4 leadership lessons to take away from Chak De! India

Kabir Khan. I don’t think there’s anyone out there who doesn’t remember this iconic Shah Rukh Khan character. Chak De! India came 12 years ago today and swept the nation off its feet.

Chak De! India, on the surface looked like a really driven sports film before it came out, but it awoke patriotism and team spirit in everyone in the true sense. Who would have thought that a story about a dejected hockey coach who just wanted a second chance to prove his loyalty to the nation would keep touching people’s hearts even after 12 years?

There’s a lot to learn from the film and especially from Kabir Khan’s character. His dedication towards the sport and India, and his perseverance show us what a true and able leader should be like.

Here are 4 leadership lessons that Chak De! India taught us:

Team objectives are greater: The movie emphasized that when you’re in a team, it is more important to look at the team’s goals than individual’s personal objectives. We need to look beyond our individual goals to win as a team.

Determination and Persistence: No matter what failure comes your way, you should always remember that you’ve got something no one else does and that’s why you can overcome anything. Being demotivated is not an option.

Also Read: 9 roles played by Kajol that prove that she can fill any shoes with perfection!

Think beyond the stereotypes: This movie taught us to break a lot of stereotypes. The Kabir Khan never differentiated between the girls on the basis of their region or class is a testimonial to that. Chak De! India lays stress on the need to treat women as talented and ambitious individuals who have feelings, rather than mere objects that can’t be expected to achieve anything.

Ego is our worst enemy: Throughout the film, we see Kabir Khan telling the team that it is not okay to let their pride get in the way of the team’s victory, and eventually the players realize that and bring it home.

Chak De! India is probably one of those rare movies that does not have a divided audience – everyone LOVES it!

What lesson did this movie teach you?