10 business lessons to learn from Game of Thrones

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

Even those who don't like the show will come in handy with these tips.

1. Always keep your word

For peers, clients, and investors to trust you, you need to keep your promises: it builds credibility. Moreover, it is stronger than the cases when you did more, but later than the promised date.

Restrained and unrestrained word is a frequent theme in Game of Thrones. Perhaps the most famous example is the episode “Reina of Kastamere” from the third season, better known as “The Red Wedding”. This is one of the most violent episodes of the series. And although many players had a hand in the tragic events, perhaps so many deaths could have been avoided if Robb Stark had kept his word and married Walder Frey's daughter.

2. Recognize your strengths and weaknesses

Effective leaders try to surround themselves with knowledgeable people because they realize they don't understand all areas themselves. At the same time, they know and use their strengths.

In the fourth season, Tywin Lannister instructs Tommen and says: "The wise king knows what he knows and what he does not know." Cersei never learned this lesson: in the same season, she more and more shortens the Small Council, not wanting to listen to others. And in the end, it does not lead her to anything good.

But Sam is not afraid to admit his own weaknesses. He understands that his business is not to fight, but to use his brains. Therefore, he lives to the end and succeeds.

3. Understand where your values can take you

It is on our values that we rely in emergency situations when there is no time to weigh decisions and evaluate options. Therefore, you must clearly understand what the consequences may be for yours.

“A leader has a responsibility to understand the barriers and opportunities his personal values may cause him,” says Professor Bruce Craven of Columbia University Business School. Otherwise, the consequences can be tragic, as we saw in the story of Ned Stark. He does not see how duty and honor, which he values above all else, make him vulnerable to the machinations of others.

4. Keep your emotions in check

It is helpful to show that you are human too. It helps build relationships with other team members. But sometimes you don't need to let your emotions get out of control: by screaming and threatening, you don't motivate your subordinates. Joffrey and Daenerys are two examples of leaders who got kicked out because they couldn't handle their emotions.

5. Don't Let Failure Stop You

This is an unpleasant but inevitable part of life. They help to grow and learn new things, if we have learned the lesson and do not repeat the mistake. Thanks to them, we become stronger and more resilient.

Many Game of Thrones characters have found themselves in difficult circumstances:

• Cersei and Daenerys were humiliated and lost loved ones.
• Bran has lost the ability to walk.
• Sansa has experienced psychological and physical torture.

But they did not allow these circumstances to break them. The heroes tried even harder and found ways to turn adversity to their advantage.

6. Do not disclaim responsibility for your decisions

Leadership is not for the faint of heart. It often requires tough decisions to be made. Remember the words of Ned Stark before the execution of the deserter: "He who passes the sentence, himself brings up the sword."

Do not disclaim responsibility for your decisions, even if they are not popular. Admit it if you're wrong. This is an effective way to prove your honesty and confidence.

7. Build trusting relationships

One way to do this is by demonstrating a willingness to share personal information. For example, Tyrion gains the trust of the potentially dangerous Daenerys by talking about little-known facts from his life and pointing out the presence of a common enemy.

He also bypasses the double trap of the weak side. This is a situation where a person in a weak position is ignored if he does not speak out, and criticized if he speaks too boldly. Psychologist Adam Galinsky advises in such cases to show your willingness to be flexible. Give the other person a choice. Tyrion did so, saying that Daenerys could kill him or take him to his council.

8. Be able to persuade

John tries to do this in season five, but ultimately fails. He fails to move some of his people away from the "breadth of rejection" - the point at which people are not ready to accept change.

“John stumbles at a critical juncture, underestimating the potential response from his team,” writes Bruce Craven in his book on leadership lessons from Game of Thrones. “He tried to tell his people to just follow his decision. In our professional life, we often do the same. We believe that you can win with facts when you need to apply a belief."

To persuade someone, try to nudge people towards “broad acceptance,” a state where they are willing to consider different options and accept change. At this stage, it is not necessary to conduct tough negotiations or provide facts. It is enough to convince the person to agree with the possibility of a different state of affairs.

9. Be flexible

In Game of Thrones, only characters who can adapt survive. Someone learns to fight blindly, and someone learns to infiltrate the consciousness of animals. Flexibility is also needed in the workplace, especially when some changes are taking place.

“I often see leaders in organizations whose core business model is changing and leaders simply deny it and don’t want to see anything,” says Rita McGrath, a volatile strategist. According to her, the company must constantly adapt and rebuild, evaluating its results. This includes asking yourself if you are open to other points of view.

10. Unite in the face of a common enemy

When people with different motives and different characters come together, conflicts arise. A good leader serves as a unifying force that reminds everyone of a common goal. Remember how John convinced representatives of different Houses (except Cersei, of course) to forget about their differences for a while and rally to fight the White Walkers.

“In the face of a common threat, former rivals become associates and change tactics to do something together,” Galinski says. "It works both in the diplomatic arena and in the offices of directors."