Management Lessons from Bahubali

There was so much hype about S S Rajamouli’s movie “Bahubali 2”, that I couldn’t help but take notice of it. Just as everyone around me was updating their Facebook statuses with “Watching Bahubali”, “Now I know why Katappa killed Bahubali” and “This is the awesomest movie ever”, I was wondering what all the whir is all about!

I refused to believe the millions of people and reviews that said “For two hours, Bahubali consistently delivers top class performance and that it is everything that a blockbuster can be”. So one Friday I decided to watch Bahubali 1 and 2, and assess it myself.

2 minutes into the movie I was sitting on the edge of my bed, with my mouth open in absolute awe. The world of “Amarendra Bahubali” was magnificent – Arid plains besides cascading waterfalls, flowers, plants and butterflies of every possible shapes, size and colour and tropical forest emerging from snow clad mountains.

The next 2 hours were “T-H-E B-E-S-T” two hours of my life. And believe me, I am not exaggerating one bit. In spite of intense visuals and cinematography, the story doesn’t slacken, revealing one twist after the other. The cast blends perfectly with the look of the film. Prabhas is the perfect male specimen with rippling muscles and Rana Daggubati looks just as menacing.

There were also some very strong management lessons that I derived from the super blockbuster.

(Note: If you have seen the movie, it would be easier to relate.)

1. Speed of execution matter:

Amarendra Bahubali and Bhallala Deva realize the limitation of time and plan to kill the Kalkeya leader before he understands their strategy and prepares to respond.

In Business, speed of execution matters the most. A company could win more if it stays ahead of its competitors.

  

2. Intense emotions can screw up decisions:

Some decisions are not easy. And even the most experienced and seasoned leaders may take wrong decisions due to intense emotions. Sivagami, convinced that Bhallaladeva’s life is under threat from Bahubali, ordered Kattappa to kill Bahubali. Kattappa requested her to rethink and change her decision, but due to intense anger, she didn’t evaluate all the facts and refused to change her decision.

Leaders must evaluate all options and take advice from the right people, before making important decisions.

3. Know your customers’ world:

Leaders can’t understand challenges of their customers sitting from their corporate offices. To make the right decisions, along with giving orders to their teams, they themselves have to experience the field. 

Before the coronation, Sivagami suggested Amarendra Bahubali to tour the kingdom and understand its current state and people.

4. Recover from mistakes quickly:

While mistakes help people learn and grow, sometimes they can be very costly. Good leaders take accountability for their mistakes and quickly take steps to repair the damage.

When Sivagami learned from Kattappa about Bhallaladeva’s conspiracy, she tried correcting her mistake by informing panicked crowd that the baby, Mahendra Baahubali would be the new king and apologizing to Devsena.

5. Keep trying till you succeed:

Bahubali is shown attempting to scale the enormous mountain repeatedly. In spite of several failed attempts, he doesn’t lose his heart and continues to be persistent in his efforts. Finally with an extra inspiration, he could scale it.

Did I miss any? Comment below and share your views.