Dilip Barot, Founder Creative Choice Group, shares how to “Awaken the Force” in your business Star Wars style.
At this point you would have to live under a rock to not be aware of the epic Star Wars launch. Movie goers flocked to theaters around the globe, including fans lined up around the block of The Cobb and Regal Royal theaters in Palm Beach Garden, Florida. George Lucas introduced light sabers, Yoda and the power of the force to many of us back in the 70’s. I can remember, long before Creative choice Group, watching Star Wars and fantasizing about being a hero like Luke Skywalker. Back then, Star Wars was considered cutting edge and viewed as one of the best movies of all time. Now, the new and improved 2015 Disney produced “Force Awakens” is projected to take in over $8B in total sales according to Goldman Sachs. The breakdown includes $1.95 billion in global box office (the previous prediction was $1.5 billion), with $750 million at the domestic box office and $1.2 billion abroad. The rest of the estimate comes from retail. So why the mass appeal? The thematic movie focuses on good vs. evil and the light vs. the darkness. It is classic struggle, one we face in our day to day lives. The good includes high moral standards, civil service, honesty and trust. The bad includes frivolous law suits, fraud, prejudice and evil. And while the movie is a science fiction genre, the principles it teaches can help us in business and in life. So what can a business gleam from the Star Wars themes?
- Good conquers evil
First and foremost, as business leaders we need to make good choices. And while there are good and evil forces all around us, it is important to implement solid foundations within your firm to guide decisions that are on the up and up. At Etech Global Solutions we have clear checks and balances for our associates to help oversee our call quality and meet client commitments. Trusting everyone to just do the right thing can be naive. Communicating and implementing business practices to set expectations will help drive consistent results. There is an old saying that you should inspect what you expect. Similar to Yoda overseeing Luke’s training to help him achieve Jedi status, managers are responsible for maximizing the potential of their teams. This is the best way to achieve the good within a business.
- Nature over Technology
We live in a fast pace world. Communication is now almost instantaneous. Between texting, social media and the World Wide Web, information is passed real time enabling businesses to react and adjust on the fly. And while technology is clearly an enabler to progress, one can’t forget that maintaining a balance with nature is just as important. For example, the Jedi strive to live in simplicity and in harmony with nature. They are not averse to technology, but they do not rely on it alone, at the expense of their own senses and feelings. This is a stark contrast to the dark side where Darth Vader is, as Ben puts it, “more machine than man,” a walking hybrid with robotic limbs and built-in life support. The bottom line is that as business leaders we need to remember that we are people first and that we all have basic human needs. Losing track of this will create a toxic environment for your employees, your partners and most importantly, your customers.
Get ready to awaken the force in your organization!