Bhuvan saw it as a way to bring happiness into the lives
of people.
2. Implementation is as important as Dreaming: Bhuvan dreamt of bringing
happiness in the lives of people by winning the match for which he clearly defined
the goal and discussed the plan and Implementation with the villagers.
3. Selflessness: It's a very great quality for a leader to have. In fact every leader
should put the interests of his people before his own. Bhuvan did exactly the same.
4. No matter what comes in your way, be determined: When Bhuvan thought of
including an untouchable in the team, villagers opposed him but he stood still and
determined and in the end convinced everyone that it would be beneficial for the
team.
5. Small examples to learn complex things: Cricket was altogether a complex game
for the villagers initially, but Bhuvan compared it with an already well known game
of Gulli-danda.
6. Building the team: Food tastes good only if the ingredients are in the right
proportion. Same is the case with a team. If a team has to succeed,it should have
the right people and Bhuvan makes this possible by understanding the people and
treats every individual differently, again a very good quality for a leader to have.
7. Getting people into your team is just half the task, assigning them their roles is
as important.
8. Lastly, OVER CONFIDENCE kills :D ,The british were over confident about their
victory which eventually made them lose.

In a very simple language -

 Courage - courage to make the people agree for cricket match.

“” Agar jigar ki jagah jigar hai aur jigar mein dum hai ... toh rok le aake. ... Maa ke
doodh mein toh dum hota hi hai ... chahe woh Hindustan ki ho ya Pakistan ki. ... Hero
banne ke liye jigar ki zaroorat padti hai ... aur jab jigar ho toh bhari bandook ka kya
kaam?””

Britishers had power that time while villagers had nothing. But they showed their courage
and won the Game.

 Patience - patience till the end of Game. In the beginning, they were loosing the
game but then as we all know they won the game.
 Positivity - many people had negative thoughts that time but only bhuvan said
“we can do it”. And it happened
 Fearless attitude - if they failed, they all had to paid 3times more lagaan” but
bhuvan never worried about it.
I always considered movies as a mean of entertainment until my mentor, Mr. Arvind Kaul, gave
me the assignment to extract leadership lessons from the movie – “Lagaan”.

And for the first time, I watched a movie with a pen and a notepad in my hand.

One may look at it as a story from the year 1893 that revolves around a drought-hit Indian
village. Or the story of a young man Bhuvan, who converts a challenge into an opportunity and
emerges as a true leader.

The movie starts with a problem that villagers are not in a condition to pay 2x “Lagaan” (taxes).
In a dramatic set of events, villagers are challenged to play a game of cricket. The bet is if
they(villagers) win, there is no “Lagaan” for three subsequent years.

BUT if they lose, they will have to pay 3x “Lagaan”.

Despite having no prior experience in cricket, Bhuvan rises to the occasion and accepts this
challenge.

Here is what Bhuvan teaches us about leadership:

Communicate the Vision

While everyone is distressed, Bhuvan reiterates:

Just think… No “Lagaan” for three years… You know what that means? it means our grain will
be ours… only ours.

Be Determined
With persuasive arguments, Bhuvan manages to bring team members on board.

He makes us understand that “All truth passes through three stages: Ridiculed, Opposed,
Accepted”.

Simplify Complexity
It is really intriguing, how Bhuvan correlates cricket game rules with “Gilli-Danda”, something
they are already aware of.

As Albert Einstein said “Any intelligent fool can make things bigger and more complex… It
takes a touch of genius and a lot of courage to move in the opposite direction.”

Best use of Resources

Creative use of available resources is another captivating element in this movie. Building batting
pads using bamboos is one such example.
Tony Robbins has beautifully quoted “It’s not about the resources you have available. It’s about
the resourcefulness you have within you.”

Will is not everything – Develop the Skill

Practice Practice Practice

Less Me, More We

This simple statement is the key to build a great team.

Bhuvan dispels everyone’s notion of untouchability and brings the best spinner in the team, for
the team.
Certainly, there is no room for supremacy and prejudice in a team.

Work Hard, Party Hard

Only a clear and a relaxed mind can find ways.

Be it music, dance, meditation, sleep… identify ways to release stress.

Overconfidence precedes Carelessness

On the contrary, it is Captain Andrew Russell who teaches this lesson.

Never ever give up

Yes, even the last ball of last over can make a difference. Keep playing!

Individuals only Play Teams win Matches

Last but not the least a leader’s success lies in the team’s success.

Leadership is infectious; true leaders, in turn, create more leaders…

Do share your favorite movie with a lesson.

Leadership Lessons from Lagaan
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 create their own paths to prosperity. In a world of equals,
“Lagaan” makes the difference…