When it comes to movie franchises, there are few as universally popular as Star Wars. The space opera has spanned across 40 years, brining generations of fans together through shock revelations, epic battle scenes and eerily haunting villains.
And, with the recent release of the eighth movie of the saga, we’ve decide to look into what HR leaders can learn from George Lucas’ brainchild.
“Do or do not. There is no try.” - Yoda
Perhaps one of the most memorable quotes of the franchise comes when Yoda is training the young Luke Skywalker to become a Jedi Knight. Yoda instils in Luke the importance of perseverance and hard work in achieving one’s ultimate goals.
It’s HR’s role to develop and foster new talent, in order to ensure the organization has tomorrow’s future leaders already in the pipeline.
“In addition to being empathetic, making a positive impact in the workplace by ensuring development of others, is what makes an HR leader successful,” explained Jahanzaib Ansari, the co-founder and CEO of Knockri, to HRD Canada.
“This can be accomplished in an organization’s culture of diversity and inclusion, where every employee is given the opportunity to excel.”
“There’s always a bigger fish.” - Qui-Gon Jinn
Qui-Gon Jinn’s world views often annoy the rest of the Jedi Council, as he refuses to strictly follow the Jedi code, and often opts for what he believes to be ethical. He’s humble and wise, and he never makes the mistake of thinking he’s above anyone else.
As a leader, it’s essential to craft your own type of management style - don’t try and mould yourself from someone else’s. The main factor for determining authentic leadership is ensuring your interest in the job shines through.
As Richard Branson once wrote: "A passionate belief in your business and personal objectives can make all the difference between success and failure. If you aren't proud of what you're doing, why should anybody else be?"
“In my experience there is no such thing as luck.” – Obi-Wan Kenobi
Obi-Wan never relies on chance. He’s a skilled strategist that weighs up all his options and looks into all possible outcomes before making a decision. Whilst Luke might be more inclined to following his gut-feeling, Obi-Wan reminds him that preparedness and foresight are the only real paths to success.
As a leader, you need to know the difference between being reckless and taking a calculated risk. It’s essential in business to take a gamble every now and again – just ensure you’re in full possession of all of the facts before you make your move.
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