Never decide to 'take the bloody shot' decision if you ain't at the frontline

James Bond to M: 'I think you lost your nerve.'

Lesson is: Never 'take the bloody shot decision' from your desktop job unless you understand what's happening in the scene. That's what shooting one's gun from someone else's shoulder means, literally.

And that applies to all of us - as professional/academic leaders/managers or owner-managers. Sometimes, we lose the nerve, sometimes one above us - sometimes one in the team - when again leadership matters, to provide due support/counselling.

Skyfall is a great movie (among top-10 Bond movies. To me, it has a separate message as one tries building an excellent, professional and result-oriented team - be it in my present role (whatever excellence means here), or more so in my earlier corporate career.

If one goes back to that remote controlled 'take the bloody shot' scene (M knows that and admits to Eve: 'You’ve got to track him, we’re blind here. What’s going on?' to which Eve repeatedly says she does not have a clear shot, and then forced by M to take the shot that apparently killed Bond.

In any high performing team - you should always allow the player on the frontline to take the decision, never force one from a different position. So is decision making power - fast, but with ownership, is important.

'M: Where the hell have you been?

James Bond: Enjoying death. 007 reporting for duty.

M: Why didn't you call?

James Bond: You didn't get the postcard? You should try it sometime. Get away from it all. It really lends perspective.

M: Ran out of drink where you were, did they?

James Bond: What was it you said? "Take the bloody shot."

M: I made a judgment call.

James Bond: You should have trusted me to finish the job.

M: It was a possibility of losing you or the certainty of losing all those other agents. I made the only decision I could and you know it.

James Bond: I think you lost your nerve.

M: What are you expecting, a bloody apology? You know the rules of the game. You've been playing it long enough. We both have.

James Bond: Maybe too long.

M: Speak for yourself.

James Bond: So this is it. We're both played out.

M: Well, if you believe that, why did you come back?

James Bond: Good question.

M: Because we're under attack. And you know we need you.

James Bond: Well, I'm here.

M: You'll have to be debriefed and declared fit for active service. You can only return to duty when you've passed the tests, so take them seriously. And a shower might be in order.

James Bond: I'll go home and change.

M: Oh, we've sold your flat, put your things into storage. Standard procedure on the death of an unmarried employee with no next of kin. You should have called.

James Bond: I'll find a hotel.

M: Well, you're bloody well not sleeping here.