Hollywood Wisdom for Leaders

Often dialogues from movies create quite a stir in our mind. Here are some fundamental behavioral basics for leaders that often tend to be overlooked.

"We must all face the choice between what is right and what is easy" Albus Dumbledore, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

Leadership is not a popularity contest. When faced with a difficult situation it is quite easy and often tempting for leaders to take the decision that is likely to be popular. One common pitfall for such popular decisions is that they are not usually sustainable. They return to bite you, only this time the problem will have more teeth. The real challenge for a leader is to take the right decision. The right way may not be fast, it may be unpopular for now and may put forward challenges in getting people to be convinced about them. This is where one needs to be fearless and inspiring as a leader. Fearless, to take the right decision no matter how difficult it is. Inspiring, to ensure people following you understand the merits of the decision. Being seen as the leader who takes the right decision brings in trust as a key feature of your leadership branding. Trust leads to respect and eventually you will be popular - for the right decisions!

"Do, or Do Not. There is no TRY" Jedi Master Yoda, Star Wars: Empire Strikes Back

We have all said a 1000 times what Luke Skywalker said in Star Wars "I will give it a try", before Master Yoda declares there is no such thing as try. The message merely means that if you have set your mind on doing something then leave all apprehensions and fears behind. Only 100% conviction that you have the ability and means to “Do”, leads to success. Anything that lacks total conviction leads to half-hearted attempts. This leads to often incomplete or sometimes disastrous outcomes. As a leader, your conviction is replicated in the minds of those who follow you. Any quantum of doubt amplifies exponentially among your followers and your skeptics. Your confidence as a leader is your capital. As Mr. Miyagi makes it clear in The Karate Kid “Walk on the road—walk right side, safe—walk left side, safe—walk middle, soon or later, squishhh!! Just like grape. Here karate same thing, either you karate do yes—or karate do no—you karate do “Guess so”, squishhh!! Just like grape—Understand”

"Whatever comes out of these gates, we have a better chance of survival if we stay together" General Maximus, Gladiator

Thrust into coliseum with a bunch of amateurs and getting ready to face unknown warriors, beast and hostile crowd, General Maximus declares this statement. It is one thing to operate in an environment when you know what to expect. It becomes even easier when you know the strength of your team. The true test of your ability as a leader comes when you face the unknown. When you have no control of the circumstances the, one basic thing that will give any realistic chance of success is a team that sticks together. The leader has to be the factor that unites the efforts and commitment of his team towards success. A successful leader will lead such a team to many successful journeys. A team that has factions will disintegrate into fractions before any action.

 "Never hate your enemies, it affects your judgment" Don Micheal Corleone, The Godfather

Hatred is a feeling and an emotion that clouds our ability to think freely. While operating with hatred the only motivation we have is to ensure the downfall of the person or object of our hatred. This means we take away the focus from what is right; we are unwilling to consider any opinion that may be valid. We are focused on unleashing our hatred on the “enemy”. We are focused on proving them wrong and pointing out their mistakes. One of the key requirements of making a good decision is to think rationally. Negative feelings or playing negative politics or having an agenda against someone, only takes away that ability to think rationally. This is far more dangerous when a leader takes the emotionally charged non rational decisions. We do not consider the consequences of our actions on others – even ourselves, our team or our goals. Consequences of these usually lead to defeat of your purpose and stature as a leader.

"The problem is not the problem. The problem is your attitude about the problem" Captain Jack Sparrow, Pirates of the Caribbean

Think about it. If it was easy, straightforward and simple why would we need someone special to do the job? Anyone could step in. The differential for a leader is the attitude they have in finding the solution. When you are focused on the problem all you see is the problem. How the problem is causing disruption to you, what damage the problem can cause, who created the problem and why the problem is difficult! The idea here is to change that attitude towards the problem. Change the focus to the solution instead. What is the solution, what can I do to solve it, who can help me solve this etc. This shift in attitude can be a good starting point. When a leader’s attitude is focused on solutions the team is part of the solution, when a leader’s attitude is focused on the problem the team is part of the problem.

Asante Sana!