Black Panther Leadership: Four Principles from the Four Principals in the Film

Leaders have to listen

King T'Challa surrounded himself with people who were smarter, and more capable than him in their respective areas of expertise.  His supporters had a diverse set of talents, abilities and strengths.  They were not all cookie cutter version of himself.  His sister, was example, was a tech marvel.  He relied on her she knowledge and gave her the autonomy to innovate.  She taught him how to leverage new technology to be a more effective leader and warrior.  T'Challa's General, Okoye, gave his sage advice on tracking down and subduing the thief who sought to steal his country's top resource.  T'Challa was even willing to accept tough feedback from a neighboring tribe leader who questioned his motives and leadership style.  He pushed back at times, questioned them, and didn't always heed their direction immediately.  But he was willing to keep the lines of communication open.  He paid close attention to the advice of his allies and just as importantly learned from the voice of his adversaries.  Leaders have to listen; even when the message contradicts what they think they already know.

Leaders needs to admit when they're wrong

Initially King T'Challa embraced and followed the leadership traditions of his ancestors. He believed that his country should not share their powerful resources and technological advances with the rest of the world. But he begin to observe some of the issues created by his country's isolation.  There was family division, tribal disagreements, paranoia and distrust.  He began to question the ways of life that had been practiced for centuries.  He challenged himself and all those under his domain to consider adapt to a new way.   As leaders, we must examine our methods as well as our results.  When we don't get the results we are seeking, it might be time to reevaluate our strategies or our areas of focus.  That's why a clear mission and vision are essential for aligning actions, expectations, decision making and accountability.  

Loyalty means different things to different people

Nakia, the King's love interest, is committed to helping other nations and people outside her homeland of Wakanda.  She strives to save people from bondage and intercedes in injustice around the globe.   Her commitment to this effort was more important to her than her commitment to her home country, which is why she left.   The Armed Forces General, Okoye, had a different point of view however.  She was loyal to the throne.  She felt that her role as a military leader was to follow the direction of the King even if he was an unjust ruler.  It was not her duty to agree or disagree; nor challenge or defend, but to serve. Leaders must realize that their followers have differing values, belief systems, and perspectives.   And, those differences can drive their motivations and their behaviors.  Taking time to understand and empathize is an important leadership ability.   It can lead to finding common ground and a common purpose which can provide deeper understanding and better collaboration. 

Leaders are builder of bridges, not barriers 

After a change of heart, King T'Challa began focusing on collaboration and unity.  He discovered that people are not as powerful apart, as they are together.   Servant leadership became one of his goals as it should be for any effective leader. Figuring out how to support, encourage, and contribute to the success of others is what effective leaders do.  They look for altruistic opportunities.  They seek to create a common vision.  They commit to the greater good.

No New Years Resolutions

Rubber-necking: Wasting Time and Energy in More Ways Than You Think

The Teacher Becomes the Student -- Followership at it's Finest

I observed an interesting family dynamic in church a few week ago.  The family consisted of a mother, father, and teenage son.  Dad was holding mom's hand and at the same time touching his son's head.  They all seemed to be struggling with something as the mom cried and the teen hung his head and wrung his hands. The father was teary-eyed as well.  I thought, what an awesome example of a strong man and good father holding his family together and supporting them in what seemed to be a time of trouble.  At this point in the service the lights were low, but when the lights came up, I notices a few other things.  The son was well groomed and well dressed.  However, the parents were a bit more unkempt -- torn and wrinkled clothes, dad was unshaken, shoes were muddy.  The teen got up at one point and walked out of the auditorium with a group of other young men.  He seemed to be leading the pack and clearly was no stranger among them.  It was then that I considered a different possibly -- perhaps it was the son who was holding that family together or providing direction that day.  Maybe he brought them to church with him. Perhaps he had been an encouraging force that lead to this moment of family unity, emotion, and sharing.   

That led me to remember that a willingness to follow is just as important and an ability to lead. In fact, authentic leaders are skilled at both. I had a client who told me he always leads and he never followers. However, I contend that if one never follows they miss opportunities to learn from others, and develop tactically and intellectually. Failure to follow means one doesn't recognize that others may be more knowledgeable in certain areas.  The belief that no one else could possibly have the right answers is a fallacy. I cautioned my client that his unwillingness to follow, could mean he'll miss out on the wisdom and experience of others.  

Can you imagine if a marching band refused to follow their band leader -- all of them literally marching to the beat of their own drum. They wouldn't produce a melodious sound or a precision performance.  Likewise, the Miracle on the Hudson could have turned out quite differently if the co-pilot of US Airways flight 1549 was not willing to take direction from Captain Sullenberger.  

Here is what I advise for my client and others who refuse to follow:

• Look for opportunities to learn from others.  
• Purposely seek opinions and input -- a willingness to listen is critical here. 
• Don't be too quick to judge -- sometimes great information and ideas come from unlikely sources.  
• Find a mentor -- being a protege is by definition a following role.  This will help hone those follower-ship skills.

When it's time, the student becomes to teacher;  the leader becomes the follower.  Be open to it.  

www.yourenhance.com

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A 360 Approach to Intentional Leadership

Have you ever paid attention to hamsters?  They go round and round on their little wheel, but get no where. Sometimes we as business people can be like those poor aimless hamsters -- continually doing the same task and getting nowhere fast. Perhaps you are pursuing the same goal you didn't attain last year or giving the same incentives to your team with no results.  Or, maybe you are reiterating the same information and no one is paying attention.  How do we get off the hamster wheel? You do so by becoming an intentional leader.  

There are a few things that intentional leaders pursue consistently:

Customer Focus -- An intentional leader remembers who he is supposed to be serving, internally and externally.  Focus on pursuits that serve the greater good. Encourage your team to focus on actions -- not just activities -- that make a difference for your customer.   What things can you do today and everyday to increase customer satisfaction, loyalty,  repeat business and/or market share?

Brand Identity - What do you want to be known as and known for?  That's the question you need to answer now.  It's more than just a slogan or catch phrase.  It's what you want people to say about you, your business, and your products and services.  It's closely linked to your reputation.  When you're off your hamster wheel, you're focused on strategies that help you increase brand recognition and awareness.  If you're brand is damaged, what can you do to turn that around?  If your brand is unknown, how can you communicate and increase awareness?  

Vision - Your organization has a vision.  Whether it's written, spoken, or implied, there is something that drives it.  It  might also be called your purpose.   As an intentional leader, you need to communicate the vision early and often.  A clearly communicated vision helps eliminate unanswered questions, deep-seated doubts, and ongoing confusion.  When considering a new project, initiative, or directive, ask yourself if it supports the vision.  If it doesn't, it might be the wrong move.  

Humanity - It may sound like a warm and fuzzy principle, and in some ways it is.  Nevertheless, showing interest in the needs and concerns of others matters in the results they produce. Empathy, support, listening, and sharing help to build trust and promotes optimal performance. Talk to your team and invite them to talk to you.  When they do, ask clarifying questions, such as 'how did you reach that conclusion?'; 'how is the situation impacting you?';  or 'what do you need from me?'

Everything you do should support what you're good at, who you serve, and what you want to be known for doing.  When leaders remain intentional about these key areas,  every decision has a clearer path, every problem has a clearer solution, and every day has a clearer focus.  

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How Storytelling Captures Us -- Emotionally and Scientifically

My roles as  trainer and coach include frequent storytelling -- sharing anecdotes, experiences, and insights with others.  Scientists have found that the skill of storytelling is no simply a 'soft skills'.  According to findings of the National Institute of Health and other such organizations, there are physiological responses occurring during interactions between a trainer/coach and her audience/client. The Institute found that a neurological process call neuro-coupling takes place every time we engage verbally. 

This is how it works: a speaker (such as a teacher, coach, motivating speaker, or trainer), think about information and verbally communicates that information to an audience of students, clients, conference attendees, or others.)  We'll call them the 'listener'.  While the speaker is speaking, the listener's  brain activity will mirror the brain activity of the speaker.   Their brain activity starts to match. Essentially their minds begin to react similarly to the information being shared.   That's neuro-coupling.

The US National Library of Medicine published that the greater the coupling (the more the brains are in sync) the greater the comprehension and retention will be for the listener.  Therefore, effective storytelling that grabs the audience, keeps their attention, and impacts them intellectually is crucial for lasting learning.  The National Academy of Sciences reports that the same coupling doesn't happen between two individuals who are both reading the same story.  Their brain activity is not necessarily similar and the two of them will not tend to have the same level of comprehension.

 

It seems, that neuro-coupling feeds on the emotions or sentiments shared from the speaker to the listener.  If a coach shares a story that is sad, she needs to convey that sadness and the listener will perceive it too.  If the listener were simply reading that same story, they might not pick up on the sadness, and might instead perceive boredom, disinterest, or frustration.  If a trainer shares an insight that is exciting, excitement should be relayed through his speech so that the listener will be excited as well.  

Think about stories you've heard that caused you goosebumps, made you teary eyed, or left you laughing out loud. Chances are, the speaker evoked those responses as they were telling the story. Storytelling can affect change, drive effort, and inspire action.  I'm glad the scientists have finally discovered what I've know my entire career:  There is power in the story.

Work With What You've Got -- Unlocking the Potential Within

Performance Reviews and development plans often identify a person's opportunities for improvement and create goals to grow in those areas.  As a result, people sometimes spend a lot of time trying to turn weaknesses into strengths, which research shows doesn't work as well as strength-based planning and goal setting.   

A different way of helping people grow would be identifying their strengths, talents, and motivators, and developing plans to leverage those and make them even stronger.  

We all have talents that we were born with or developed over time.  Think about the things you do well, naturally.  Consider what others often tell you about yourself.  You might be analytical with numbers. Perhaps you converse easily with strangers. Maybe you are creative or love taking things apart and figure out how they work.  You might be good at proofreading or very well organized.   These aren't just habits or personality traits, they are talents.  Those talents can be leveraged to make you more productive and effective.  When we leverage our talents in this way, they become our strengths. 

So, why not work on your weaknesses instead?  Research --  including Clifton's StrengthsFinders and Buckingham's First Break All The Rules  -- shows those weaknesses will likely get a little better but not significantly.  The expenditure of time and energy wont generate efficacy. 

To demonstrate this, try this exercise:

Write your name three times using your non-dominant hand.  Then write it again three times with your dominant hand.   Compare the quality of the writing and track how long it takes you to do it.  You can work on your writing skills using your non-dominant hand everyday and eventually it might be better and faster.  Or, you could work on improving your penmanship and speed while writing with your dominant hand.  The latter, will have more significant and timely results.  

The exception to the rule is when your weakness could be a career killer. You'll want to manage that weakness to insure it doesn't cause damage to you and/or those around you. For example, if  your position requiring examination of critical safety data and you have limited attention to detail and you struggle with accuracy, that could be detrimental.  You would want to work toward improving that weakness; or consider a position better suited to your naturals strengths and talents. 

Your strengths are the key to unlocking hidden potential.  

www.yourenhance.com