Lead it like BAHUBALI

MANAGEMENT ARTICLE Category: 1000+ Words Posted in May 2017

Ocean-like subject is ‘Leadership’ and Bahubali duo is a textbook for it.

In the first place - Ballaldev and Amarendra Bahubali - both are powerful leaders and there is no doubt in it. Both of them possess innovation and thought-leadership in their quiver. They have ample command over their communication and problem-solving methodology. Furthermore, both are seemed to be respected by the public.
Then, how is Bahubali different?

Bahubali, a true leader

Bahubali’s leadership was abundantly evident in ‘Bahubali - The Beginning’, especially during the war episode against Kalakeya.
The war starts with a sacrificial ritual. When Ballaldev cuts off a buffalo’s head to gain energy (as per their belief), Bahubali avoids the Bali and sheds his own blood on the feet of Goddess, which saves a life but motivates his team to an incredible extent.
Primarily speaking, when the strength of their competitor is analyzed, though Kalakeya’s 1,00,000 beastly soldiers outshine many a time the count of Mahishmati soldiers, Bahubali recommends Trishula Vyuham to attack them i.e., to surround the opponent soldiers from all sides before they understand the actual scheme and bounce back. That’s a commendable strategy. 
For the same war, Bahubali is provided with less stronger weapons than his brother Ballaldev. When Kattappa advises Bahubali to claim for a better set of weapons, just a modest smile was his response. We can see his confidence and his clarity in the thought process behind the smile.
“A winner sees a solution in every problem. A loser sees a problem in every solution.”
Undeterred Bahubali plans an innovative strategy with available weapons and executes sound delegation. The genius uses his logic and uses novel attacks in the war (such as an ignited huge cloth). 
The incident can be compared to a real-life scenario. A manager may have resources that are inefficient or planned for lesser than the competitors. Then (s)he should think out of the box to deal creatively with the situation, and use them effectively.
With his innovative ideas, Bahubali not only wins on rivals but also guards his team against getting demotivated, through fear of death. For instance, there's a tricky moment when Kalakeya soldiers cover themselves with the public of Mahishmati. However, Ballaldev proceeds to kill innocent people to gain access to his target (Kalakeya’s Leader and ultimately Mahishmati crown), whereas Bahubali figures out a way not only to save the innocent people but also attacks the opponents smartly. 
With reference to business, if the leader targets only on winning over competition or generating revenue and ignores the well-being of his resources, sooner or later (s)he loses respect and trust among the team causing deterioration of performance over time.
In addition to the above factor, opponents may also deliberately aim at the morale of your employees, similar to the situation in war. Mahishmati troop then accepts defeat loses the spirit to fight. Bahubali swiftly understands the critical nature and readies to face the situation on his own which not only encourages his team but also inspires them toward success through his actions. “Failure isn't fatal, but failure to change might be.”
With motivation and preparedness, a leader not just prepares his employees to fight but also to respond to the business-critical issues, without losing interest. It reaps a lot. 

Many victories are worse than defeats

Towards the end of the Vyuham, Ballaldev feels alarmed as Bahubali is approaching towards their common target. He not only intensifies his attempts to approach Kalakeya’s leader but also gets ready to kill him irrespective of Rajamatha’s instruction to not to kill.
After reaching Kalakeya’s leader that arrives on an elephant, Ballaldev feels tough to attack him directly. He hits on the elephant’s head to bring him down. The Rajamatha Sivagami’s order (top management’s instruction) was to show Kalakeya’s leader in an incapacitated situation. Instead, Ballaldev proceeds to kill the Kalakeya’s leader. Though he is well aware of the work expectation from management, he goes against it just to seize the opportunity.
Ballaldev relies on unhealthy and threatening means, whereas Bahubali follows processes properly, ethically and with absolute management skills. 
Finally, the higher management recognizes Bahubali’s sincere efforts as well as the style of leadership shown in his job and announces him as the King of the Mahishmati. 
Though the clever Ballaldev knows that this decision is against him, he doesn’t respond spontaneously but waits for good timing and provokes his father Bijjaladev in ‘The Conclusion’. 
Eventually, Ballaldev weaves all possible schemes, that are actually unhealthy, to take over the throne. So why not? The final incarnation may seem like a formal victory of Ballaldev from a common man’s eye. Anybody will see him as a successful person. Then where's the catch?
After taking the crown, Ballaldev eyes on all the bonus things, and wishes to take everything away from his mother. He also dethrones Bahubali as the Commander and plans to wipe out everybody, disregarding that they are his own family members. This trait was immensely clear in the first part while the rope-leaving scene and in the second part during his attempts to kill his mother as well as choking his father also in the same. 
Ideally, one should look at the approach that he chose to obtain the target. Ballaldev always believed in sneaky approaches, which instantly result in a feeling of success and lead to a downfall in the long run.

Ballaldev vs. Bahubali

The comparison between the personality styles of Ballaldev and Bahubali is an interesting study one can do.
Both of them have fabulous potential. Both were successful in their own ways. Nevertheless, recall what Forbes states — “Success will come and go, but integrity is forever”.
Ballaldev wishes to conquer everything, which he is not actually entitled to. Mischievously he tries to seize his brother’s emperorship and empress. Dictatorial Ballaldev expects everybody to be under his feet. He never takes action when he notices things going against him. Rather, he acts innocent. He weaves conspiracies underneath to make the situations favorable to him. He is full of egos. Such mindsets are ruled out in today’s Agile environment.
On the contrary, Bahubali doesn’t deny to salute Ballaldev during the incarnation. He even caught parasol to his brother, who is in a superior position to him. The mighty Bahubali neither felt too proud when Mahishmati’s unlimited population was cheering for him nor felt super-human when elephants were saluting him on their knees.
Purity in the character is an important attribute of an ideal leader. 
On the other hand, as part of his plot, Ballaldev propagates Kumara Varma and gets hold of him. Thereafter he uses him thoroughly to achieve his ultimate aim i.e., killing Bahubali. Unless the opposite side has a weakness, Ballaldev can execute merely nothing. Whereas, Bahubali motivates Kumar Varma to a brave warrior. He never takes advantage of the weaknesses of others like Ballaldev. Notice the "two styles of managing" things.
Incidentally, the cunning Ballaldev slumps to a new low when he makes the pregnant lady Devasena stand in his assembly for hours together, claiming that everybody is equal before the law. Here Ballaldev boasts as if he is standing by the norms to the hilt. How can such hypocrisy of leaders be valued? How will his / her credibility sustain? 

Best empathizer is the leader

As Bahubali's wife Devasena reiterates the words of Martin Luther King, Silence of good people is dangerous than the brutality of bad people, Bahubali acts aggressively against anything that he finds against ethics. He believes in his own strengths and relies on it. Cruel Ballaldev tortures the public to respect him. If so, they may respect them in front of him, but they would enjoy his absence.
Coming back to Bahubali, when even closest people like Devasena’s parents try to bow before Bahubali, he unquestionably denies the act. In addition, he opines that there should be only 'abhimanam' (attachment) between relatives, but not 'abhivadam' (salutation).
The good-hearted Bahubali never hesitates to serve the public who don’t even belong to him. He respects all without any conditions, even the downtrodden masses. In return, he never expects formalities.
When Bahubali gets harmed, he never drops a tear; the citizens do. They weep hard, showing the most genuine form of respect.
Bahubali is driven by sensitivity. He follows the human heart. He always does the right thing. Even after getting expelled, Bahubali stood by Dharma. No person ever needs ‘power’ for doing what is right. Though as an excommunicated person, he works along with people to fulfill their needs.
No matter with or without the crown, Bahubali is the real king.
‘Management’ is never equal to ‘manipulation’. ‘Handling with the responsibility’ certainly varies from ‘handling with authority’, and so do right-minded approaches from self-interested approaches.
'Win-win' way always wins in all ways.