Star Wars HR: What the Case of Darth Vader Demonstrates About Employee Engagement

Another version of this piece originally appeared on TLNT.

Some of the most visionary minds in business over the last hundred years have worked in popular media like film and television. I draw a great deal of inspiration from these leaders who have paved an unconventional path to success in business. The lessons one can learn from a sitcom or a Tarantino film are no less meaningful than those inside books in the business section at your local bookstore. 

I grew up in a family of business owners and film buffs, and I believe when those paths converge some of the greatest lessons can be learned. Star Wars is for me that confluence between visionary ideas and imaginative storytelling. I’ve learned just as much about human nature and how employees engage within organizations from George Lucas, than any book on business I have ever read.

Employee engagement from a certain point of view

Darth Vader, perhaps the most iconic villain and Lucas’ most well-known creation, has much to teach us about what happens when employee engagement goes awry. For those who don’t live and breathe Star Wars, you likely know that Darth Vader is a fallen Jedi and father to Luke Skywalker, but back when he was Anakin Skywalker, he was a promising member of the Jedi Order who fell to the Dark Side after a series of missteps from his managers and colleagues. His defection from the Jedi sent the organization into a tailspin and created one of the most memorable antagonists in movie history.

This is all too common a story in the real world. Companies invest significant time and resources into attracting and training employees, and the last thing you want is a talented team member leaving you for a competitor. Upon rewatching the Star Wars prequels, I couldn’t help but see the Jedi making the same fundamental mistakes companies make time and time again when trying to engage talented employees. Here’s how I think the Jedi could have avoided one of the worst examples of employee engagement in the galaxy:

Pair new employees with experienced managers

In high-volume work environments, where turnover is common and the competition for good talent is high, new hires oftentimes come into a role under a newly promoted manager — maybe one just promoted from the role they now manage. Learning and growing as an employee is more challenging under an inexperienced boss, yet companies continue to entrust the success of their latest hires to new managers.

The Jedi were no different. When young Anakin Skywalker, prophesied savior of the Jedi, was first welcomed into the Jedi Order as a padawan learner he was placed under a young Obi-Wan Kenobi who was himself a padawan not long ago. Dozens of more experienced Jedi Knights were available, not to mention senior members of the Jedi Council like Yoda, but the Jedi bungled the choice and gave a manager with no experience the task of training the galaxy’s most promising recruit.

Throughout George Lucas’s three prequel films, Obi-Wan treats Anakin as his brother. They face challenges together as peers because Obi-Wan lacked the job experience to show Anakin much of anything. He’s a caring manager, but an ill fit for Anakin. This is especially problematic given Anakin’s unbelievable natural prowess as a Jedi. Such an upwardly mobile employee needs an experienced manager, not a rookie.

Training and managing people is a skill. Internal company hierarchies lead CEOs and their HR teams to promote good employees into management positions, even if their objective is simply to reward them for their work and challenge them to do more. Obi-Wan deserved his promotion to the role of Jedi Knight, but it shouldn’t have come with immediate managerial duties. It is perfectly acceptable to give employees greater responsibility without assuming they’ll make a great manager. This kind of thinking, though, requires flexibility and a willingness to think outside the box.

Give employees options for career growth

Employees need to know there is space for them in higher-paying and more challenging positions. Ambitious employees generally make their intentions for growth known, but deeply engaging an employee is much more than just a title. Facebook learned that the key to keeping employees was to make sure the work was enjoyable, utilized their strengths, and helped them develop their skills. In the case of Anakin, who quickly showed his skill as a Jedi and a commander, any competent organization would have prioritized his growth and given him greater opportunity to showcase his talent.

Unfortunately, the Jedi are an uncompromising order. Chancellor Palpatine, a double agent of the Empire, the shadowy mole within the Republic, specifically recognizes the potential of Anakin and appoints him to the Jedi Council to serve as his liaison. For any other recruit, this would have meant bestowing them with the title of Jedi Master and the responsibilities that go along with that, but the inflexible Jedi refuse Anakin the title of Jedi Master on principle. Despite the Council’s initial assessment that young Anakin could be “The Chosen One,” they won’t cede room for him to grow.

Failure to engage employees in this way leaves them no other option than to look outside your organization for new opportunities. Like the Jedi, you could be blind to the imminent departure of your most promising young employee.

It’s maddening to hit a ceiling at work, especially when you aren’t given a reasonable explanation or even a roadmap you might follow to reach your goal. When companies fixate on a predetermined career path — managers become directors become VPs — they fail to see the many ways you can promote employees sideways to keep them engaged and focused. A pay increase, a title bump, internal awards, and recognition are all ways you can show ambitious employees their work is not going unnoticed. 

Anakin cared about the stature and recognition that came with being named to the Jedi Council. Making him a Jedi Master required no heavy lift from the Council, and their failure to publicly recognize his prodigious talent paved the way for his departure and a lot of trouble for their organization.

Don’t lean solely on mission or culture to engage employees

Eventually, Anakin Skywalker turned his back on the Jedi and embraced the Dark Side, becoming Darth Vader. Palpatine noticed the Jedi’s mistakes and poached their future by promising a path filled with learning and advancement. What he knew — and what many companies don’t — is that culture does not engage employees, but is a byproduct of engagement.

No matter how incredible your mission is, no matter how well established your culture is, each individual employee judges their company based upon their own experience and values. The Jedi are the literal guardians of light against darkness. Their eternal battle with the Sith is a clear allegory for good and evil, and Anakin admires their commitment to lofty ideals throughout his time as a Jedi. 

Still, these values are not enough to turn Anakin as they do not substitute for the employee experience. Companies should be obsessed with finding paths to grow for those who want mobility, and provide constant engagement for those content with their role. Talk with your employees about their career goals and work with them on a plan to achieve them.

Palpatine spent years getting to know Anakin by talking to him about his hopes and fears (something competing recruiters are trying hard to do on LinkedIn every day). He listened to Anakin’s frustrations with the Jedi and told him he was destined for greatness. Most importantly, he offered Anakin a concrete promotion when he wielded his power to place Anakin on the Council. Though turning to the Dark Side flies in the face of what Anakin holds dear, Palpatine offered what Anakin was missing — real opportunity to learn and grow. Anakin’s experience with the Jedi was fraught with red tape, a lack of communication, and outdated policies that constrained his options. Palpatine and the Dark Side gave him a path forward. 

The Jedi commit dozens of blatant errors over the course of the Star Wars prequel films, and their decisions are so frustrating precisely because these are the same kinds of mistakes I hear companies making every day. Your employees are your business. Investing in their success is paramount to the success of your company. If your HR team happens across particularly promising talent, appoint them a strong manager and do what you can to challenge them without blocking their growth.

Above all, listen to your employees when they express their ambitions — or don’t be shocked if they fall to the “Dark Side” and join your biggest rival.