Omar L. Harris's Blog, page 10

Five Keys To Better Decision Making

There is one attribute that distinguishes successful leaders from the rest of the pack: these leaders consistently make high quality decisions. While this insight might seem intuitive, notice that the phrase above doesn't read these leaders make more "right" decisions than their counterparts.Time is the ultimate judge of whether a decision is seen as right, wrong, or bad.High quality decision making signifies then that some leaders are able to increase the probability of achieving a successful outcome from decisions made. Like great hitters in baseball, they have learned to make the most of their opportunities to generate positive momentum and although the "hit-rate" might be below 40%, in baseball 40% is still good enough to qualify you for the hall of fame!So let's explore the elements of good, wrong, and bad decision making.It's easy to confuse good decisions with right decisions although the two are not actually the same thing. A good decision is one that takes measure of all available information and basic facts, assumes and weighs relevant risks, considers contingencies, and drives toward a positive outcome. Examples of good decisions would be deciding to navigate toward your destination via a GPS app versus trying to find your destination without a map. Or deciding to take advantage of the calorie counter on the menu to select a meal option that fits within your dietary goals. Good decisions usually lead to good outcomes. Right decisions are subject to a different standard, however - that of comparison. But to understand right decision making more fully we need to first delve into wrong decision making.Wrong decisions are decisions that could have turned out good but over time are proven to have been off base - either because basic facts were incorrect or missing, assumptions changed, external factors intervened, and/or the expected result was unrealistic from the start. Examples include taking an ill-advised short cut to arrive at a destination only to learn that traffic is worse on that route; or building a sales forecast based on pure gut instinct with no situational or analytical validation; or scaling a project before receiving any empirical evidence that it can actually work. Wrong decisions lead to learnings that can be recycled to improve decision making. Making and learning from wrong decisions is actually crucial to improving the quality of decisions moving forward. After all, no one gets them all right!Bad decisions are those that empirical evidence has shown have a very low likelihood of success. To make a bad decision usually involves ignoring one's intuition or moral compass, not listening to advice, outright ignoring facts, and/or maintaining an unrealistic attitude regardless of what the evidence shows. The fallout from bad decision making is usually catastrophic and very difficult to recover from. And there are too many examples of bad decision making to list here.So now that we understand good, wrong, and bad decision making a bit better; how can we as leaders increase the probability of decisions being proven right over time? Well here are five keys that will do just that:Understand the facts first: For almost every decision there is a base of facts that can be gathered, interpreted, and understood before committing to a course of action. Successful leaders know this and greedily search for and challenge what is known prior to weighing in. If there are no facts, a smart leader can generate them via piloting, research, or conducting thought-experiments. Then, from a solid factual root foundation, assumptions, risks, contingencies, and expected outcomes can bloom and blossom.Widen the circle: Sometimes leaders are encountering a situation for the very first time and don't know how to proceed. Usually though, there are others who have experienced if not the same situation, at least something similar enough to leverage as a tool for guiding decision making. By consulting the known body of experience and potential outcomes and not only relying on your own judgement, you can exponentially increase the chances of success. The key here is to give yourself enough time prior to making a call to ensure this step occurs.Encourage debate: Similar to #2 by not only widening the circle but bringing the disparaging viewpoints and experiences together, leaders gain even more critical insight not only into potential outcomes but also can begin to gauge the instincts and judgment of a wider group as well. Some of the most important decisions in history have been made by way of stimulating debate and stirring argument. Successful leaders are able to employ paradoxical thinking during debates and use the varying viewpoints to find the AND solutions versus the OR solutions.Plan for failure: Before a decision is made, successful leaders always consider what could go wrong and how to pivot if certain assumptions don't hold up. This step more than any other can turn a good decision into a right decision because it comes with built in contingencies. Likewise, a good decision could turn into a wrong decision if the leader is blind-sided by something they didn't anticipate. This principle is good to apply in a wider group context as well so that the leader receives more inputs to solidify the plan.Evaluate the degree of success: Once a decision is made it is just the beginning of a learning journey and calibration exercise. Should the decision prove to be right, successful leaders endeavor to understand WHY it was right and how to potentially build upon this "rightness". Similarly, if a decision turns out to be wrong, successful leaders obsess about what was missed and how to eliminate such errors in the future. Bad decisions, if they don't result in the loss of the leader's job, usually cripple them in some other way such as credibility, license to operate, or trust deficit, and future decision making may be taken out of such a leader's hands.What are your thoughts on the impact of these decision-making keys? What other principles to improving decision making should leaders employ? Let's discuss in the comments below. And it would be a "good decision" to like and share this article with your networks ;)

Leadership Lessons Learned from Avengers: Infinity War

Please note: this article contains spoilers.After 10 years and eighteen films, Marvel has arrived at the culminating event of the current iteration of its epic cinematic universe. One cannot help but be impressed by the combination of audacious vision, long-term planning, and excellent execution that has been on display up until this point. And with the biggest US and global box office opening in history, Marvel and Disney are continuing to blaze a path forward that every other studio would love to emulate. This train does not seem to be slowing any time soon.The synopsis of the film goes: As the Avengers and their allies have continued to protect the world from threats too large for any one hero to handle, a new danger has emerged from the cosmic shadows: Thanos. A despot of intergalactic infamy, his goal is to collect all six Infinity Stones, artifacts of unimaginable power, and use them to inflict his twisted will on all of reality. Everything the Avengers have fought for has led up to this moment - the fate of Earth and existence itself has never been more uncertain.This movie has a truly epic scope and incorporates so many different story lines that it may be difficult for the uninitiated to fully appreciate. Viewed through the unique perspective of leadership, Avengers: Infinity War deals with the dedication, focus, and sacrifice needed to achieve a goal. This movie is also very much about what it takes to win as a team. As football coach Bill Parcells once said,A team divided against itself can break down any moment. The least bit of pressure or adversity will crack it apart.With this thought in mind, allow me to present ten key leadership lessons gleaned from this intense and amazing film.Never lose sight of the mission: At the beginning of the film, the Avengers are all over the place, literally. While they own their role as Earth's mightiest defenders, they've lost cohesion and purpose as a team and are vulnerable to defeat. It's no coincidence that their biggest threat shows up exactly at this moment to challenge their strength. Thanos on the other hand has never lost site of his end game and will stop at nothing to achieve his goal. Leadership Lesson: No matter whether the team is just forming or already achieving high performance, the role of the leader is to continuously remind and reinforce the purpose and mission of the team. This purpose has to be bigger than any interpersonal conflicts, so big that people have to work together for the greater good.Accumulate allies: Because of all the internal strife in the Avengers, they have missed opportunities to consolidate as a group and even grow stronger by identifying like-minded individuals with similar goals. It is disappointing that somehow neither Tony Stark nor Thor has alerted the team to the presence of Dr. Strange before the Hulk's long fall through the bi-frost brings them together just in time. Had they been collaborating sooner, they may have found a way to beat Thanos before he was on their doorstep. They also would have learned of the Time Stone's existence much earlier and had a plan to protect it. Thanos, for all his strength, understands this principle and has the Children of Thanos by his side to execute the mission. Leadership Lesson: Often times to achieve our goals we must collaborate with skilled individuals and companies who operate alongside the team. Having a clear mission has an important side-effect of shining light into the capabilities already in house and the capabilities necessary to acquire in order to move forward.Keep the team together at all costs: Because the Infinity Stones are split across multiple locations (initially Time and Mind are on Earth, Space is with Loki, Soul is unknown, Power is with the Nova Corps, and Reality is in KNOWHERE), Thanos has to split up his own team in pursuit of them. The Avengers are also split up during the events of the film with Spider Man, Iron Man, and Dr. Strange trying to protect the Time Stone from capture; Thor, Rocket, and Groot going to get a new weapon for Thor; The rest of the Guardians of the Galaxy pursuing the Reality Stone in KNOWHERE; and everyone else on Earth to protect Vision and the Mind Stone. The issue is that this is not the result of careful planning by the Avengers, it is pure happenstance how team mates and allies are thrown together. If anything, it is representative of Thanos' knowledge that he can't face all the Avengers until he possesses at least 5 of the Infinity Stones. Leadership Lesson: There will always be more forces trying to pull your team apart than forces to keep them together which is why it is one of the most crucial roles of a leader to maintain team unity, harmony, and preparation to deal with the unknown issues and challenges that will inevitably come. A team that is together can navigate through most if not all challenges, but a team that is not will face nearly insurmountable odds to overcome.Find a way to contribute: After taking a beating by Thanos in space, Hulk refuses to manifest despite Bruce Banner's begging and pleading. This does not stop Banner from adding value, however, as during the battle in Wakanda he dons the Hulk Buster armor and becomes a major contributor on the battle field. Leadership Lesson: There may be moments when you cannot apply your strengths to solve a situation. It is in these moments that great team members still find a way to help the team win - even if it's simply by supporting and cheering on those team mates who are leading the charge. When everyone is focused on what's best for the team, individual egos fall aside, purpose is clarified, and achievement is all but assured.Apply emotional intelligence in high-pressure situations: Even though they have never worked together as a unit, necessity allows Iron Man, Dr. Strange, Spider Man, and The Guardians of the Galaxy to figure out a plan to defeat Thanos once he arrives on Titan in pursuit of the Time Stone. Unfortunately, Star Lord can't overcome his emotions when he learns of Gamora's death and he sabotages the plan in pursuit of personal vengeance. This single act more than any other results in Thanos attainment of the Time Stone which signals certain defeat for the Avengers. Leadership Lesson: Our lives are full of frustrations, betrayals big and small, and circumstances out of our control. Those who learn to control their emotions despite the external environment have mastered a skill that will allow them to move through difficult situations and remain focused on what truly matters. Those who cannot will see themselves fall short of goals again and again due to their inability to see the forest for the trees.Always build contingencies: There are members of the Avengers who are adept at contingency planning and this will certainly come in handy in Avengers 4. Specifically, Tony has continuously upgraded and reinforces his armor and tech for the unknown battles to come while Thor knows that having StormBreaker (his new weapon to harness energy) will be crucial to success in the battle versus Thanos. Dr. Strange uses the Time Stone to figure out the only successful way to defeat Thanos (although not in this movie); while Nick Fury has a big gun he's been holding for a moment like this when he presses the distress signal for Captain Marvel. Thanos also builds contingencies by capturing and not killing Nebula (just in case he needs to persuade Gamora to give him the Soul Stone's location). Leadership Lesson: Effective planning requires the ability to anticipate worst case scenarios and contemplate actions that will be immediately triggered should these events happen. Leaders who focus only on what could go right do themselves and their teams a disservice and will find it hard to pivot in time if something truly negative occurs.Will usually wins: There is a point beyond strength, teamwork, planning, and even execution where one's will to succeed comes into play. The reason why Thanos wins the day in this film is not because he's stronger, smarter, or more effective than the Avengers. It's because his will to succeed at his goal is so tremendous that he will not let anything or anyone stand in the way of his achievement. He overcomes the deaths of his entire team, murdering his daughter (who he professes to love), and significant injuries to his person on the path to his objective. Like Michael Jordan in the 4th quarter, Thanos just wants it more than the Avengers and puts it all on the line. Leadership Lesson: When leading a team, it is important to go beyond alignment and agreement and ensure that everyone truly believes that the mission is crucial and possible to achieve. When belief is present, it can compensate for lack of capability or even poor strategy. Leaders who can harness not only their teams capability but also engage their belief are leaders who almost always overachieve.Live to fight another day: Unified by a noble purpose, this group of heroes fighting together for the first-time almost pulls it off to defeat their greatest threat. Despite the tremendous losses, what's important in the aftermath of the Infinity War is that the remaining team members regroup, learn from failure, and stay together. And this is Thanos' great strategic error in my opinion, because by leaving half the heroes still alive, he is therefore inviting further conflict since they don't call themselves Avengers for nothing! Leadership Lesson: There are moments when despite all your best efforts you take a serious loss. The question is whether or not you can fail forward from this loss - take the necessary lessons in stride and get back up to try again. In this way, there is no such thing as losing or winning, merely learning - either from success or failure. Embedding this mindset into your team will prepare you for long term sustainable growth.Patience is a virtue, planning is divine: I see a strong parallel between the brilliant way Marvel has weaved their storytelling together for this grand epic culmination and the way Thanos has patiently planned out his Infinity War. It's impressive how he has allowed the heroes to expose the Infinity Stones one by one (without realizing their import) and allowing them to feel invincible and then crumble under the weight of their own egos. His patience is strategic which makes it all the more deadly when he finally strikes. Playing the long game guarantees that before he takes decisive action 1) he knows where 5 of the 6 Infinity Stones are located and 2) he knows the strengths and more importantly weaknesses of those holding them. Leadership Lesson: We live in a world of instant gratification but the true spoils go to those who can look beyond today's need and/or crises, map out the future, and then manifest this reality via dogged discipline, constant learning, and effective execution. Challenge yourself and your teams to think both short and long term and ensure that there are rewards and incentives to pursue sustainable success in addition to momentary success.Rise to the challenge: The most inspiring thing the heroes do in this film is get over their differences and learn to work together in real-time for the good of the universe. They fight with gusto and some of them nearly sacrifice everything to keep the Infinity Stones out of Thanos' gauntlet. And that's ultimately what heroes do - they rise to the occasion. The more difficult the obstacle the harder they work to push it out of the way. Leadership Lesson: There's a phrase I like which says, "Stay Ready so you don't have to Get Ready." This means that great leaders and teams remain at a constant state of vigilance and eliminate complacency from their day to day actions. They may take time off and even relax, but they are always ready to make things happen when they need to happen. The other thing high-performance teams and leaders do is constantly raise the bar on themselves in terms of achievement. They are never satisfied with merely winning today, they demand the best of themselves on a regular basis so that excellence becomes a habit not something they even think about consciously.Overall, Avengers: Infinity War executed its ambitious vision which was to combine almost all of the key Marvel heroes in a compelling, binding narrative with exceptionally high stakes, while also keeping fans on the edge of their seats for the next slate of films (4 out of 5 stars).What other leadership lessons did you glean from the film? Let us know in the comments below. And please give the article a thumbs up and share with your network if you enjoyed and got anything out of it.

The 5 Types of LOVE That are Crucial to Success

There are many definitions of success but there is one that I am currently in love with. It's known as Ikigai.Ikigai is the Japanese concept which synthesizes your reason for living, your life purpose and your source of endurance.Ikigai combines Passion, Mission, Profession, and Vocation to identify the sweet spot each of us should be working to define and achieve. Have you ever posed these questions to yourself?What do I love?What am I good at?What can I be paid for?What can I contribute to the world?Answering these crucial questions and refining the responses over time will certainly lead to a more productive and exhilarating life - only to the degree that you can calibrate them into balance. We've all been in love with something that we weren't necessarily the best at (looking at you 17 year old Omar who thinks he will be an NBA player). We've all been good at something that we didn't necessarily appreciate (I was quite talented at playing multiple woodwinds in high school but dropped them in favor of sports). We've all been paid for something that we weren't necessarily that good at (like my first pharmaceutical sales internship - I was a very average rep). We all have causes that we want to be a part of but shy away from fully participating because it might not pay the bills (such as my passion for changing the world through my writing which up till now is quite far from supplanting my day job income). But how to obtain harmony between all of these aspects?One method is through the lens of love because love is the unifying factor intrinsic to each facet of Ikigai. There are 5 types of love that will accelerate your path toward Ikigai once you fully understand and harmonize them together.Self-love: This is about being a healthy human: mind, body, and soul. Nothing in life can be achieved without health so this aspect is the bedrock of Ikigai. Consistency and discipline are the keys to self-love. You are going to need plenty of sleep, the right fuel, space for meditation, and spiritual guidance on your quest for fulfillment so make sure this area is prioritized.Interest love: Healthy people have multiple interest areas and a genuine curiosity about life and living. Pay attention to the things that pique your curiosity as these can grow to become the activities that inspire and energize you. Making time to pursue your interests and increase your knowledge will help you keep your outlook positive and progressive. And who knows, that hobby or interest might become very lucrative some day.Purpose love: When areas of personal inspiration align with your natural talents then you are on the path to achieving your purpose. The energy of inspiration coupled with the power of your unique abilities can make you an unstoppable force provided that you put in the work necessary to refine these talents into reliable strengths. Being intentional is the key. Don't ignore the areas of natural uniqueness that you possess. Embrace these "spikes of specialty" and then work to become the absolute best version of yourself.Team love: On your path to your purpose you will likely meet others who share similar inspiration and complementary talents to your own. By joining forces you can achieve more than either of you could accomplish on your own. Your team does not just mean the people that work alongside you. Your team is also comprised of those people who cheer you on, console you when you are down, watch your back, and provide valuable mentorship, coaching, and advice. The most important aspect to choosing your team is to ensure that these are people who energize and support you more than drain and reject you (and for whom you willingly do the same). Without team love most purpose remains only a distant dream.Financial love: With health, knowledge, purpose, and community you can already be considered a wealthy person.If you've combined the above four elements it is very unlikely that you will be dissatisfied with how well you are being compensated. However, financial choices can either constrain us or free us so financial love is about how well you leverage the income you take in from your career and other pursuits to ensure you feel secure enough to keep dreaming and doing. Spending less than you make, saving as much as you can, and planning for unforeseen events and retirement are all demonstrations of financial love. In this way you are neither "living to work" nor "working to live" - you are simply financially stable, secure, and satisfied.I'm committed to pursuing Ikigai and I hope you are too (perhaps we can be on the same team)! And I wish you all the best on on your journey to discover and harmonize your Passion, Mission, Profession, and Vocation. Reading this book is a great way to start.Thanks for taking the time to read this article. If you liked it, please give me a thumbs up and/or share with your networks. What are your thoughts on Ikigai and the 5 types of love that are critical to success? Let us know in the comments section!

Leadership Lessons Learned from Black Panther

Please note: this article contains spoilers.Marvel is certainly benefiting from the effective application of the return on luck principle described in Great by Choice by Jim Collins which states that the most effective companies are not inherently gifted with better luck than that of their peers, they just make more of the luck they receive. By effectively executing the projects that had to work such as the Iron Man, Captain America, and Avengers franchises, Marvel earned the goodwill to make winning bets out of movies that looked to be far from sure things on paper (Thor I-III, Guardians of the Galaxy I-II, Dr. Strange, Ant Man, and Black Panther). Marvel is now reaping the rewards for excellent execution and making smart bets with a comic book movie that with over $500 million in ticket sales in just two weeks has become a movement!The synopsis of the film goes: After the death of his father, T'Challa returns home to the African nation of Wakanda to take his rightful place as king. When a powerful enemy suddenly reappears, T'Challa's mettle as king -- and as Black Panther -- gets tested when he's drawn into a conflict that puts the fate of Wakanda and the entire world at risk. Faced with treachery and danger, the young king must rally his allies and release the full power of Black Panther to defeat his foes and secure the safety of his people.This movie operates on so many levels that it has spawned hundreds of thought pieces. As seen solely through the lens of leadership, however, Black Panther might be a cautionary tale about the consequences of fear-based decision making. But this movie is also very much about the power of servant leadership to inspire greatness in both the leader and the organization, enterprise, and nation as a whole.There is always a greatest good worth fighting for.With this thought in mind, allow me to present six key leadership lessons gleaned from this enthralling epic film.Ignoring problems does not make them go away: After King T'Chaka makes the conscious choice to strand his brother N'Jobu's son in Oakland after N'Jobu's betrayal, he gives little consideration to the future consequences of his actions. But the gravity of his mistake becomes painfully clear when Erik Killmonger returns to reclaim his homeland. It is also unfortunate that in the spiritual plane meeting between T'Chaka and T'Challa later in the film, T'Chaka doubles down on his bad decision instead of admitting his error in judgement. Carefully considering and weighing the consequences of decisions is one of the primary roles of a leader. You must confront the brutal facts of the situation and try to make decisions that are guided by a core set of enduring positive values while identifying the likely short, medium, and long-term implications of your resolutions. Time will ultimately tell if you made the right call or not - and if it should turn out that you were wrong, admit your mistakes and more importantly work to rectify them.Leadership succession is critical: With royalty (and government), leadership succession is known well in advance of any possible negative circumstances that could displace the incumbent (king, president, leader). In Captain America: Civil War, King T'Chaka is killed by the villain Helmut Zemo which results in the immediate succession of T'Chaka to the Wakandan throne. Clear succession is critical to business continuity. And it is the responsibility of leaders to hire, develop, and nurture talents that can one day occupy critical roles. Visibility into this succession plan is also crucial to be able to move at pace should leadership positions open suddenly due to the instant uncertainty that occurs in an organization when a leadership position is vacated. The key word inherent in succession is "success" meaning that those next up to lead must already possess the tangible and intangible qualities that will ultimately lead to success in their new post. But succession does not mean "immediate success". Every new leader must go on a journey to become the best version of themselves which brings us to the next lesson...Leaders are grown, not born: Even though he was the rightful successor to the mantle of King and Black Panther, Wakandan tradition dictated that T'Challa face any who should oppose his ascension to the throne. And it is this journey from the first challenge by M'Baku to his later battles versus his cousin Erik Killmonger that result in T'Challa ultimately learning what kind of leader he wishes to be. Understand that a big part of being an effective leader is determined by how well you respond to challenges and failure. Rarely is ultimate success achieved on the first go-around, so it's important to take each stumble and fall for what it is - opportunity to learn, adapt, and grow stronger. This is what it means to "fail forward" - to get knocked down and keep getting up and going at it again and again. To know what you know, what you need to know, and what you don't know and diligently work to maximize the known and mitigate the unknown. It is this commitment to continuous improvement combined with an indomitable will that forges the greatest leaders.A leader is only as good as his/her team: Once T'Challa defeats M'Baku in ritual combat he is officially sworn in as King. And it is at this point that we experience the full capability of his leadership council. He is surrounded by loyalty, experience, raw talent, and strength. He has a very capable confidante and partner in Nakia; a technology wiz kid in younger sister Shuri; a powerful general who protects the throne in Okoye; a world-wise mentor in elder Zuri; and the person who has nurtured his excellence from birth in his mother Ramonda. He listens to his council, serves the will of his council, and is ultimately saved by his council. No matter how ambitious you may be - without the right team of capable and strong people around you, your progress will be limited. Identify the qualities beyond mere intellectual pedigree (such as work-ethic, shared passion, and solution-orientation) that you work best with and don't take any shortcuts in hiring and acquiring these attributes in those whom you surround yourself. Then work to transform this group of individuals into a high-performance team that is empowered by your brand of servant leadership. By serving and supporting them to achieve their goals you will ultimately achieve your own.Listen to the council, but know when to make the call: We get to witness the Wakandan leadership tradition of the council when T'Challa learns that long-time Wakandan enemy Ulysses Klaue has resurfaced in South Korea. He listens to key voices in his inner circle both for and against the action to pursue Klaue and is swayed by the passion of one of his closet allies W'kabi, ultimately because T'Challa wants to demonstrate that he is a king of a different breed than his father. Unfortunately, after he is unsuccessful and Killmonger delivers Klaue, W'kabi quickly abandons his long-term friend and backs the usurper. Take the time to consider what is driving you to take a certain course of action before moving forward. It is important to prove yourself as a new leader, but you will earn more credibility from taking the time to learn and consider multiple viewpoints and gain crucial context than by leaping to action. Remember that you are ultimately accountable for the consequences of any decision taken under your leadership so it is crucial to balance what your head, heart, and gut tells you is right. Sometimes, that means going against the grain and advice and doing what feels most correct to you especially in the early days of your tenure when you don't have enough of the facts to make an informed judgement.Everyone wins when knowledge is shared: Central to the conflict in this film is the notion that it is the shroud of secrecy that protects the Wakandan way of life. But by crafting an elaborate mote around their civilization they have in fact isolated themselves from the world instead of being active participants in shaping it. They sit back and watch from the sidelines as the African continent is plundered of both people and natural resources, as the world wars with itself, and as genocide happens in neighboring nations. This history of isolationism ultimately brings them into a collision course with Erik Killmonger and his vision of a Wakandan empire that will conquer the world and rewrite the history books. By the end of the movie, T'Challa realizes that the best way to protect Wakanda is by coming out of the shadows and helping to lead the world versus hiding from it. The best leaders prepare their organizations not only for the challenges of today but also those of the future by ensuring active participation in their industry's at large and reflecting the outside in perspective so that the enterprise constantly evolves in the right direction. They do this by challenging status quo thinking and pushing themselves and their teams out of their comfort zones. They construct learning organizations that can pilot new ideas, fail fast, and pivot their way to best in class status.Overall, Black Panther was one of the most diverse, impactful, and resonant films produced by Marvel and is easily my new favorite (5 out of 5 stars).What other leadership lessons did you glean from the film? Let us know in the comments below. And please give the article a comment and share with your network if you enjoyed and got anything out of it.

Leadership Lessons From Books I Read in 2017

I had a personal goal to read 20 books this year and as 2017 comes to a close I just barely made it! As I reflect on a year full of learning and growing as a leader I thought it would be useful to collate some of the best of this advice here for others to take on board and pass on if you see fit. I've included the Amazon links to the books if you want to pick them up as well for your 2018 reading purposes.I'd also love to read about your leadership learning from your readings in 2017 in the comments below so we can keep the learning and sharing going!The Best Place to Work: The Art and Science of Creating an Extraordinary Workplace by Ron FriedmanOn rewarding failure and risk-taking: "The challenge for many organizations is that the pressure to avoid failure is so strong that hardly anyone bothers examining the root cause. It's when intelligent failures are treated exactly the same as preventable ones that learning and creativity grind to a halt. And when that happens, the results are grim: A culture of innovation is overtaken by a culture of self-preservation. So what's an organization to do? Tell employees that it's fine to mess up? Encourage mistakes? Reward failure? A surprising number of prestigious organizations believe the answer to that provocative question is a resounding yes..."On diffusing unproductive conflict: "Every workplace conversation operates on two levels: a task channel and a relationship channel. Occasionally the two get fused, which is when disagreements intensify and collaborations break down...One approach to reducing tensions during disagreements involves deliberately attending to the relational channel and reaffirming your commitment to the relationship. This way, there's no confusion about what the argument is really about. By momentarily focusing on the relationship you disentangle the personal from the business."On going beyond the resume in recruiting talent: "As any experienced professional well knows, job interviews are a sort of game. Interviewers attempt to pick out the best candidate from a field of applicants, each determined to show that he or she provides the perfect fit. In many interviews the following situation unfolds. A candidate encounters a question about an experience or skill he doesn’t quite have, something the interviewer clearly believes would be valuable. The room goes quiet. For the candidate, the calculus is simple: admit you are under qualified and flunk the interview or stretch the truth and potentially win the job. Eighty-one percent of the time, job hunters bend the truth during interviews.”Start With Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action by Simon SinekOn achieving outcomes: "In the Japanese auto plant, they didn't examine the problem and accumulate data to figure out the best solution - they engineered the outcome they wanted from the beginning"On defining business purpose: "The goal of business should not be to do business with anyone who simply wants what you have, it should be to focus on the people who believe what you believe. When we are selective about doing business only with those who believe in our WHY, trust emerges."On inverting the traditional management hierarchy: "Some in management positions operate as if they are in a tree of monkeys. They make sure that everyone at the top of the tree looking down sees only smiles. But all too often, those at the bottom looking up see only their asses. Great leaders are respected by those both above and below..."On influencing: "There are only two ways to influence human behavior: you can manipulate (motivate) it or you can inspire it...Energy motivates but charisma inspires."On selling: "When salesmen actually believe in the thing they are selling, then the words that come out of their mouths are authentic. When belief enters the equation, passion exudes from the salesman. It is this authenticity that produces the relationships upon which all the best sales organizations are based."Eleven Rings: The Soul of Success by Phil Jackson and Hugh DelehantyOn building high performance teams: "Basketball is a great mystery. You can do everything right. You can gave the perfect mix of talent and the best system of offense in the game. You can devise strategy and prepare your players for every possible eventuality. But if the players don't have a sense of oneness as a group, your efforts won't pay off. And the bond that unites a team can be so fragile, so elusive. Oneness is not something you can turn on with a switch. You need to create the right environment for it to grow, then nurture it carefully everyday."On delegating authority: "What I've learned over the years is that the most effective approach to coaching is to delegate authority as much as possible and to nurture everyone else's leadership skills as well. When I'm able to do that, it not only builds team unity and allows others to grow, but also - paradoxically - strengthens my role as the leader."On discipline: "There's a zen saying I often cite that goes, "Before enlightenment, chop wood, carry water. After enlightenment, chop wood, carry water." The point: Stay focused on the task at hand rather than dwelling on the past or worrying about the future."On productive conflict: "I always welcomed debate, even if it disrupted team harmony temporarily, because it showed that the players were engaged in solving the problems. The big danger was when a critical mass of players jettisoned the principle of selflessness upon which the team was founded. That's when chaos ensued."An Astronaut's Guide to Life on Earth: What Going to Space Taught Me About Ingenuity, Determination, and Being Prepared for Anything by Col. Chris HadfieldOn reducing stress and anxiety: "Astronauts are taught that the best way to reduce stress is to sweat the small stuff. We're trained to look on the dark side and to imagine the worst things that could possibly happen. In fact, in simulators, one of the most common questions we learn to ask ourselves is, "Okay, what's the next thing that will kill me?"On attitude: "Ultimately, I don't determine whether I arrive at the desired professional destination. Too many variables are out of my control. There's really only one thing I can control: my attitude during the journey, which is what keeps me feeling steady and stable, and what keeps me headed in the right direction."On productive paranoia: "A lot of people talk about expecting the best but preparing for the worst, but I think that's a seductively misleading concept. There's never just one "worst". Almost always there's a whole spectrum of bad possibilities. The only thing that would really qualify as the worst would be not having a plan for how to cope."On the importance of failure: "Early success is a terrible teacher. You're essentially being rewarded for a lack of preparation, so when you find yourself in a situation where you must prepare, you can't do it. You don't know how."On selflessness: "Over the years I've learned that investing in other people's success doesn't just make them more likely to enjoy working with me. It also improves my own chances of survival and success, The more each astronaut knows how to do, and the better he or she can do it, the better off I am, too."Failing Forward: Turning Mistakes into Stepping Stones for Success by John C. MaxwellOn the importance of failure: "People are training for success when they should be training for failure. Failure is far more common than success; poverty is more prevalent than wealth; and disappointment is more normal than arrival."On achieving success: "Success is not a destination - not a place where you arrive one day. Instead it is the journey you take. And whether you succeed comes from what you do day to day. In other words, success is a process. Failure is simply a price we pay to achieve success."On accountability: "The person who makes a mistake, then offers an excuse for it, adds a second mistake to his first. A person can break out of the fear cycle only by taking personal responsibility for his inaction."On mindset: "Every morning in Africa, a gazelle wakes up. It knows that it must run faster than the fastest lion or it will be killed. Every morning a lion wakes up. It knows it must outrun the slowest gazelle or it will starve to death. It doesn't matter whether you are a lion or a gazelle. When the sun comes up, you had better be running."On ownership: "If you could kick the person responsible for most of your troubles, you wouldn't be able to sit down for weeks."If you like these learnings, please comment below and/or share with your network! Here's to an excellent 2018 for us all!

Managing and Coaching are Not Separate Pursuits

I find it interesting this continual debate about what is the best way to drive performance - great management OR great coaching. In terms of paradoxical thinking we should be searching for the AND in this equation. Great managers drive performance and great coaches drive performance so what if we were able to combine these aspects to create great manager/coaches instead of either/or; what might the impact be of such a pursuit?In order to answer this question, we must first breakdown these two concepts - management and coaching. According to the online business dictionary, management is defined as the organization and coordination of the activities of a business in order to achieve defined objectives. Coaching is defined as extending traditional training methods to include focus on (1) an individual's needs and accomplishments, (2) close observation, and (3) impartial and non-judgmental feedback on performance.I would like to posit here that the activities of a business usually involve people other than the manager and therefore it is beneficial to focus on the needs and accomplishments of these people, provide them with close observation, and offer them impartial and non-judgmental feedback on performance in order to achieve defined objectives.In this way management becomes the WHAT and coaching becomes the HOW.But as Simon Sinek advises, we should always start with WHY. So WHY should businesses and organizations invest in developing both the management instincts and coaching abilities of their current and future leaders? In the recently published State of the American Workplace report, Gallup states that the majority of the U.S. workforce (51%) is not engaged due to general indifference to their jobs. Many employees who are not engaged want a reason to be inspired. They are the "show me" group that needs an extra push to perform at their best. While positive feelings, such as happiness, are usually byproducts of engagement, they shouldn't be confused with the primary outcomes. Rather, the primary emphasis should be on elements that engage workers and drive results, such as clarity of expectations, the opportunity to do what they do best, development and opinions counting. Gallup's recommendation after analyzing data from 160 countries on the global workplace is that organizations should change from having command-and-control managers to high-performance coaches.High-performance coaching marries the best of management and coaching practices for the benefit of the employee and the business.Another WHY for this shift from the manager OR coaching model to an AND approach relates to the changing composition of the workforce. As more millennials proliferate throughout business, expectations are shifting so much that 21% of millennials -- more than three times the number of non-millennials -- switched jobs in the last year due in large part to poor or absent professional and career development. Managers are primarily concerned with the end outcome whereas coaches desire to develop the capabilities of their people. High-performance coaches would focus on leveraging continuous learning and regular feedback to drive positive personal and business results.The impact of disengaged employees is clear and the impact of high organizational turnover is obvious. It is not simply possible to start from scratch and wipe the slate clean of current managers so the most logical approach is to help them evolve from managers into manager/coaches and then finally high-performance coaches. The transition from manager to manager/coach begins with an expansion of focus.The manager must begin to concentrate as keenly on their employee as they do on business outcomes.They do this by taking inventory of each colleague's strengths, pride motivators, development needs, and turnoffs. Then they set performance expectations and work with their employee to achieve and exceed these objectives via a combination of strengths development, targeted reinforcement and motivation, and regular two-way feedback sessions. This effort comes with an immediate payoff in terms of employee trust. Taking a personal interest in someone beyond what they can deliver for you (as Dale Carnegie advocates in How to Win Friends and Influence People) usually provides a powerful relationship boost which creates a virtuous circle leading to higher levels of performance.To be sure, this evolutionary process will be painful in the beginning. Still, just as the penguins in Our Iceberg is Melting identified key trends and navigated to safer ground, my advice is to start the journey to high-performance coaching sooner rather than later in order to avoid the coming business calamities of employee disengagement and millennial mass exodus.What are your thought on the AND approach to management/coaching? Let us know in the comments below. Thanks in advance for liking this article and sharing with your networks!

Leadership Lessons from Spider-Man: Homecoming

Please note: this article contains spoilers.Marvel just keeps on winning. There was a lot of curiosity when Sony announced that they would be partnering with Marvel to reboot the Spider-Man franchise AGAIN (just a few short year after the Andrew Garfield version crashed and burned). Well, a fresh new Spider-Man just swung into theaters and from early returns it seems to have righted the ship (for now).The synopsis of the film goes: Thrilled by his experience with the Avengers, young Peter Parker returns home to live with his Aunt May. Under the watchful eye of mentor Tony Stark, Parker starts to embrace his newfound identity as Spider-Man. He also tries to return to his normal daily routine -- distracted by thoughts of proving himself to be more than just a friendly neighborhood superhero. Peter must soon put his powers to the test when the evil Vulture emerges to threaten everything that he holds dear.On one level, Spider-Man is about pushing the limits of one's abilities and talents. But this movie is also very much about choosing your own destiny and deciding between what is flashy and what really matters.Once superficial desires are sacrificed, true transformation can be achieved.With this thought in mind, allow me to present 5 key leadership lessons gleaned from this entertaining adventure.Luck happens when preparation meets opportunity: Young Peter Parker gets the opportunity of a lifetime, an "audition" with Tony Stark's side of the Avenger's in Captain America: Civil War. Still, it is evident that he understands how to use his newfound powers and puts on an impressive showing versus Earth's Mightiest Heroes. This results in a positive and affirming mentor/mentee relationship between Stark and our young hero that will ultimately change the course of his life. There are circumstances when you have to lead with everything you've got and in these moments lay it all on the line. The important part is knowing when to give it your absolute all and when its okay to dial it down. This knowing comes with time, practice, and crucially, anticipation. To get lucky - learn how to differentiate the truly life altering opportunities from the run of the mill chances, and in the meantime continuously prepare for the moment when you will need to be at your best.Persistence pays off: There's a great bit in the movie where Peter is constantly texting and calling Happy Hogan (Tony Stark's right hand man) to keep him updated on his super hero happenings (which are rather mundane). Still, it is his constant updating (and pestering) that ensures that when he really needs Stark's attention he gets it. True leaders understand that progress is about grinding every day. There is a Zen quote I like that states, "Before enlightenment, chop wood, carry water. After enlightenment, chop wood, carry water." This quote boils down the essence of success which becomes so elusive to so many "because it comes dressed in overalls and looks like hard work." Peter, with his working class roots, has already learned this lesson at the age of 15, which more than sets him up for a life of significant achievement.No one achieves excellence alone: Peter believes in his powers and thinks he is ready for prime time, but it takes a partnership with his best friend, Ned, to literally unlock the full potential of his souped up Spider-suit. Ned desires to be "the guy in the chair" who assists the hero in carrying out his missions successfully because two minds are better than one. The sooner you realize as a leader that you are actually the "guy/gal in the chair" for your teams (and not the superhero of the story), the sooner you will discover the power in empowerment. We all fly faster and freer when we know there is someone there to steer and guide us to safety. Your job is to be that safety net for your people to stretch, grow, take risks, and achieve bigger and better things.Discipline is the difference between what you want now and what you want most: Young Peter Parker has remarkable discipline for a teenager. In almost every critical juncture in the movie where he has to make a choice between something he'd like to have (like the affections of the girl of his dreams or the adulation of his peers) he chooses the path that will lead him to impressing Tony Stark so he can become an Avenger. It is the role of a leader to keep everyone absolutely focused on the wildly important objectives at the expense of lesser objectives. These objectives follow the Pareto Principle and deliver the bulk of value to your business or organization. Peter Parker knows that nothing matters but becoming an Avenger and maximizing his potential - be like Peter.Trust your capabilities: After Peter goes off on his own and has a major mishap, Tony Stark takes the super suit from him because "he's not ready". This is a pivotal moment in the film because it forces Peter to go back to the basics of his powers and understand that it's not the suit that makes him great, it's his ability to harness his capabilities when they are most needed. Every leader will eventually face a similar circumstance where all the superficial supporting structures are not available and you have to make a call based on gut alone. In these moments, it is critical to trust your experience, skills, and hard-earned capabilities. The answer is often within our grasp if we have the courage to lay it on the line and truly believe. This sort of leadership belief is contagious and is the stuff of Steve Job's "reality distortion field" talent. Peter, in his lowest moment, buried underneath rubble and left for dead, somehow summons the belief and will to survive and (of course) goes on to beat the bad guy.Overall, Spider-Man: Homecoming was a home-run for the Marvel/Sony alliance. It is now one of my top five favorite Marvel films (5 out of 5 stars from me). What other leadership lessons did you glean from the film? Let us know in the comments below. And please give the article a like.share if you got anything out of it!

Steph Curry's True Strength is Selflessness

I have to admit something. I may not like Steph Curry's game, but I now admire him more than any other basketball player who has ever played in the NBA. He's not my favorite player (that still goes to Lebron James - current/Kobe Bryant - past), but man do I respect Mr. Wardell Stephen Curry II. He's officially out Tim Duncaned Tim Duncan.Quick question: if you take away Curry's significant three-point prowess, amazing hand-eye coordination, and inside/outside game mastery, what are you left with? Only a two-time NBA champion and back-to-back MVP. The reason why? Steph Curry has mastered the winning-est behavior of all - selflessness.Basketball is a beautiful game especially when played at the highest levels because of the unified speed, agility, motion, and collective sacrificing of the greatest teams. I've long loved Lebron's game because he's always been a pass-first superstar who was aware of his own limitations (unlike Kobe) and worked to put himself into the most favorable positions to win. But Lebron's never sacrificed what Steph Curry had to in order to bring home the 'ship. Steph Curry doesn't care how he wins as long as he does.We've never experienced a superstar like Steph Curry. No star in any era has ever gone from perpetually written-off from high school through his first three seasons of the NBA to undersized supernova the next (Isaiah Thomas may become the sequel). How does this dizzying success not explode his ego? The only way is that the slightly awkward, humble, mumbly guy we see in interviews is the REAL DEAL. From every account I can find, he was never seeking super-stardom. Instead, his journey to become the best Steph Curry he can be has led to a consequence of fame. Humbled by dropping a 3-1 lead in the 2016 finals, what does he agree to do? Bring in Kevin Durant - one of the top 3 players in the world. A lot of ink has been dedicated to Steph's role in recruiting KD to Golden State, but what's missed in almost every article I've read is that this was not a difficult decision or transition for Steph. That's because selflessness is like breathing to him. You hear it in the way he talks about his team (none of the standard alpha male athlete comments like this is my team, I'm the leader, I make things go, etc). You see it in the way he has deferred the spotlight during the 2017 NBA Finals in order to right the wrongs of last season's championship series. You sense it in the utter lack of drama during a 67 win season that resulted in a return to the top of the mountain.Selflessness is defined as concern more with the needs and wishes of others than with one's own. In Steph Curry's case I redefine this to mean - concern more with the needs of the team than one's own personal stats, fame, and/or endorsements. If you are familiar with Bruce Tuckman's well known model for group development (forming, storming, norming, performing); performing is defined by hard work leading to, without friction, the achievement of the team's goal. Watching Steph and KD celebrate their much-deserved victory, I experienced a textbook definition of team performance all enabled by a superstar with only one thing in his mind - getting the job done.So, from one leader to another, I salute you Mr. Curry and the 2016-17 World Champion Golden State Warriors!

The 6 D's of High Performance Teams

One of my favorite leadership books is The Five Dysfunctions of a Team by Patrick Lencioni. I like the style of the leadership fable and have found the model of dysfunction to be very applicable to every team of which I've led and been a part. The book focuses on the role of the leader in shepherding a group from dysfunction to function by embedding cohesive team behaviors as depicted here: Over the years, I have worked to simplify this model for myself to assess my team's ability to perform at a high level. I have identified that there are six things that the best teams consistently get right.Before a team can perform, however, you have to move them from the forming stage through the storming stage, and past the norming stage. That means ensuring the right people are on board, the team culture is set, people feel empowered, and everyone acts with a shared sense of purpose. High performance teams (and individuals incidentally) Discuss, Debate, Decide, Do, Diagnose, and operate with a remarkable level of Discipline.Discuss - Teams must discuss critical issues openly and not behind closed doors. If there is not enough trust among team members to have open dialogue then high performance is impossible. Your role as leader is to first demonstrate trust building behaviors and then create forums for discussion. Don't rush into decisions. Listen and involve as many relevant voices as necessary into the discussion to get all key points of view on the table.Debate - This is where productive conflict comes into play. A lack of debate on crucial decisions may signal a lack of engagement or shared passion from your team. Without passion and engagement, high productivity cannot be sustained. Your role as leader is to stimulate debate by either playing the devil's advocate (or appointing one) - to leverage disagreement to help the team dig deeper, firm up assumptions, and improve the quality of decisions.Decide - Can everyone on your team commit equally and get behind key decisions? If not, then they likely have not bought in because they were not involved (or heard) in the discussion or debate stages. Your role as leader is to assess the degree of alignment of the team. You can go around the room, use polling, or the Fist or Five method to ensure mutual commitment of all team members. Importantly, one of the norms of high performing teams is that they do not revisit decisions constantly.Do - Part of the decision-making process is to define who does what by when and gain alignment on accountability's. Top teams all contribute to team tasks and police themselves when members fall behind. Your role as leader is to make progress against actions visible and have the uncomfortable conversations when things are not getting done.Diagnose - Great teams are committed to continuous improvement win or lose. They regularly conduct after-action reviews on outcomes of key actions to understand what went well, what could be improved, what to scale up, and what to stop. Your role as leader is to ensure that after celebrating victory or lamenting defeat, you analyze the team's performance to further potentialize strengths and mitigate weaknesses.Discipline - Behind all the other 5 D's is a 6th, which is the key driver for success. Dogged, relentless, maniacal desire to make progress. Great teams know where they are going and do what is necessary every single day to achieve their goals. They put the goal above personal differences, disagreements, and inevitable disappointments. Your role as leader is to pace the march of the team and break the journey down into the component parts, milestones, and achievements that will accumulate in success.Driving the 6 D's will help you transform your team from a loose collection of individuals into a high performance team. What has been your experience in creating and maintaining high performance teams and organizations? Let's discuss in the comments!Join my growing leadership tribe on twitter and if you enjoyed this article, please share with your network.

Leadership Lessons Learned from Wonder Woman

Please note: this article contains spoilers.After the missteps of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and Suicide Squad; DC Films needed a boost both in tone and box office. By introducing Princess Diana of Themyscira, DC finally has a sure fire hit on their hands. Now, fans are eagerly awaiting Justice League in the fall of 2017.The synopsis of the film goes: Before she was Wonder Woman, she was Diana, princess of the Amazons, trained to be an unconquerable warrior. Raised on a sheltered island paradise, Diana meets an American pilot Steve Trevor who tells her about the massive conflict that's raging in the outside world. Convinced that she can stop the threat, Diana leaves her home for the first time. Fighting alongside men in a war to end all wars, she finally discovers her full powers and true destiny.On one level, Wonder Woman is about what it takes to hold tight to an ideal - in this case that man is inherently good versus the truth that inside each of us is a conflict between light and dark influences. But this movie is also very much about discovering your own potential and power despite pressures from all sides to contain yourself.Only when you lean into your natural abilities and link them with your ideals, principles, and values can you reach your higher purpose.With this thought in mind, allow me to present 5 key leadership lessons gleaned from this entertaining adventure.Know when to let go: At the beginning of the film, Diana is eager to explore her fighting abilities but her mother, Queen Hippolyta, forbids it due to fears that Aries the God of War will find and kill her. After begrudgingly agreeing to train her at the insistence of her sister, General Antiope, Hippolyta must come to terms that Diana will never remain among the Amazons. Especially after she meets Captain Steve Trevor and learns that there is a war to end all worlds that must be stopped. Great leaders live by the old axiom that you have to have the Serenity to accept the things you cannot change; the Courage to change the things you can; and the Wisdom to know the difference. Ultimately, the Queen demonstrates great personal courage and releases her precious daughter to find her destiny. We as leaders are faced with such choices everyday and we have to make peace with our decisions - knowing when to be courageous and when to remain serene can go a long way.Know when to compromise and when never to compromise: Once they arrive in war torn London, Wonder Woman becomes a classic fish out of water tail with a great scene where Diana must dress less conspicuously in order to blend in with society. She compromises some and goes along with this expectation but when it comes to situations where values and principles are needed, she gives no quarter. In a meeting with British Generals, Diana gives the High Command a full piece of her mind as Steve Trevor remains political. As they arrive in France and she experiences her first taste of war, she allows herself to be dragged first past animals in need and then a severely wounded man, but when she learns that an entire town is under siege nearby, she can compromise no more. She leads the allies across the battlefield and ultimately frees Veld from an occupying force. Great leaders know when to stand their ground and when to apply a more flexible mindset, but they never compromise their values. By taking a stand, Diana saves hundreds of lives and also demonstrates her tremendous capabilities. As a leader, make sure you know the difference between situational flexibility and compromising values - and never waver on your core values.Downtime together builds bonds: Even as powerful as she is, Diana needs a team to fully execute the mission. While first impressions meeting spy Sameer, marksman Charlie, and smuggler Chief are not great - it takes all of them working together to rescue Veld. Afterward, Steve Trevor wants to focus on the list of things he must do to prepare to infiltrate German High Command, but Sameer encourages him to kick back and appreciate their accomplishment that day. While Steve had a previously established bond with these guys, Diana gets to learn more about and value each of them in an informal setting which increases her trust and the overall team bond. Great leaders can sense the mood and stress level of their team and take time out to re-energize and boost morale and bonds. If this doesn't come naturally to you, assign someone on the team (a glue person) who informs you when the team needs downtime and helps schedule these sessions.Back up certainty with contingencies: From the moment she meets Steve Trevor and learns of the war, Diana is absolutely convinced that Aries is the corrupting force behind the death and destruction. She is ultimately proven right, but her initial assumption that General Erich Ludendorff is Aries is wildly wrong. She is so downtrodden by her mistake that she ultimately loses the love of her life as Steve Trevor continues on to destroy the plane carrying the deadly mustard gas. It's impossible to get all the calls right as a leader, but the best leaders always have a plan A,B, and C for any situation. The more critical the decision, the more great leaders zoom out, examine the full landscape, make assumptions, and create contingencies. By not contemplating the worst case scenarios and having the what if we're wrong conversations, you can suffer defeats that are nearly impossible to come back from. In the movie, Diana has to lose Steve before she can realize her full power, but if they had a better plan they might have gotten out of the situation with everyone intact.Choose your path: Wonder Woman is the origin story that explains Diana's dedication to saving human kind. Only by experiencing mankind at his worst does she understand our true and full nature. Still, she has to make a choice whether to abandon us or commit to fighting with us and for us. Lucky for us she chooses our side. Great leaders figure out their WHY early in the game and remain committed to this reason for being and thread it into every aspect of their life.The right WHY gets you up in the morning, informs your decision making, influences who you work with and how you work, and can be the difference between sustainable success and failure. Find your WHY and stick with it.Overall, Wonder Woman was well made with a great blend of action and comedic scenarios (4 out of 5 stars from me).What other leadership lessons did you glean from the film? Let us know in the comments below. And please give the article a thumbs up if you enjoyed and got anything out of it.