Beyond Protocol | Episode 1 | Part 1

Added: 2026-05-16

[00:00:04]There are some conversations that happen beyond titles, beyond positions, and beyond public perception. This series is really about those conversations about leadership, decision making, life experiences, and the realities that shape people over time. And I felt there was no better way to begin it with someone I've personally learned from my entire life. My father, Mr. Rakkesh Tana. Welcome to Beyond the Protocol. So here we are. I think this is actually the first time we're doing it uh publicly and having a conversation about like about life, about leadership, about decision making uh publicly. Usually our conversations happen at home randomly in between uh during the day in between live but I think it's worth opening up to public now and uh let the larger audience benefit from it.

[00:01:03]>> Yes, it's a new thing for me also and >> amazing. So I think uh this is uh this series is not u uh completely about positions and careers and titles. It's more about perspective, how people think, how you think, uh how your experience has shaped judgment and what leadership really looks like uh behind the scenes.

[00:01:30]>> Yes. In fact, uh it's uh basically whenever people ask me about my career, I talk about my experiences.

[00:01:41]>> Yes. Yes.

[00:01:42]>> What goes behind the scene and what are the personal issues very often people don't talk about. So your experience and I hope I'll do the justice today.

[00:01:53]>> No no no definitely. I think we'll start off with uh knowing what you what you think shaped you the most as a person. I feel that my upbringing, my family life, my parents have been great inspirators, trainers, teachers. My father was a teacher.

[00:02:14]>> Yeah.

[00:02:14]>> And mother was deeply religious.

[00:02:18]So both of them shaped not only mine but entire family's life and perspective.

[00:02:26]First and foremost, the love and affection. Of course I did parents fear.

[00:02:31]>> Yeah.

[00:02:31]>> Secondly, the discipline which my father taught me self discipline >> right >> along with the self discipline to self dependence like you don't need to depend on anyone else.

[00:02:44]>> Absolutely.

[00:02:44]>> You should know how to handle yourself.

[00:02:48]But my mother says she has been very had been very deeply religious.

[00:02:54]She taught me the values of life and morality and uprightness and father through his career and his uh experiences and mother gmaker.

[00:03:10]So it probably a combination of both plus my siblings uh they really >> yes together everything together it's basically the beginning has been made by my parents my family and gradually I gave up and then of course when I was in the field or when I joined the service then uh my wife Anu and You two kids who came in the life.

[00:03:42]>> Yeah.

[00:03:43]>> They really helped me in passing through the various phases of my professional life.

[00:03:50]>> Amazing. So what about your early life?

[00:03:53]So you mentioned your parents, your siblings, family definitely is very important. Um but what about your school um you were actively involved in sports, right? And a lot of kids these days or the younger generation don't see an importance of sports so much. Um >> yes.

[00:04:14]>> Was that an added uh you know input in your life when it comes to uh you know being a leader and being being confident about yourself? Oh, >> I was fortunate enough to study in a residential public school in which my father was a teacher and the school itself was a concept unique concept. In fact, it was an amalgamation of western public school concept and the asham concept of the Indian culture and I really gained from my school and most importantly in a school besides education the teachers stressed upon the co-curricular activities >> right >> sports was one of them you will you also have seen our school had eight playing grounds, big bands.

[00:05:10]>> Yeah.

[00:05:10]>> So we used to play football, hockey, volleyball, cricket and uh athletics of course every evening and morning. Morning was the PT and evening was sport. So it really helped us in shaping up our personality.

[00:05:29]>> The biggest uh teaching was team spirit.

[00:05:34]>> Yeah. like all the team games we used to play. So it developed the team spirit besides the competitiveness.

[00:05:44]These two things are very essential and it helped me in uh my career later on.

[00:05:51]>> Amazing. I think yeah it's very important and as a younger generation as well I feel that uh it adds so much value when it comes to leadership uh team spirit and building that confidence in oneself. So was leadership something which came naturally to you or uh did responsibility or did the world worldly responsibility force you into it to grow into that responsibility?

[00:06:19]>> Yeah. So there are two things leadership qualities they develop only when you jump into the >> uh field like when you face the music but the childhood your upbringing your childhood experiences with college education they definitely work for developing these leadership qualities in a person.

[00:06:49]Yeah, >> as I have said uh my school was one of the best in the country that really helped me. Plus during my college days when I was studying graduation positive vision lot of competition was there to do well.

[00:07:07]>> Yeah.

[00:07:07]>> And during those days we had only limited options to get into this service or into the academics. So that feeling of competitiveness prepare oneself well all these helped when I joined this service >> right >> but the real test lies in the experience >> right >> like once you are in the field you face the situations you face the problems >> you handle the issues diverse issues that brings out your leadership qualities more and what is the most important aspect in practice is your composure.

[00:07:56]>> Yeah.

[00:07:56]>> Your full mind, how you handle the situation that that really matters especially in uh public life or in police to say >> right. I think that's something uh you mentioned about composure and your cool mind, your calmness. I think growing up for both my brother and I, we we really admired and noticed how calm you would be uh in very difficult situations. Uh we we could see that and although everybody around you would be panicking or reacting to a situation but you wouldn't. So where does that come from?

[00:08:36]Uh is it something which you developed during your childhood or is is there something you you prepare every day for?

[00:08:44]Um how how does that come to you >> over a period of time like it doesn't some uh of course you inherit something from your parents like I used to see my father he used to be very cool in the difficult situations my mother also >> he had passed through very difficult times during the childhood days I had seen my parents being very calm and composed that is one thing which you inherit But the more importantly when you face the situations the golden rule is that if you panic >> you're bound to take a wrong decision.

[00:09:27]>> Yeah.

[00:09:28]>> Has to be a cool mind composed mind of course inside you inside me there's a what do you call storm within.

[00:09:41]>> Yeah.

[00:09:42]>> Yes. But you cannot show it on your face.

[00:09:44]>> Yeah.

[00:09:45]>> In your action.

[00:09:46]>> Otherwise you cannot lead. Your team will panic. Your subordinates will panic and then there will be a chaos. So exterior has to be very calm. And during my training days one of my whom I treat him as my mentor in police Mr. PK Duta is no more. he was my uh DIG when I joined the field training.

[00:10:13]So he had instilled in me that to be a very good police officer, you have to be a very good actor like you know how to act. When the situation demands that you have to show anger, show anger but don't be very serious about it. when the situation demands that you have to be cool then be very cool in spite of pressure and stress.

[00:10:41]>> So that really helped me. Um on a personal side I think that's something which professionally you learned but uh personally also you do practice um you know you said your mom is very was very religious and we know about that but personally also you do practice yoga you do your meditation um you do you you separate yourself for a few um minutes a day to practice that yourself right I think um it's very important for the younger generation to also know that you have to take out some time within your day for yourself. Uh I think that's that's what we've also seen growing up that you do that.

[00:11:26]>> I must say time management is the most important thing.

[00:11:30]>> Yeah, >> everybody is a busy person but you have to take out time for yourself also. So what I used to since uh uh we have been taught to get up early right from the childhood days and to go for PT or sports and whatever.

[00:11:47]>> So right uh when I joined this service I uh was spending almost 2 hours to myself in the morning.

[00:11:56]>> Yeah. when everybody else is sleeping. I used to play I used to go for the gym or sports or whatever but mostly the meditation or the yoga pranaya >> it has really helped me because I don't know how but I have started practicing it and suddenly I found that uh even in the worst situations >> I have not lost the balance of mind >> absolutely >> it makes you very strong mentally. So that is a key thing and secondly since I've seen my parents being very religious >> I believe in puja or what prayers >> yes so when I sit in puja say for half an hour or so I forget everything >> focus only in puja that gives me a lot of spiritual strength. Yeah.

[00:12:57]>> And this meditation is what basically it is in process of thoughtlessness like during that period you don't think anything else just lost in your >> mind.

[00:13:09]>> Yeah.

[00:13:11]>> So that helps in gaining inner strength and that really helps in career in professional life.

[00:13:19]>> No doubt about it.

[00:13:21]>> Yeah. I think uh we've picked up from that from you. Um and it has helped us in our career as well. Um >> not I mean uh getting just a few moments out of your day uh sitting in peace and thinking through or not thinking through anything it really helps. I think that's something which the younger generation should focus on uh if they are on path uh in in their careers or in their life.

[00:13:48]Um one thing I think a lot of people