Led by Free Will

[An account of a talk delivered by Guiness record making mountaineer Malli Mastan Babu]

Malli Mastan Babu’s eyes exude energy and passion as he talks to students of the General Management Programme in XLRI, Jamshedpur, about how, often against all odds, he scaled peak after peak, in the process becoming not only the first Indian but also the fastest person in the world to scale the highest peak in each of the seven continents. He did it because he had chosen to do it, because he wanted to do it and believed that nothing should come in the way of his own free will.

All GMPians had experienced during our outbound programmes with the Tata Adventure Sports Foundation, the heat of challenge, teamwork and leadership challenge that adventure sports generate, and Malli’s tryst with serious adventure sports kicked off with the same foundation when he was a student of engineering in RIT (now NIT), Jamshedpur. Malli however had the drive to literally scale the highest mountains all over the globe. Being an engineer and a management graduate from the prestigious IIM,Calcutta, he relates his learnings to students of management the decision making and motivational trials that we all must face whatever be our walk of life.

Just like Jonathan Livingston Seagull, this scholar became the object of much ridicule and peer pressure when he took the daring decision not to participate in the placement activities in IIMC and set his sights on scaling Mt.Everest instead. Malli says “People will call you as insane or label you as irresponsible. Overnight ,you could feel like the outcast in your own neighbourhood. The psychological hurdle is the first and perhaps the biggest one. But I had attained escape velocity, escaped beyond the restrictions placed by conformity. You too must escape the restrictions of your need to conform, only then can you be free to achieve what you really want”. To opt out of a lucrative career , taking huge financial liabilities, without any experience in serious mountaineering would baffle anyone trying to assess the risks and benefits, even if the risk of mortality and the value of human life were ignored (but then, what is life without will?). Just the financial costs were staggering. Mastaan however valued above all the freedom to chase his dream. Not that he was rash- he realistically assessed his strengths and weaknesses and meticulously planned to acquire the skills he would need; what tipped the scales however was his desire to explore and stretch the limits, which was much greater than the limitations.

To say it was ‘difficult’ is obviouisly, a gross understatement. Financial assistance was not forthcoming and Mastaan had to use all his enterprise in raising funds, even taking large loans which another person of his modest means might see as a crushing burden or in other words, a non-option. Just as he had made his plans, the Indian Army too announced its expedition to the seven peaks. Rather than be daunted by the appearance of a new rival who had vast resources and institutional support, Malli saw that his competitive advantage lay in his flexibility of decision making. He believed that the Army would take time to make arrangements for its large team, that the progress of the team would depend on its weakest link and above all, he refused to accept that the motivation of every member in that (or any other) team could be more than his personal drive. Myself being a whitewater rafting enthusiast I can recall the formidable reputations that teams of the Indian Army enjoy, still It is difficult to fully comprehend the confidence, willpower and insight into team dynamics which enabled Malli to see his strength in factors that someone else might have viewed as a hopeless disadvantage. In fact Malli says that going solo is immensely satisfying because you can really test your limits and because no one else makes your choices; you really are free of most external influences. It reminds me of Ayn Rand’s philosophy that he who does not want to make decisions, who lets others decide, is in truth living a second hand life.He says it also gives him more agility and determination than large groups. Once, when he could only get a visa to Argentina for a short duration , he scaled the Cerro Aconcagua (at 22,834 ft Argentina's highest mountain), he climbed it in only 8 days and climbed down in just one day (other expeditions took more than 20 days). By his grit, flexibility and unconventional thinking, he created alternatives and new options where none seemed to exist.

“There is always an option.” Says Malli, “ It may be a difficult choice, but you must choose what you really want” He exudes an aura of confidence ,of sheer raw and free spirit as he adds “If you do not exercise your choice, you are not free”. Whether we play the role of a sportsperson, manager or a citizen, we are faced with decisions, often risky. What we choose embodies our desires,our will and our values. What we choose makes us what we are.

-Sachin Rawat

sachinrawat1978@gmail.com