• Business
    • Case Studies
    • Companies
    • Growth
    • Strategy
  • Functional
    • Finance
    • HR
    • Marketing
    • Science & Tech
  • Leadership
    • Be a Leader
    • Books
    • LDR Show
    • Leadership Nuggets
    • Movie Wisdom
    • Soundbytes
    • Women & Leadership
  • Personal
    • Character
    • Values
    • Competence
  • Soundbytes
  • Free E-mag
  • Videos
  • About Us
Leaderonomics.com
Leaderonomics.com
  • Business
    • Case Studies
      Embracing Digital To Power Growth

      Embracing Digital To Power Growth

      Malaysia: Celebrating A Nation's History

      Malaysia: Celebrating A Nation's History

      Lessons from 3M: Why Investing In R&D Is Your Ticket To Success

      Lessons from 3M: Why Investing In R&D Is Your Ticket To Success

      Developing Support Systems For Occupational Stress: A Critical Need

      Developing Support Systems For Occupational Stress: A Critical Need

    • Companies
      Simple Mindset Changes To Evolve As A Leader

      Simple Mindset Changes To Evolve As A Leader

      6 Things Every Entrepreneur Should Be Grateful for in 2019

      6 Things Every Entrepreneur Should Be Grateful for in 2019

      Leading The 200-Year-Old Postal Service In The 21st Century

      Leading The 200-Year-Old Postal Service In The 21st Century

      Changing The Outlook of Learning

      Changing The Outlook of Learning

    • Growth
      Embracing Digital To Power Growth

      Embracing Digital To Power Growth

      Simple Mindset Changes To Evolve As A Leader

      Simple Mindset Changes To Evolve As A Leader

      Leadership Lessons From Madam Secretary

      Leadership Lessons From Madam Secretary

      The New World Of Work Workers & Workplaces

      The New World Of Work Workers & Workplaces

    • Strategy
      Embracing Change

      Embracing Change

      10 Communication Strategies For New Leaders

      10 Communication Strategies For New Leaders

      How To Build Winning Teams

      How To Build Winning Teams

      The 7 Critical Trends That Make Thought Leadership An Imperative For Any Business

      The 7 Critical Trends That Make Thought Leadership An Imperative For Any Business

  • Functional
    • Finance
      Investing, A Rather Boring Thing To Do

      Investing, A Rather Boring Thing To Do

      Financial Literacy: The Essentials Of A Leader

      Financial Literacy: The Essentials Of A Leader

      A Student's Dilemma: ACCA vs An Accounting Degree

      A Student's Dilemma: ACCA vs An Accounting Degree

      Finance A Must On The Path To CEO

      Finance A Must On The Path To CEO

    • HR
      When Should You Speak Up?

      When Should You Speak Up?

      Driving Value With Digital Transformation Initiatives

      Driving Value With Digital Transformation Initiatives

      10 Communication Strategies For New Leaders

      10 Communication Strategies For New Leaders

      Whistleblowing In Organisations

      Whistleblowing In Organisations

    • Marketing
    • Science & Tech
      How The Frog Virtual Learning Education Is Revolutionising Teaching And Learning

      How The Frog Virtual Learning Education Is Revolutionising Teaching And Learning

      The Latest Developments in the ICT Subsector in Malaysia

      The Latest Developments in the ICT Subsector in Malaysia

      Electrical And Electronics On The Next Level

      Electrical And Electronics On The Next Level

      Going Green Does Have Tangible Benefits

      Going Green Does Have Tangible Benefits

  • Leadership
    • Be a Leader
      Defining the Role of Senior Leadership

      Defining the Role of Senior Leadership

      Leadership Lessons from Ludwig van Beethoven

      Leadership Lessons from Ludwig van Beethoven

      Meaningful Communication: The Key To Solving Workplace Problems

      Meaningful Communication: The Key To Solving Workplace Problems

      Lessons From Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson

      Lessons From Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson

    • Books
      Why You Should Assess A Leader’s Capacity For Critical Thinking And Judgment

      Why You Should Assess A Leader’s Capacity For Critical Thinking And Judgment

      5 Skills You Need To Be A Great CEO

      5 Skills You Need To Be A Great CEO

      Be A Giver And A Taker

      Be A Giver And A Taker

      Are You Afraid Of Being An Original In A World Full Of Conformists?

      Are You Afraid Of Being An Original In A World Full Of Conformists?

    • LDR Show
      "You can be competitive without sacrificing your price", Says Datuk Sulaiman Mohd Tahir

      "You can be competitive without sacrificing your price", Says Datuk Sulaiman Mohd Tahir

      “I didn’t learn anything in the books about leadership or management", Says Tan Sri Azman Hashim

      “I didn’t learn anything in the books about leadership or management", Says Tan Sri Azman Hashim

      Attracting And Retaining Talent: Insights from Kimberlyn Lu

      Attracting And Retaining Talent: Insights from Kimberlyn Lu

      The Necessity of Change: Nuggets of Wisdom from Rejie Samuel

      The Necessity of Change: Nuggets of Wisdom from Rejie Samuel

    • Leadership Nuggets
      Leadership in Four Dimensions: Jonas Prising on Human Resources, Malaysia and Leadership

      Leadership in Four Dimensions: Jonas Prising on Human Resources, Malaysia and Leadership

      "Have Intentionality In Your Daily Life", says Kim Underhill

      "Have Intentionality In Your Daily Life", says Kim Underhill

      "Explorers Are Map Makers", Says Jana Stanfield

      "Explorers Are Map Makers", Says Jana Stanfield

      Leadership Nuggets: Worry Not When We Fail

      Leadership Nuggets: Worry Not When We Fail

    • Movie Wisdom
      Lessons From Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson

      Lessons From Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson

      Leadership Lessons From Madam Secretary

      Leadership Lessons From Madam Secretary

      Lessons From A 68-Year-Old Classic That Changed The Face Of Visual Storytelling

      Lessons From A 68-Year-Old Classic That Changed The Face Of Visual Storytelling

      Life Lessons From <i>Goodbye Christopher Robin</i>

      Life Lessons From Goodbye Christopher Robin

    • Soundbytes
      Developing A Vision For An Organisation

      Developing A Vision For An Organisation

      How Does Developing Our “Self” Lead To Purpose?

      How Does Developing Our “Self” Lead To Purpose?

      Finishing Our Race Well

      Finishing Our Race Well

      RYG: Leadership Lessons from Joan of Arc

      RYG: Leadership Lessons from Joan of Arc

    • Women & Leadership
      Lessons We Can Learn From Oprah Winfrey

      Lessons We Can Learn From Oprah Winfrey

      RYG: Leadership Lessons from Joan of Arc

      RYG: Leadership Lessons from Joan of Arc

      Leadership Lessons From Joan of Arc

      Leadership Lessons From Joan of Arc

      The Fine Line Between Leadership And Power

      The Fine Line Between Leadership And Power

  • Personal
    • Character
      How Hunger For Praise Hinders Success

      How Hunger For Praise Hinders Success

      The Difference Between Gifts And Bribes

      The Difference Between Gifts And Bribes

      Lessons From Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson

      Lessons From Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson

      Balancing Your Weekdays And Weekends

      Balancing Your Weekdays And Weekends

    • Values
      How Hunger For Praise Hinders Success

      How Hunger For Praise Hinders Success

      Defining the Role of Senior Leadership

      Defining the Role of Senior Leadership

      The Difference Between Gifts And Bribes

      The Difference Between Gifts And Bribes

      Living Out The Leaderonomics Core Values

      Living Out The Leaderonomics Core Values

    • Competence
      Balancing Your Weekdays And Weekends

      Balancing Your Weekdays And Weekends

      The Power of Storytelling in Achieving Authentic Leadership

      The Power of Storytelling in Achieving Authentic Leadership

      How To Create A Sense Of Agency In Your Young Ones

      How To Create A Sense Of Agency In Your Young Ones

      The Shocking Truth About Success

      The Shocking Truth About Success

  • Soundbytes
  • Free E-mag
  • Videos
  • About Us
  • Follow
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Linkedin
    • Youtube
    • Instagram
Home
Leadership
Movie Wisdom

Why Do We Need Black Widows And Hawkeyes In Our Midst?

June 19th, 2015 Business, Movie Wisdom, Strategy

Share this article

Facebook Twitter Google+ LinkedIn Pinterest
Why Do We Need Black Widows And Hawkeyes In Our Midst?Business

Photo credit (above): GabboT | Flickr

After all, they are just mere mortals

By DINESHSETHU RAMACHANDRAN

The Avengers: Age of Ultron – Much has been said about it; much more will be said about it. This will not be another article dissecting the lessons learnt from the movie.

Instead, it will be one that looks at two particular members of the Avengers who have appeared in the string of recent Marvel movies.

Of the entire team, there are only two members who are not “superheroes” in the actual sense of the word, and they are Natasha Romanoff aka Black Widow and Clint Barton aka Hawkeye.

When compared with their counterparts (the enhanced super-soldier, the man with an iron suit, the God of Thunder and the green rage monster), one would question if Black Widow and Hawkeye have what it takes to be in the team.

Indeed, they don’t have superpowers of their own but they do possess other qualities that allow them to make up for their human shortcomings and be worthy of being called an Avenger.

 

Organisational dilemma

Organisations are no stranger to this dilemma. It is a frequent question that pops up during the hiring process.
Should they hire the crème de la crème or the ones with talent that seem insignificant when placed alongside the “elite”?

Of course, there are those amongst us who would say the obvious choice would be the “elite” group. However, this article intends to persuade you to reconsider the “underdogs”.

So organisations, listen up! This is a message on why you could use more Black Widows and Hawkeyes in your team.

 

1. Keeping emotions from the equation

In The Avengers (2012), Black Widow never loses focus of her primary objective which was to put an end to Loki’s plans despite Hawkeye, whom she shares an emotional bond with, being under Loki’s control.

Instead of giving in to her emotions and seeing herself as a pawn to the situation at hand, she utilises her emotions to outwit Loki into divulging his intentions.

It is not uncommon for life to throw us a curveball when we least expect it. This is especially evident in today’s business world where we are all linked to each other in one way or another.

Indeed, within an organisation, your team may feel the ripple effects of an unforeseen event that has occurred halfway across the world.

Those of us who are so familiar with normalcy would most likely be overwhelmed and fumble around in a feeble attempt to get our bearings.

However, a Black Widow in our team would put emotions aside and immediately take the necessary actions to remedy the situation.

In short, it is the ability to keep a cool head and strategise in times of peril that makes a Black Widow an invaluable asset to an organisation.

 

2. Playing to one’s strengths

Hawkeye is noted for his impressive marksmanship skills, particularly with his bow and unique set of customised arrows.

In Thor (2011) and The Avengers, he is seen to be perched on higher ground. This is because he is aware that it is only on higher ground that he is able to utilise his marksmanship and acute observation skills to the fullest, thus providing his team with better support.

It is always good to have a self-aware individual in an organisation. Self-awareness can turn good into great.

By being aware of his strengths and weaknesses, the Hawkeye in your team can leverage on his strengths by choosing his moves more wisely and deliberately.

This would allow him to hold his own even if he is amongst people who, at a first glance, seem to outclass him in all aspects.

So, always ensure that your team comprises people from various backgrounds to allow for better solutions to any given issue.

 

3. Knowing when to pull the plug

In Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014), it was revealed that S.H.I.E.L.D. had been compromised, in which its ranks were infiltrated by Hydra personnel.

Black Widow, being a loyal agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. for many years, had to make the difficult decision to help Captain America bring down the organisation that was intent on doing harm to the people of Earth.

At times, the organisation which we serve may deviate from its original purpose. Even worse, it may tread on the slippery slope of moral compromise to achieve its objective, even if it means that others would be negatively affected.

The case of Enron comes to mind where the company, in the pursuit of its objectives, was willing to engage in fraudulent activities to the detriment of others.

If not for the efforts of Sherron Watkins who stood up as a whistleblower, the wrongdoings could have gone undetected.

With a Black Widow in your organisation, you can be assured that your team will not engage in any activities that go against good values and integrity, for she will be willing to expose the team even if it comes at a personal cost.

 

4. Focusing on the end goal

Hawkeye, in the latest instalment of the Avengers, utters a memorable line:

“… if you step out that door, you are an Avenger.”

Later, he is shown to be willing to sacrifice himself in an attempt to protect a child though it meant that he would be unable to return to his own family. This shows that he truly believes in what the Avengers stand for.

In an organisational context, there are moments in which we are tempted to take the easy path instead of the right path as the latter would surely be a long and arduous journey.

A Hawkeye in your team would not see his actions as being that of an individual.

Instead, he would see the bigger picture of his actions to be one that represents the ideals of the team and the organisation.

Regardless of the work at hand, he will only give it his best and nothing less.

 

Concluding thoughts

Although it is unlikely that any of us would ever have the capabilities of the Avengers, it is possible for us to relate to Black Widow and Hawkeye, who are the only two mere mortals in the team.

Perhaps this is why they were included in the team in the first place, to remind us that even ordinary individuals have the potential to shape the world for the better.

LDR-PDF-download-110x110

Dinesh believes that everyone is a potential game-changer, if only we have the courage to keep to our path and persevere through adversity. To engage with Dinesh, email us at editor@leaderonomics.com or drop us a line in the comment box provided. For more Movie Wisdom articles, click here.

Share this :

  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)
  • Tags
  • Adaptability
  • Black Widow
  • Clint Barton
  • Dineshsethu Ramachandran
  • Hawkeye
  • Impact and Influence
  • Loki
  • Marvel
  • Middle Management
  • Movie Wisdom
  • Natasha Romanoff
  • PDF
  • Self-awareness
  • Senior Management
  • Stewardship of resources
  • Strategic thinking
  • The Avengers
Next article A Modern-Day Superhero’s Toolkit For Success
Previous article We Can All Be Heroes

Related Posts

Your Online Personal Growth Companion Functional

Your Online Personal Growth Companion

Be A Leader: Ask Why, How, What Leadership

Be A Leader: Ask Why, How, What

Recipe Of A Great Leader: 7 Ingredients Personal

Recipe Of A Great Leader: 7 Ingredients

8 Things Motherhood Taught Me About Leadership Personal

8 Things Motherhood Taught Me About Leadership

Are You Your Own Green-Eyed Monster? Personal

Are You Your Own Green-Eyed Monster?

Raise Your Game: Culture And Learning Styles From The Best Of Both Worlds Leadership

Raise Your Game: Culture And Learning Styles From The Best Of Both Worlds

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Bahasa Malaysia | English

Pick of The Week

Feb 4th 7:54 PM
Business

When Should You Speak Up?

Jan 31st 9:00 AM
Business

Embracing Digital To Power Growth

Jan 29th 9:00 AM
Functional

Driving Value With Digital Transformation Initiatives

NEW – On The Leaderonomics Show

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FXY0Z5dJVSI
  • Business
  • Functional
  • Leadership
  • Personal
  • Soundbytes
  • Free E-Mag
  • Videos
  • About Us
  • Back to top

About Leaderonomics.com

Leaderonomics.com is a leadership portal owned by Leaderonomics, a social enterprise passionate about transforming nations through leadership development. Leaderonomics.com features leadership insights, trends, CEOs, thought leaders, HR leaders and inspiring real-life stories for your personal and professional development.

Contact Us | Terms of Use | Privacy Policy      
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed on this website are those of the writers or the people they quoted and not necessarily those of Leaderonomics.
[Sitemap | RSS]
Copyright © 2010-2019 Leaderonomics Media Sdn Bhd. All rights reserved