My Takeaway from The movie Mission Impossible series

"Your mission, should you choose to accept it...".

I am a huge Tom Cruise admirer. The stunts carried out by Tom Cruise in each Mission Impossible film are truly breathtaking. That clearly demonstrates Tom's dedication and trade skills. He is willing to take chances primarily to fulfill the experience that the audience will have.

He is able to divide the challenge of the stunt into several manageable pieces and practice those pieces repeatedly until they come naturally to him.

When you use his real life as a model for his movies, it's like having a template for how to get beyond challenges. How to approach them, what mindset to adopt, and how to consider the big picture. In this case, just the strategy for achieving the goal is altered.

Following are a few of the insights I discovered after watching the majority of his Mission Impossible series.

Take whatever risks are necessary.

This is practically the mantra of the Mission Impossible movies. In fact, the risk is often a justification for another eye-popping, death-defying stunt by the unstoppable Mr. Cruise. But the lesson is true whether you learn it from “inside” the movie or out. Inside: Ethan Hunt will take whatever risk he has to take to save the world again. His focus produces that kind of commitment. Outside the movie: Tom Cruise takes risks so that he can sell tickets at the box office – hard to argue with his focus, given the success of these films.

So ... whether you're saving the world or just helping your organization to succeed, lead by taking lessons from Ethan Hunt. (And enjoy Tom Cruise in action – my personal favorites: Mission: Impossible Ghost Protocol and Mission: Impossible Rogue Nation.)

Stay focused.

Most Mission: Impossible stories unfurl as a series of capers. There's always another super-secure building to be invaded, a super-protected gadget to be stolen or a highly guarded person to be kidnapped. But no matter how dangerous the individual capers are, Ethan never lets anyone on his team forget the final goal of the mission. The IMF never goes off mission.

Imagine how successful your organization would be if, no matter how intense an individual project was, no one ever went off mission.

Be prepared.

This directly relates to the lesson above but goes beyond. The IMF isn't only prepared in technology but in disguise (oh, those amazing facial masks!); in equipment: ropes, pulleys, trolleys, cars, and helicopters; and all the training and experience necessary to put the preparation to excellent use.

Applying this to your organization means being sure your workforce is properly trained and supported in every facet of their jobs.

Use technology.

Ethan Hunt and company always avail themselves of the latest tech. There's no satellite they can't control, no computer that will not do their bidding, and no device or weapon that cannot be put into service.

What's the point of all this technological splendor, besides entertaining the audience? Exactly the same as it is in Corporate America: Use of technology allows an organization to be smaller, nimbler in its operations, faster to react to market changes, and increase productivity. Without deploying wondrous technology, do you think Ethan Hunt and his team (usually less than six people in total) could save the world over and over and over again?

Nothing is impossible with God.

They went against scripture. Not everyone makes a positive difference in life. Some show you how not to treat others. Don't give up. I have met people who had a one percent chance of survival after an accident, and they make it through. It is never easy. It was possible.

Surround Yourself With the Best People.

Solving the problem requires many people with different strengths. Know who works well in different fields. It is a group effort, and no one is more important than anyone else regarding the completion of the mission.

Stop Working on What’s Not Working.

In 2005, when the media portrayed Cruise negatively about his beliefs in Scientology, he knew that his actions to double down on his beliefs were not working in the eyes of the public and eventually made the right decision and stopped talking about it. As the negative press about him mounted, he realized that his personal behavior had placed him in a career hole and the first thing he needed to do is to stop digging.

As a celebrity, Cruise has a clever public relations team managing his career image. He clearly understands that his public image can make or break his career, and thus, hire the right person to manage his image for him.

Cruise understands the concept of stopping working on what is not working. And on the opposite, you have to work on what is working. You do not have to reinvent the wheel. Just focus and work on what is working great for others and model the same system and use it on your own.

Show Appreciation.

As already mentioned, Hunt is extremely aware of the qualities of his team members and therefore he does not miss any chance to express his appreciation. A smile, a pat on the back, a simple thank you, a drink to celebrate the good outcome, Hunt does it all. He gives his team members the opportunity to use their talents, gives his team members wings, and commands loyalty. Luther, Brandt, and Benji are only too willing to put their lives at risk to help him with the mission. By giving recognition to employees for their achievements, you motivate them to achieve better work performance. Their involvement in the job will increase. Every employee longs to be noticed and appreciated by their manager.

Be Flexible.

Plans, however, have the habit of changing. Every Mission Impossible film has a plot twist that jeopardizes the team. Fast anticipation is therefore a must. Leaders must always be prepared to adjust their planning where possible. He must be characterized by his flexibility. After all, a working environment is never static but changes all the time.

Build a Strong Team.

There is no doubt about it, Ethan Hunt is wonderfully talented, but he does not accept any single mission on his own. The goals achieved are the result of a wonderful piece of teamwork. Each team member has his specific skill and contributes his or her bit. Just think of Benji Dunn who can hack any computer system with the click of a mouse or the fighting skills of Ilsa Faust that helps Hunt escape from The Syndicate. A leader is only as good as his team. Good leaders recognize the talent of their employees and use them as well as possible so that everyone makes a positive contribution to the final goal.

This Article Will Self Destruct in Five Seconds.

In researching this I learned the phrase "self-destruct" was coined on this show. Lucky for me? Articles are evergreen. Maybe I can share this when Mission: Impossible 7-Dead Reckoning Part One will be released in 2023. An eighth movie Mission: Impossible 7-Dead Reckoning Part Two is planned for 2024. Somehow these movies are over the top and within the realm of possibility. Aspire to something greater than you could imagine.

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