Is the Force strong in your leadership?

There's less than a week to go until the new Star Wars movie is released (disclaimer: Yes, I'm a huge fan); and as with any great plot, there are always lessons to be learned which can be applied to real life.

So, how can Star Wars help you understand your leadership style?

Don't take criticism personally - it really didn't take much to annoy Darth Vader. Tell him something he didn't want to hear and suddenly you'd find yourself in a choke hold, courtesy of his Sith skills. This meant fewer people wanted to be the ones to tell him the truth. A dangerous situation for one in charge, particularly when it means the plans you've spent years on blow up.

Lesson: Don't shoot the messenger. Separate the feedback from the person. Make it clear that it's okay to tell you what's really going on.

Hone and trust your instinct - I've seen lots of leaders become prey to 'analysis paralysis'. The higher up they've gone and the more responsibility they've had, the further away they've moved from listening to their gut. They want data, data and more data in order to justify whatever it is that needs to be done. Just remember, Luke wouldn't have succeeded in blowing up the Death Star in 'A New Hope' if he hadn't switched off his radar and listened to his inner voice.

Lesson: It's great to have data but draw a line in the sand and then put it to one side. What do your instincts tell you is the right thing to do? Ignore that stomach churning feeling at your peril.

Unusual alliances could tip the balance - ah, the Ewoks. You either love them or hate them. That aside, those brave little furry critters helped tip the balance in 'Return of the Jedi'. If only the Empire had sought to build an alliance with them, rather than bully and intimidate them.

Lesson: Look outside the usual partnerships with your organisation. If you run a large corporation, sometimes it's the smaller, fleet of foot, left-field organisations that could help you move to the next level.

Don't believe your own hype - silly Emperor. He thought both the second Death Star was indestructible in 'Return of the Jedi'; as did Lord Snook in 'The Force Awakens'. Arrogance is a massive chink in any leader's armour. Pretty much everything has a weakness - whether it's you as a leader, or the organisation you lead.

Lesson: Recognise and compensate for your weaknesses by surrounding yourself with a team who aren't mirror images of you.

And one final bit of advice from Yoda, "Once you start down the dark path, forever will it dominate your destiny." Wise words indeed.

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Hayley Lewis is an organisational psychologist and university lecturer on various Masters programmes across the UK . She is the founder of HALO Psychology, a consultancy that helps organisations and leaders improve their effectiveness.

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