Man enough for corporate? Mumbaikars dive into Mark Zuckerberg's 'masculine energy' comment and how it plays out

Abhilash Aravindakshanrsquos first job was as a school teacher Raised in a strict household he didnrsquot realise that his confidence had always been shaky As a teacherhis interactions with students helped him mask this insecurity to some extentThen came the COVID19 pandemic Furloughs happened and he was forced to take up a job he didnrsquot enjoy The workplace toxicity was draining him and then he came across a WhatsApp post from an old friend Anurag Rane who had started his own Krav Maga classes in BorivliKrav Maga is an Israeli selfdefence system that incorporates techniques from aikido boxing judo karate and wrestling Thinking ldquoWhy not give it a tryrdquo Abhilash signed up From that point onward he says his life was transformedmdashhe became more confident learnt to manage his anxieties better andmdashmost importantly for himmdashhe learnt how to fight both literally and figurativelySports in general can bring out the best in people Thatrsquos what sportspersonship is right However Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg recently stirred up controversy with remarks that have drawn attention from gender rights advocates and critics of corporate culture alikeZuckerberg described the corporate world as ldquoculturally neuteredrdquo and added ldquoI think having a culture that celebrates masculine aggression a bit more has its own merits that are really positiverdquo Not surprisingly the statement was made during a podcast with comedian Joe Rogan and is the kind of comment that fits into the Joe genre of cringeItrsquos almost like an open invitation for voluntary criticismmdashbecause itrsquos 2025 Masculinity is no longer viewed in the traditional ways it once was and neither is femininity People across the gender spectrum are actively redefining what it means to be masculine or feminineAnurag Rane L a Krav Maga coach demonstrates selfdefense with student Abhilash Aravindakshan in Borivili West Aravindakshan feels the difference in both personal life and work since he started learning Krav Maga PicAnurag AhireThe thought reportedly came to Zuckerberg after he started practicing mixed martial arts MMA His overall demeanour has noticeably evolved over the past couple of years since he got into MMA Zuckerberg is no longer the lean nerdy guy with a beer bellymdashnow hersquos jacked dresses more boldly and wears brighter coloursWhile his companyrsquos recent policy changes may not directly relate to his MMA journey they have nevertheless sparked discussions Online forums and websites have drawn connections between Metarsquos shift away from diversityfocused hiring initiatives and what some are calling Zuckerbergrsquos ldquomasculine energy phaserdquoThis also comes in the wake of Meta dropping its goals for hiring women and minorities to avoid decisions based on race or gender Additionally the company is ending its program that prioritises diverseowned businesses shifting its focus to supporting small and mediumsized enterprises insteadItrsquos hard to ignore a supposed connection between these decisions and Zuckerbergrsquos ldquomasculinity phaserdquo But itrsquos not just him Billionaires like Jeff Bezos and Elon Musk are openly engaging in performative displays of oldschool masculinity For example they challenged each other to MMA fights a few years agoEsha Nagar founder of Pegboardmdasha strategy firm which works in the field of culture bridging in storytelling and workplaces says ldquoFirstly I believe itrsquos important to challenge the idea that energy or traits like aggression can be inherently tied to gender As a leader with mass reach or even as any individual in an organisation itrsquos not really the best practice to say that the workplace needs lsquomasculine energyrsquo What you can say is that assertiveness focus or even aggression might be necessary at specific points to achieve certain goals or milestones depending on the context But labelling these qualities as masculine creates an unnecessary and outdated associationhellip Aggression can sometimes be a useful tool but only when used constructivelyrdquoWhile masculinity and toxic masculinity are different we spoke with several MMA players and trainers who shared their insights on the former Interestingly none of them exclusively attributed traits like bravery valour fighting spirit or regulated aggression to masculinity alone These qualities they pointed out are quite human and can very well be feminine tooKrav Maga coach Rane says ldquoFor any of my students giving up is never an option One has to fight Thatrsquos what itrsquos all about Even if yoursquore pinned down you have to fight till yoursquore safe You do whatever you canrdquoRanersquos student Aravindakshan drew parallels between the fighting ring and professional workplaces saying ldquoKrav Maga isnrsquot your typical combat sport Itrsquos not about gaining points here Neither itrsquos about proving dominance Itrsquos about survival situational awareness and making decisions under pressure And if you think about it isnrsquot that what corporate life is all aboutrdquoReflecting on Zuckerbergrsquos comments he adds ldquoMasculinity in this context doesnrsquot have to mean aggression or dominance To me itrsquos about taking responsibility staying composed under pressure and leading with strength and integrity Krav Maga embodies those values and thatrsquos why I like it so muchrdquoRane also recalled a particular client of his who found solace in Krav Magarsquos intensitymdashbut not necessarily its ldquomasculine aggressionrdquo He says ldquoOne of the women I train is in a senior role at a major travel company When she first came to me she was dealing with a lot of stress in her professional life The environment was competitive and she was constantly negotiating with clients and managing complex situations She felt like she wasnrsquot being heard in meetings and that her ideas werenrsquot being taken seriouslyrdquoBut after a few months of Krav Maga training something shifted in her Rane says ldquoIt wasnrsquot just about her physical strengthmdashit was about her mindset She became more assertive and more confident Krav Maga gave her the tools to manage her emotions better and react swiftly in stressful situations something that directly translated to her work She started walking into meetings with a new kind of presence People began to take her more seriously and she noticed that she was able to command respect without raising her voice or having to get aggressiverdquoNakshatra Pramod may be the perfect example of how itrsquos not just about masculinity She is a PR professional she is a model and she is an MMA fighter Despite her multifaceted career Nakshatra highlights that the strength and intensity she has cultivated through MMA are now integral to her identity ldquoI work at a PR firm during the week and I model on weekends Even in the age of inclusivity modelling often involves fitting into a certain image of femininity and body type But I canrsquot give up MMA Itrsquos what keeps me grounded The strength I have gained from MMA is what draws me to itrdquoCommenting on Zuckerbergrsquos idea of masculinity she says ldquoPeople whether masculine or feminine can be great leaders I donrsquot think it has much to do with having a particular gender trait It is important to understand that leadership involves qualities of both Leadership isnrsquot just about dominance itrsquos about understanding when to act and when to listen Itrsquos about balancerdquoOn how her sense of femininity coexists with the strength and assertiveness of MMA she explains ldquoIrsquom very femininemdashI love girly things I love expressing myself in a way thatrsquos traditionally feminine But MMA has given me the ability to express strength in my own way to lead with confidence and to be unapologetically both feminine and strong I understand what Zuckerberg may be trying to convey but I believe that being aggressive in a positive way and being intense are qualities that arenrsquot solely linked to masculinityrdquo