Julia Middleton's Thoughts on Leadership

I am on the flight to Mumbai, home of Bollywood, celebrity and fame.

The last few days have been about deciding the business plan with the board and my colleagues in India. We have been working through which of the multitude of opportunities here we are going to do first. And there are almost infinite opportunities now that we have shown what can be achieved in Bangalore and Chennai. India, growing at such breakneck speed is demanding so much of its leaders – and particularly that they work together – that Common Purpose is spot on, the right idea at the right time. So we have had to be controlled and serious and determined so that our discussions prioritise cleverly.

And then we get on this plane and my colleagues suddenly start squealing, jumping up and down, flapping their arms. Giggling like little girls. He’s coming, I saw him on the stairs, he’s coming, its him, I can’t believe it, its him. He is the Big B (Amitabh Bachchan…I hear the name!). I shall always be amazed by the unbelievable power of celebrity. Reducing leaders – in moments – to drooling squealing groupies!

And now they are trying to explain to me just what a mega star he is.

I have spoken to him now – we went up into first class through the curtains – he has huge physical presence and says nothing. He blanks questions no doubt in the fear of being quoted. But he is for real, he is a star, and a business man, and a politician and a survivor because he has had huge ups and down in all three worlds.

So our start up in Mumbai will be wonderful now, we have been touched!