Tuesday, February 12, 2008

Lead(Act)or!!!

Last couple of days gave an opportunity to revisit some basic skills of presentations through a simulated environments....under two extremely skilled and wonderful coaches. A number of exercises, especially the ones we did today brought back the childhood, rather teenage memories, of my initiation into the craft of drama and theatre...something, which I have not been able to revisit since 2004. The exercise on congruence of actions and voice...the voice modulation etc. It brought back the memories of practicising नवरस during acting workshops. Well, the camaradrie that got developed with the rest of team is definitely bonus and something I shall I always cherish as long as I remain part of my current organisation.

Looking back over the events of last two days...meant essentially to sharpen our skills as business presenters/leaders...and recalling its similarities with our dramam classes, from some recess of mind flashed the following quote:

...All the world's a stage
And all the men and women merely players.
They have their exits and entrances,
And one man in his time plays many parts...
As you like it (Act II Scene VII)
Such an oft repeated phrase...made memorable by Anand and his babu moshai in the eponymous movie by the common man's director...Hrishikesh Mukherjee. Anyway, it relevance in management and leadership has been brought out by contemporary as well as yesteryear's thinkers and writers. Couple of such thinker and writer are dear ol' Willie from Avon aka William Shakespeare and much maligned political scientist...Niccolo Machiavelli.
Though Shakespeare didn't intend write any treatise on leadership, unlike Machiavelli's 'The Prince'...he did created characters of kings and conquerors...the only manifestation of leadership during his time. Definitely, something that neither of them thought at the time of creating their respective works...is the resonance and relevance of their work in today's corporate/business organisations. What these two writers conveyed...may be inadvertently...is the ability of good leaders to be good actors...not merely playacting, but using the words and wisdom to play with the audience.
...how they go about doing...I shall continue it in next blog...

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