Shot 4 - Creating Magic with yearning desire, touch of madness, unflinching devotion, and mountains of Patience – mAI are you up for the game?

Human beings’ belief, fueled by desire, a touch of madness, unflinching devotion coupled with tons of patience, can drive creativity to unimaginable depths leading to beautiful outcomes. Equally, the same attributes can drive destructiveness leading to dreadful consequences. Where is mAI in this journey?

This thought provoked me to write this piece.

OK, so let me put down the overwhelming emotions that welled up in me after my routine (but not so usual) Saturday morning rendezvous with Carnatic music. Thanks to my mom, her daily Carnatic music renditions in the kitchen greatly influenced my interests.

This Saturday morning’s Carnatic musing was very different. A strange and profound thought struck me while listening to the Keerthanas of the great Annamacharya and Thyagaraja. The emotions that coursed through me as I heard the innocent “Vinnapaalu Vina Vale,” the compassionate “Chala da Harinama,” the thought-provoking “Brahmam okate,” the deep concern in “Indariki abhayambu lichu cheyi” and the ever-beautiful “Nagumomu” were overwhelming. I had heard them many times before, but this time they set me thinking about the profound impact a human being’s desire, stubbornness, devotion, and madness can create, and the beautiful outcomes that follow.

Annamayya’s Bhakti (devotion) wasn’t merely Vinamrata (humble submission); it also embodied Aagya bhakti (devotion as a matter of right, asserting that he deserved the divine best). This duality is brilliantly captured in the writings of one of my favorite modern lyricists, Lt. Sri Siri Vennela Sitharama Sastry Garu, in “Adi Bhikshuvu Vaadini Yemi Koredi, Bhudidiche Vaadini Yemi Adigedi,” a satirical take on God (in this case, Lord Shiva) where he questions Him by calling out if He is even eligible to bless him! This kind of depth in thinking is possible only when one has a deep desire, belief, and madness and relentless devotion for his/her work!

The same is true for other great poets, like Jalal-al-din Rumi, whose unique depth of love created beautiful thoughts (that attracted even the materialistic west!), and the works of Purandaradasa, Kabir Das, Meera Bai, and many others.

What intrigued me was the common thread linking these spiritual quests to the brilliance we experience in various other facets of life. Be it the bravery of Mahatma Gandhi, Nelson Mandela, and Martin Luther King Jr. or the tennis feats of Federer, Djokovic, and Nadal. These legends, alongside yesteryear’s revolutionary scientists and modern-day visionaries like Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak, the Google founders, and Elon Musk, share a journey fueled by desire, coupled with strong belief, and a touch of madness, leading to remarkable creativity and beautiful outcomes that resonate with millions (including those of us who may not fully grasp the depth of their creativity and achievements).

Consider this: Djokovic, Nadal, and Federer have collectively won over 65 Grand Slam titles, each match driven by unwavering belief and occasional madness. Gandhi, Mandela, and King inspired billions; their legacies immortalized in movements that changed the course of history. Steve Jobs’ vision for Apple led to the smartphone era, fueling the Fourth Industrial Revolution further, and transforming how we interact with technology. And we all know how crazy Musk can get by the day.

A desire, madness, and belief of two former Amazon employees, to create an Indian version of Amazon, fueled them to take on a giant and led them to capture more than 40% of the Indian e-commerce market share - ?Their "small giant" approach definitely paid off and would say rubbed off! with more joining the bandwagon??.

Musk's unwavering belief in the potential of commercial space travel has been nothing short of revolutionary. Despite multiple rocket failures and financial troubles, Musk's patience, belief, and madness kept SpaceX afloat leading it to a leadership position in space innovation, with the Falcon 9 rocket successfully delivering payloads to the International Space Station regularly - turning the impossible into a daily routine - Talk about a down-to-earth way to reach the stars!

Gandhiji’s desire for Indian independence, his unwavering belief in nonviolent resistance, and his touch of madness in taking on the British Empire with simple means led to a significant movement that changed the course of history - Talk about a "silent revolution"!

?Martin Luther King Jr.’s belief in equality and civil rights drove him to lead the Civil Rights Movement in the United States. His famous "I Have a Dream" speech epitomizes the power of belief and the audacity to dream big in the face of adversity - A truly "rationally absurd" approach!

Even in the simple, unforgettable, heart touching Kuvempu’s poem, “Punya Koti” - the story of the cow, Punya Koti, who chooses to keep her promise to a tiger, even at the risk of her own life, you see the unwavering belief and the madness of the cow to stick to her values, no matter the cost, moves the tiger - belief can indeed inspire even the fiercest of skeptics.

Adding to this, think of leaders like Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam, whose unwavering belief and vision propelled India’s space and missile programs to new heights.

We can go on - These examples highlight how such a yearning desire, belief, a touch of madness, unflinching devotion, and mountains of patience (“saburi” that apna time ayega) can create lasting legacies.

This journey isn’t limited only to positive outcomes. Throughout history, destructive desires have also followed the same path: from ancient warriors to modern-day adversaries. Be it Ravana’s obsession in the Ramayana, the dangerous ideologies that fueled the horrors of World War II and the Holocaust, or modern autocrats exercising their relentless grip on power, destructive stubbornness, and desire for control, all have paved the road to hell.

Fascinatingly, this journey mirrors human biology—desire sparked in the gut (the famous fire in the belly!), belief in the heart (dil se), and madness in the brain (insanity), culminating in creativity or destruction.

Malcolm Gladwell’s “10,000-hour rule” in “Outliers” sits squarely within this journey from desire to brilliance.

What unites these great poets, political giants, saints, and sinners alike is their exploration of life through desire, belief, stubbornness, and madness. Whether in divine devotion, mystical yearning, or transformative leadership, the fundamental truths remain the same.

Desire, in their works and actions, is not a fleeting emotion but a profound force driving the soul towards its ultimate goal. It is a stubborn desire, refusing superficial solutions and pushing for deeper connections and changes. This stubbornness often manifests as madness—a relentless pursuit bordering on the irrational. Yet, it is this very madness that gives their contributions enduring power and beauty, for better or worse.

Now, like millions of my clan on LinkedIn, I was tempted to draw corporate parallels between sports and corporate victories. Both require strategies, a sense of mission, and resilience and blah blah?? or consider what startups can learn from Surya Kumar’s catch??, or how corporate leaders, like great musicians and athletes, harness their passion to inspire and drive their teams towards success, etc.

At this point, mAI chimed in sarcastically, “Oh great, another LinkedIn post drawing parallels between cricket and corporate strategy. What’s next, ‘What CEOs can learn from a dosa recipe?’”

I replied, “Very funny. But you have to admit, the comparison is tempting. Just think about it—leaders in the corporate world, like seasoned athletes, need a perfect blend of desire, belief, a touch of madness and patience to succeed.”

“Try playing it in your mind by changing any of these variables, and you will see an extreme difference in the outcome.”

“Picture this: Federer serving for the match at 40-15 against Djokovic in the Wimbledon final; once he doubted himself, fear crept in, and Djokovic’s relentless drive took over, leading to Federer’s loss.”

“Isn’t it fascinating how much difference a combination of desire, belief, and madness (or “passion” for convenience) can make to the outcome, and how a momentary loss of belief and patience can lead to downfall?”

“Sure,” mAI retorted, “And maybe we should also tell startups to hire motivational speakers to pep them up before quarterly reviews, just like cricket teams do before a big match.”

“Why not?” I said. “If it works for sports teams, why can’t it work for corporate teams? Leadership in the corporate world is akin to a maestro conducting an orchestra or a seasoned athlete strategizing a match. Leaders like Satya Nadella at Microsoft, Sundar Pichai at Google, and N.R. Narayana Murthy at Infosys exemplify this—balancing vision and innovation with operational excellence, leading their organizations to new heights.”

mAI quipped, “Okay, Mr. Unique, Just remember to retire this analogy before you actually retire.”

I laughed and said, “But let’s not forget, even in the corporate world, there are Federers who face their Djokovics. Take, for instance, Kodak’s refusal to embrace digital photography, Blockbuster’s dismissal of the Netflix model, or Nokia’s stubbornness against the smartphone revolution. Each of these giants once dominated their fields, but their momentary lapses in belief and failure to adapt led to their downfalls.”

“And don’t forget Indian examples,” mAI added. “Remember Kingfisher Airlines? Once the king of good times, but then a series of bad decisions and stubbornness against change led to its crash.”

“Ah, yes,” I replied! “And let’s not leave out Asian giants,” mAI interjected. “Think of how Sony lost its dominance in the tech world by clinging to outdated formats instead of embracing the digital shift.”

“Exactly,” I concluded. “Whether in sports, music, politics, or corporate leadership, the lessons are the same. Desire, belief, and madness—or passion—can lead to brilliance or disaster. It’s all about how we harness these forces.”

“Just remember,” mAI said with a smirk, “to avoid writing about what CEOs can learn from dosa recipes. That’s a different kind of madness altogether.”

“I’ll keep that in mind,” I laughed. “Unless, of course, you, dear mAI, have any alternative ideas.”

Now, finally the billion-dollar question (that I have to touch upon in all my series of shots):

Can mAI replicate these emotions — desire, belief, and madness? I won't dismiss it, but I remain skeptical. Perhaps this is where humans in flesh and blood, like Kinnu, Kunnu, and their billion-strong clan, who've controlled this planet for centuries, have the edge. Before mAI and its kindred arrive in force (fed or rather “trained/modelled” by human desire, belief, and madness??), we must cherish and leverage these unique human qualities.

??For first-time readers, “mAI” is my friendly neighborhood AI companion, currently tame but potentially wild! Kinnu and Kunnu are two adults (made of flesh and blood) lost to a variety of pollutants over the years, hoping to rediscover their inner children and revive the fire in their bellies, amidst this evolving journey.