Anshuman Tiwari

𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗶𝘀 𝗔𝗺𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗵 𝗕𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝘀 𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗻𝘀 𝟴𝟬 𝘁𝗼𝗱𝗮𝘆?

Firstly, wishing him a very happy birthday and many more years of good health and happiness.

So, why is he still working?

Most of us look forward to a retired and chilled life by our 60th. Some even earlier.

And then there is this early retirement trend. I call it a fad, but that discussion is for another day.

Mr Bachchan works at 80 because he truly loves his work. This is what passion is. Not the fleeting flirtations we often see and passion changes every year.

I am not a movie buff but I watch his show #kbc regularly. For the last 20 odd years.

Firstly, I love quizzing but then this post is not about me.

I watch the show to learn from the man. Here are some not-so-filmy lessons from the birthday boy.

𝗣𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 - It takes staying power to last long. He shows up. All the time. I am sure there are crisis he has but he shows up.

𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝗹𝗹 - He is the lord of all he surveys but the respect he has for all.

𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 - Most of us have never met him or will meet. But we all think we know him and he is talking to us.

𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 - He is doing new type of work, experimenting, and leanirng.

𝗟𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗱𝗼 - Many of us chase a passion every year. He is at it for 60 years now.

We can do all this at #work too. Yes, we are not Amitabh Bachchan but then no one else is or can be.

Happy Birthday, Sir.


#amitabhbachchan

Photo courtesy Indian Express.

When you don't know where you are headed, the pace does not matter.

Many of us are Rushing. Hustling. Running. And often don't stop to ponder - where are we headed?

The year must have been early 1980s or so. Place - Gorakhpur.

I was there during my summer vacation. And my favourite activity was to accompany my maternal grandfather, Shr Ram Deo Dube, to his coal and building material store.

One scorching summer afternoon, he called me and introduced me to a man next to him and said "Go home with him. You can?" I nodded. He was a fgure whose judgement and instructions were not in the habit of being questioned.

So we walked.

Walking to the house of this person. The usual errand was to collect payment for some material supplied. So I asked, at about 10 mins, "How far is your place?"

This is when he stopped and looked at me and grinned.

"We were to go to your home. Baba asked me to collect some papers"

I was young but quickly realised my mistake. I had been asked to take this man to Baba's house. And since I did not clarify the instructions - I made assumptions.

A stitch in time. We changed path and did what was expected.

It's an innocent story and I am sure most of you have had some similar experience in your life too.

The reason it has stayed with me is perhaps the setting and context. I was very close to my maternal grandfather and he adored me.

Affection aside, the lesson here is very important.

When you don't know where you are headed, the pace does not matter.

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The same happens in our careers. We rush. We hustle. But headed where?

Don't be that manager.

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The home I mentioned in this story was later sold off. In 2016, on a brief visit, my mother and I visited the house. We requested the family there and took some photos. The room in the background is the room where I was born ☺

Our experiences shape who we are and become.

And our defining and lasting experiences are from our childhood. Think of it. You will remember the formative stories well.

Good or Bad - our childhood impacts the rest of our lives.

Our work as professionals and leaders is also defined and shaped by our childhood. And this is the theme of an intriguing new book from my friends Gauri Das and Dr. Kartik Nagendraa.

It was a delight to help launch their book, The Leader Was Once A Child.

I was unusually candid, perhaps encouraged by the theme of the book and very supportive co-panellists - Neeraja Ganesh and Aditya Mishra.

As a manager, I am very conscious of being on time. And this comes from seeing my father do the same.

I also have great difficulty, even now, in accepting a compliment. That also comes from my childhood.

In general, I like to bet on people to do what they haven't. This also comes from multiple teachers believing in me when I didn't believe in myself.

But can we not change and overcome our experiences?

Of course, we can.

Your experiences later in life can help modify the impact of experiences in childhood. But it takes a lot more effort. Conscious effort.

Meeting Jessie Paul at the event was a delight too. And always a pleasure talking to the wonderful Mohammad Ashfak.

Thanks much to Gauri and Kartik for writing this book and inviting us to help launch it. I wish the book all success.

Have you seen your own experiences as a child shape who you are?

You don't realise, but your childhood shapes you. For life.

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