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01 March 2020

Leadership Lessons from WWE Wrestling

Do you enjoy watching giant men, built like oak trees beating each other to a pulp, inside a steel cage?  


Wrestler fighting in ring
Well, for the uninitiated, I am referring to World Wrestling Entertainment, WWE a billion-dollar industry, running successfully for the past 30 years or so. Most sane people might think of it as a mind-numbing dumb act of violence. But not the 100,000 frenzied spectators in the stadium and billion others who watch it in on TV.  

Fake matches, fixed fights, entertainment, violence. Call it what you may. This sports entertainment is a billion-dollar industry today. Not many IT solutions companies have reached this size. Can we learn some leadership lessons from this entertainment show? After all, running a billion-dollar industry is not an easy task. and keep it interesting and relevant is even harder.  They must be doing something right that we could learn from. Shall we ring the bell?


Balancing The Opposites

The success of this wrestling entertainment show depends on the wrestler's ability to display some extremely opposite skills. The players have to have the combination of size, stamina brutal strength of a wrestler along with the flexibility, agility, and athleticism of a gymnast to pull off those gravity-defying and some times jaw-dropping moves. If this is not enough, they have to display a wide range of emotions while mouthing some lengthy dialogues as well. Remember, this is an entertainment show. So these giant wrestlers are great orators and actors as well.

Leadership is no different. The success of a leader depends on the ability to balance some seemingly opposing traits. One has to be assertive and yet be empathetic, has to frame the rules and yet be street smart in knowing when to break those, balance ambition and vision without compromising the core values. A good leader has to understand the facts and yet trust his instincts to make that calculated leap of faith, at times.


Kiss enough frogs to find the princess

The storyline in WWE usually lulls you into believing that you got a hang of it. The story builds a specific wrestler to become the fan-favorite. Just when the support for the wrestler reaches a frenzy a sudden unexpected turn is introduced - A Face turns Heel or vice versa. In case you are wondering, Heel is a villain and Face is a good guy in WWE lingo. While these sudden twists and turns to the storyline have been the key to its success for over 3 decades, not all these changes are appreciated by all the fans, all the time. A typical WWE fan has more than one favorite wrestler and more than many reasons to like this entertainment show. That is why for a hardcore WWE fan, there is never a dull episode or never permanent despair. They anticipate these twists, they are prepared to get disappointed but yet have plenty more reasons and options to enjoy this show beyond these setbacks. 

The life of a leader works pretty much the same way. The decisions she takes seem perfect and they might even lull her into believing that success is just around the bend.  And then the twist happens to the tale. All the well laid out plan fails for reasons beyond her control.  As painful as it may be, a smart leader bounces back quicker because she always works on parallel plans and newer initiatives. She is never too disappointed and certainly not long enough to sulk. Because a good leader knows that the only way to find the prince is by kissing enough frogs. 


Length of Woman's skirt

Another big reason for WWE's success over the years has been its story length. They are neither too long winding like our soap operas nor too short to understand the point. They are usually just long enough for you to fall in love with the story and a specific wrestler and root for him with all your emotions. After all, its the emotions that drive the story forward and not pure logic. When you have a plot that is captivating enough for the right length of time, for billions of fans to invest in it emotionally, you have a winning formula.

A smart leader is one who pursues his long term vision with a series of short term goals to keep everyone motivated and interested enough to follow his dreams. The plan of a good leader is like a woman's skirt. Long enough to cover the essentials but short enough to keep everyone interested. 


Competition and Coopetition

In WWE Wrestlers are made to pair up randomly. At times, close friends and tag team partners for years are pitted against each other. Often we see bitter enemies teaming up to take on a common enemy. It is this surprise element that has kept this enterprise remain as popular as it was 30 years back.

The drama of life sometimes demands that a leader should constantly assess the competition, not just to outwit them but to partner with them if needed. Coopetition is a key part of a smart leader strategy.  There are no permanent friends or foes. Success often means putting up with some strange bedfellows.
Wrestling match As always happens in life, "When the student is ready, the teacher arrives". If you are an aspiring leader, then be a keen student first. Your teacher could be right in front of you choke slamming a hapless opponent or hidden behind a well-conceived storyline. Or he could be the Sports Entertainment show itself.  So, keep your eyes open and be alert. Who knows your teacher could be flying right at you from the top of that steel cage. 

Remember, you can start with 1,2,3 or be counted out 1,2,3. The choice is yours. So, will you now enjoy watching giant men, built like oak trees beating each other to a pulp, inside a steel cage? 

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