From concept and storyboard to shooting and release, filmmaking is far more than a popular form of mass entertainment in India. It is a celluloid dream brought to life by hundreds, and sometimes thousands, of people who put their blood, sweat and toil into realising one person’s vision — the film director’s.Films as different as “The Odyssey” and “Pulp Fiction” bear the indelible stamp of their directors — Christopher Nolan and Quentin Tarantino, respectively. But what makes these creative voices distinct? And what can their methods teach us about leadership and management?A team of researchers from IIM Ahmedabad (IIM-A) set out to explore these questions by studying the working styles of some of the biggest names in Indian cinema, Hollywood and beyond.The result is a working paper titled “Movie Directors as Leaders — A Study in Creative Vision, Passion and Influence”, authored by Bharathan Kandaswamy, Neharika Vohra and Sukruti Phatak.Kandaswamy is a visiting faculty member at IIM-A and joint managing director of Kavithalayaa Productions, the production house behind Tamil blockbusters ranging from “Roja” to “Muthu”. Prof Vohra is chair of the Ashank Desai Centre for Leadership and Organizational Development (ADCLOD), while Phatak is a manager at ADCLOD.“The film entertainment business is a creative amalgam of 24 crafts covering diverse disciplines such as creative writing, concept art, literature, performing arts, cinematography, computer-generated imagery (CGI or VFX), editing, sound design and effects, and production design, among others. These must be balanced with commercial aspects such as operations, finance, and marketing. All these different crafts need to seamlessly integrate to create the final product,” Kandaswamy says in the paper.The director, he adds, is responsible for harnessing these multiple skills. “Movie directors, particularly those managing large-scale productions, function as CEOs of temporary, high-pressure projects.”Based on publicly available information, the paper identifies five defining aspects of a director’s leadership: collaborative authority, leading by example, building a high-performance team, adaptive innovation, and managing principal artists.Collaborative authoritySatyajit Ray, S S Rajamouli and Alfonso Cuaron were known to collaborate closely with actors, cinematographers and musicians while using their personal artistic visions to unify the work of disparate experts.Directors such as Mani Ratnam, Christopher Nolan, Steven Spielberg and Wes Anderson, meanwhile, have maintained creative control of their films while relying on trusted teams of cinematographers, editors, composers, designers and actors, the researchers note.
(Clockwise from top left): For Satyajit Ray, S S Rajamouli, Alfonso Cuaron, Steven Spielberg, Christopher Nolan and Mani Ratnam, authority on set was never inherited; it was earned every day through preparation
“Movie directors show us that authority is earned through collaboration, giving each expert their due, preparation, and seeking talent that is the best in their field,” the study says.The continuity that master directors build within their teams also demonstrates how authority can be established by maintaining and nurturing relationships, it adds.The director’s disciplineThe researchers highlight the work ethic of acclaimed directors, including legendary South Indian filmmaker K Balachander, who was known for his military-like planning and clinical execution.“KB believed that the shooting floor was for execution, not for figuring things out,” according to the study. He required actors to undergo multiple rehearsals before the actual shoot.By the time actors stood before the camera, they knew where to pause, when to feel and how to look. The intensity of the preparation made the eventual performance appear effortless. Thorough pre-production planning also made on-set execution “unbelievably efficient, resulting in minimal retakes and saving time and costs”. Another example is Satyajit Ray, or Manik Da, as he was affectionately known. Ray not only wrote scripts and directed his films, but also drew costumes, sets, props and other details before he began shooting.“He believed that the atmosphere on the scene had to be calm and intimate for the actors and the team to do their best,” the study says. That desired state, according to the researchers, could be achieved only when the director had done the necessary preparation and planning. Kandaswamy also cites Akira Kurosawa and Alfonso Cuaron for their involvement in multiple aspects of filmmaking and their ability to ensure that cast and crew members feel valued.Building high-performance teamFor Wes Anderson, director of films such as “The Grand Budapest Hotel” (2014), “The Royal Tenenbaums” (2001), “Moonrise Kingdom” (2012) and “Fantastic Mr Fox” (2009), filmmaking often resembles a close-knit creative troupe rather than a conventional film set.The environment has been described as similar to that of a travelling theatre company or a summer camp. During productions such as “The Grand Budapest Hotel”, cast and crew members often lived and dined together, creating an immersive environment that encouraged coordination. Peter Jackson, while writing and filming “The Lord of the Rings”, kept his actors involved in the creative process.He asked them to write situations in which they felt happy or laughed and tried to incorporate these ideas into the screenplay. The authors also point to Greta Gerwig and Taika Waititi as directors who encourage team bonding and allow actors to improvise. Kandaswamy cites two Bollywood examples to illustrate the importance of trusting the process and standing by a creative vision.
(From top): Anurag Kashyap, Bong Joon-Ho, Rajkumar Hirani and Quentin Tarantino share a habit of making actors feel heard
A financier reportedly backed out of “Gangs of Wasseypur” over the casting of Nawazuddin Siddiqui. Anurag Kashyap stood his ground and even gave up his fee. His conviction prompted a co-producer to bring in another financier. Another example involves Amjad Khan, who initially did not perform to expectations in “Sholay”.Director Ramesh Sippy gave him time and space instead of accepting suggestions that he be replaced. The result was one of the most memorable villains in Hindi cinema.Bong Joon-Ho, known for his masterpieces such as “Parasite” (2019) and “Snowpiercer” (2013), has also spoken about developing characters with specific performers in mind, based on his understanding of their previous work and emotional range. On set, the winner of four Oscars encourages actors to contribute spontaneous gestures, movements, and interpretive choices beyond what is written or storyboarded.Turning problems into possibilitiesFilm sets rarely go entirely according to plan. For directors, the ability to adapt can be as important as preparation.While making “Jaws” (1975), Steven Spielberg faced a major problem: the mechanical shark, a crucial element of the film, repeatedly broke down. After multiple delays, Spielberg changed his approach. Instead of repeatedly showing the predator, he built suspense through the actors’ expressions of panic, ominous music and the water turning red after a shark attack. The strategy achieved the desired impact without constantly showing the shark.Mani Ratnam has similarly emphasised that adaptability is crucial to filmmaking.“You can’t control everything… you prepare as much as you can, but when you go on set, things change… and you have to be open to that,” he was quoted as saying in the paper.The researchers also highlight Robert Rodriguez, who turned financial scarcity into a creative opportunity while making “El Mariachi” (1993). He relied on real locations, non-professional actors and improvised production methods, including using a wheelchair to achieve smooth camera movement. Rodriguez also famously volunteered as a medical research test subject and used his earnings to fund the film. “Gangs of Wasseypur”, too, relied on improvisation, creatively incorporating crowds of onlookers to convey scale. Alejandro G Inarritu took a different approach with “Birdman” (2014), deciding to shoot the film in a “single-shot” style. Extensive rehearsals were conducted to ensure that actors understood both the technical and artistic requirements of the film.Balancing talent and egoFor a director, managing principal performers can be one of the most challenging aspects of filmmaking. Actors bring talent, influence and expectations to a project, including questions about how important their roles will be. Ryan Coogler, while making “Black Panther”, worked closely with Chadwick Boseman and Michael B Jordan, seeking their input on their characters and the broader narrative.Rajkumar Hirani, while directing “3 Idiots”, ensured that its three principal characters had distinct personalities, motivations and emotional journeys, preventing one character from overpowering the others. Such decisions, the researchers argue, make actors feel heard and help them see themselves as part of a larger picture.Quentin Tarantino similarly brought top-tier stars Brad Pitt and Leonardo DiCaprio together for “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” (2019) by explaining their characters’ backstories and how they propelled the narrative forward. “Brad Pitt accepted the ‘lesser’ role. Tarantino managed egos by ensuring that the roles for both actors were rich and the actors understood that,” the paper states. Pitt eventually won an Oscar for his performance.The director as the ‘first among equals’The lessons emerging from the study extend beyond the film industry. “Our exploration shows that the most effective directors set a good example, articulate a clear vision, and embody the work ethic, passion and creative values that they expect other people to have,” Kandaswamy says in the paper.The director, he adds, is the “first among equals” — an authority that is conferred rather than inherited and earned every day through preparation, domain expertise and on-the-job decision-making.“Authority is not established by being the best among the rest, but by supplying the unifying intelligence that helps to turn the ensemble of stars, both on and off the stage, into a team,” he says.A film director’s leadership bears little resemblance to the cinematic heroism he or she puts on screen. It is quieter than that, and harder: authentic, visionary leadership exercised over a complex art form assembled from many hands.The authors argue that managers in the current context must make prompt yet considered decisions, often with incomplete information, to keep things moving forward.
According to the paper, movie directors, particularly those managing large-scale productions, function as CEOs of temporary, high-pressure projects
Management mantras from directors· Authority is earned through collaboration. Give experts their due, prepare thoroughly and seek the best talent for each task.· Lead by example. In demanding and high-pressure environments, a leader who arrives early, stays late and participates in problem-solving demonstrates a powerful work ethic.· Close the gap between intention and execution. Teams closely watch whether a leader’s professed standards survive inconvenience or remain mere rhetoric.· Make people feel seen. Effective leaders encourage and motivate their teams and make members feel that their contributions matter.· Create psychological safety. People are more willing to take risks, voice their concerns and suggest improvements when they feel safe.· Criticise performance, not the performer. Effective directors provide actionable criticism that supports both the individual and the project.· Welcome the dissenting voice. Expert directors create mechanisms that help them stay grounded and in touch with the reality of the film, the set and the team.· Celebrate milestones. Recognising both small and major achievements boosts morale and can positively influence team progress.· Have backup plans. Directors often prepare Plan B, Plan C and Plan D for scenes, locations and entire sequences.· Be resourceful. Resourcefulness helps leaders cope with unpredictable and ill-structured tasks.· Respond before problems become crises. Expert directors anticipate challenges and act before uncertainty spirals into crisis.· Build people’s capabilities. Directors often use acting workshops to help the team perform to their potential. Ultimately, the leadership of a film director is quieter, more demanding, and deeply collaborative.
