With the latest James Bond installment, Skyfall, just opening in theaters this weekend, it got me thinking…what can we learn from 007 about leadership? To get the ball rolling, my family and I spent part of the weekend watching a semi-marathon of classic James Bond movies. With leadership qualities in mind, I began to look at Bond; James Bond, in a whole new light.

Even a lone agent like Bond can demonstrate effective leadership skills. Although there’s no one following Bond’s orders, per se, and although he’s not charged with heading a team or a unit, he exhibits many of the qualities that make a leader a WOW.

The handsome British spy is a linear leader with broad implementation skills that would benefit any business or organization lucky enough to have his skill set on board. Plus, they’d have some jolly good office parties with all those “shaken, not stirred” martinis!

James Bond’s Leadership Qualities:

• He doesn’t set the vision or strategy…he follows it
• He’s a leader of implementation (an asset to all organizations)
• He utilizes the latest technology in task attainment
• He’s a creative problem solver
• He never loses his sense of humor, or his cool, even in times of great stress
• He keeps his eye on the target, even when faced with massive challenges
• He’s willing to risk it all to complete his mission
• He never sees failure as an option
• He doesn’t hang around for praise and accolades (completion of the task is enough)

A company (or country) may have a good vision and an impressive strategy, but without a leader skilled at implementation, a’la James Bond, nothing would ever be achieved. Bond is a WOW that gets things done. He trusts the vision and plan of those he follows, but is a leader in his own right for making the mission a successful reality.

–Sheri Staak