The chilling third instalment of the “A Quiet Place” sci-fi movie series has landed. I’m halfway through watching it as I take a break on my flight to Athens to write this newsletter, following the explicit instructions of my overly efficient assistant.
It’s good stuff. Just before takeoff, I found myself Googling the why of it all. Why are all these super scary monsters falling down from the sky? Why are they attacking anything that makes a noise? The second question we can guess – they hate noise. You make it, they break you. But the first is trickier – the movies don’t really tend to tell you why this particular genocidal alien invasion is taking place. The aliens are usually after something in these movies, after all. Resources. Food. Or they just want to colonize the place. None of this is explained, and it’s part of the mystery charm of these movies. These super-scary sonar-powered giant human killers are just out here to have a good time. They don’t even look like they need to eat!
Funny, that. A big part of the strategic training that I will deliver this week is around strategy. And the construct we work with has three pillars: Where are we going? That’s our BHAG, our vivid vision, our long, medium and short-term goals. Also, why is my company the best placed to deliver on that vision? We also get stuck in the details of how: The differentiating activities that set us apart from the pack and the unique value proposition that we offer. And finally, and probably most importantly, the Why of it all. Why are we here? What problem are we solving, and how will we solving it make a difference to the world?
The movie seems to have a lot of examples for me to draw on. A massive crowd of people moves toward safety, obeying authorities like sheep. They are all very quiet, until someone loses their cool and starts crying. Sudden chaos, and everyone dies. Our heroine, knowing this was bound to happen, steers well clear of the crowds. Not going with the flow seems to be the message – find your own way, apply yourself to your own particular north star that aligns with your skill set and capability.
In her case, her north star is just to have one large slice of really good New York dish pizza before the end of the world. It might be too late, already. But she’ll literally die trying. It’s a pretty audacious goal, given that the monsters are everywhere. But she’s got vision, and she’s pretty clear on her why. She’s probably going to die, but she’ll do it after having had one last good meal.
But steering well clear of crowds, she does do the one thing that all the survivors in all three movies do well. They shut up. They keep dead quiet because the monsters can’t see you… they can only hear you. If you read my book BEBEMS: The Three Sins of New Leaders, you would know that keeping your Eyes and Ears wide open and your Mouth closed is one of the greatest leadership skills you can have. Observe. Gather data. Let others talk. And when you do decide to make some noise, make sure it’s worth it.
I think we’re all guilty of getting sucked into making too much noise. Into following the herd, into making bad decisions, into losing our own personal north star. If I learned anything from this movie, it is to keep reminding myself to keep my mouth shut.
PG’s Pro Tip:
Try this one for a ChatGPT Prompt: “Act as my management consultant, and ask me questions, one by one, on how to come up with a compelling BHAG (Big Hairy Audacious Goal) for my business, using the intersection of what I’m good at, what the world needs, what I love to do.”
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