May the Fourth Be With You

Those who know me, even a little bit, know that Star Wars is a favorite franchise of mine. These movies taught us all about the power of the Force, light sabers, and fierce Jedi warriors. But did you know that the Jedi Order (the OG super heroes) can also teach us valuable lessons about leadership?

Just in time for Star Wars day, taking place on May 4^th, here are a few lessons we can learn. Also, for added fun, I’m sharing some pointers on employing objectives and key results (OKRs) for some of those squishier, hard-to-measure objectives.

1. Have a Clear Sense of Purpose and Values

When it comes to leadership, having a clear sense of purpose and values is essential. Without a clear mission, your team will end up more confused than Jar Jar Binks. For those of you unfamiliar with the movies, that's not a good thing.

Channel your inner Yoda and get clear on your values and purpose—then share that with your team in a way that makes them feel like they're part of something bigger than themselves. Just make sure you don't start speaking in backwards sentences like Yoda, or you'll have a team more confused than C-3PO on Tatooine.

Objective: Define and communicate a clear sense of purpose and values for the organization.

Key results:

• One clear and concise mission statement for the organization is to be produced within the next quarter.
• Increase the number of employees who can accurately articulate the company's mission statement and core values by 50% within the next quarter, as measured by anonymous survey results.
• A program and at least one initiative must be developed within the next quarter to align company goals and objectives with the organization's mission and values.

2. Foster a Culture of Respect, Empathy, and Collaboration

The Jedi Order is known for its respect and empathy toward others. They work to create a culture of collaboration and mutual support, one in which team members feel valued and heard. If you want to be an effective leader, you’ll need to foster a culture of respect, empathy, and collaboration within your team. This helps to create a sense of belonging and motivation among team members, and promotes a sense of shared purpose and values. Just make sure you don’t go overboard and start dressing like a Jedi—otherwise, you’ll have a team more likely to ask you for light-saber battles than quarterly performance reviews.

Objective: Foster a culture of respect, empathy, and collaboration within the team.

Key results:

• Increase the number of team members reporting feeling respected in the workplace by 20% within the next quarter, as measured by anonymous survey results.
• Increase the number of cross-functional projects completed by the team by 50% within the next quarter, as a measure of increased collaboration.
• Increase the number of team members reporting high levels of job satisfaction by 10% within the next quarter, as measured by anonymous survey results.

3. See the Big Picture and Make Strategic Decisions

The Jedi are able to see the big picture and make strategic decisions based on their understanding of the wider context. They are able to balance short-term goals with long-term vision, and to adapt to changing circumstances and challenges. If you want to be an effective leader, you’ll need to be able to see the big picture and make strategic decisions that are aligned with your long-term vision and values. You don’t want to end up with a team more dysfunctional than the Millennium Falcon’s hyperdrive. Just make sure you don’t get so focused on the big picture that you forget about the small details, or you’ll have a team more likely to feel like they’re working for an abstract concept, rather than an actual human being.

Objective: Foster a culture of strategic thinking and decision-making in the organization.

Key results: (These are even harder than #1 or #2 above.)

• Conduct at least one strategic planning session within the next quarter to identify long-term goals and objectives for the organization.
• Within the next quarter, increase the number of team members who report feeling confident in their ability to make strategic decisions by 30%, as measured by anonymous survey results.
• Identify and eliminate at least one area of inefficiency or waste within the organization over the next quarter.

So there you have it! The Jedi Order may be fictional, but their leadership lessons are definitely worth taking seriously—even if I had a little fun with it.

May the fourth be with you, and your leadership skills!