I delivered this speech on ‘Godfather’ as my Level 2, project 2 at Toastmasters. The purpose of this project was to understand your leadership style.
Growing up, we all faced the question: “What will you become when you grow up?”
Many of us answered with dreams of becoming IAS, IPS, doctors, pilots, singers etc. I’m not going to ask whether you achieved those childhood dreams or not. You can do your introspection.
When I was 13-14 years old, my mentor asked me the same question. I said, “I want to be someone powerful, and wealthy, who helps everyone, but stays in the background.”
He quipped, “So, you want to be the Godfather?”
What does Godfather mean?
At that time, I didn’t know what he meant. I had only seen “Godfather” written on a shop whose signboard “Aapka dhyan kidhar hain, thandi beer ki dukan idhar hain.”
Later, I learned he was referring to Don Vito Corleone from the novel The Godfather.
In college, I read the book. Don Vito Corleone was the head of his Mafia Family, known as the Godfather. He is wise, and strategic, and commands great respect and fear.
I don’t resonate much with him because we are not living in a Mafia world. If I have to adopt a character from the novel. It would be:
Michael Corleone. He was the youngest son of the family. Initially, He was distanced from the family business and served in the army in Second World War II. After the attempt on his father’s life, Michael Corleone steps into the family business. He killed the other mafia families to become a better leader than his father. This is a common theme of mythology. Ram is not only Maryada-Purushotam Ram. He killed Mighty Ravan.
Even today, I don’t know the meaning of Godfather.
My idea of what I wanted to become is clear. Be competent and stay away from the limelight.
Why Stay in the Background?
-
To make a building magnificent, some bricks have to lie down in the foundation silently without any recognition. I have no problem being that brick.
-
From my understanding of human society it doesn’t respect you, it respects your status. The same society that worships you when you are successful will abandon you when you are nothing.
-
Seeking status is an endless game. There will be always the latest fashion trends and cooler gadgets. There will be always people more beautiful, more smarter than you. Why play a game you can’t win? It attracts unnecessary attention, jealousy, risk, etc.
-
Being popular consumes a lot of time and energy. There are a few things you can not delegate. For example, loving your wife, spending time with your kids, and pursuing a hobby. No one can do these things on your behalf.
I am a little reluctant about pursuing power because Power is a zero-sum game. You have to replace number one to become number one. I do not want to play a zero-sum game. I want to play positive-sum games. Instead of taking the largest pie of the cake, I want to make the cake bigger. So, I break the power into the following types:
There are different types of power:
-
Positional Power: The power that comes with your position or chair you are sitting. Be it the CEO of a company or a government official. I respect the person, not the chair.
- Financial Power: You need money not because you believe in money. You need money because others believe in it. You can make people do anything for money. To maintain your freedom of thought you need money. Earn money so that you can help the people you care for and have the freedom to wait and dictate your terms.
-
Personal Power: This is the best form of power because no one can take it from you. Your knowledge, attitude, mindset, character, wisdom, confidence, the people you know etc. are examples of personal power
-
Physical Power: Power that we derive from physical strength. It is not about building a body in a gym. I don’t deny the chance of a street fight. Energy is the ultimate flex. If you ask me the success formula, it would be High IQ + High Energy. If you have both, you are going to rule the world.
I would add one more word to my idea of Godfather: even-mindness. Practising even-mindness is hard. It means treating profit and loss in the same way. Win and defeat in the same way. King and servant in the same way.
Fortune is like a flirt; it does not care for those who want it. Money, fame and power come to those who do not care for it. They always come to the Master. The Master is he who can live despite them, whose life does not depend upon the little, foolish things of the world.
So, If you have felt slept on, ignored, unrecognised by little foolish people. Leave them. Get back to work. Become a Master.