Darth Vader's Guide to Business
In honour of the upcoming May the 4th celebrations, we thought we would get into the mind of one of the most infamous villains to cross our paths – Darth Vader. For those of you that don’t know about May 4th, it is officially/unofficially Star Wars Day.
Here is how to apply a few of Darth Vader’s approaches to galactic domination in your everyday business operations. Vader has been lauded as the third greatest movie villain in cinema history. Hey, sometimes, you just want to be bad.
Embrace your visual brand
When Darth Vader walks into a room, you know who he is. Whether you hear the signature breathing sound or you see the head to toe black armoured get up, it’s Darth Vader. In spite of the man inside the suit changing between films, the signature look didn’t change all that drastically. Think about your brand in the same way. You need to let it settle and become well-known before you change it up to much. If it’s taking a while to catch on, maybe you should consider changing up your outreach tactics to generate more buzz.
Stand firm behind your cause
Darth Vader was not really well-liked – he was a bad guy. However, he was well-respected (AKA feared) and had complete control over everyone and all that happened around him. Even though some things might not turn out how you would expect in the end, you need to stand behind your convictions as a brand and business. You will gain a loyal base of followers if you are vocal about what you stand for. Some people say that any press is good press, but beware of any consistent negative narrative about your business. It could leave you hanging in the end because, everyone loves a hero and a good guy.
Go big or go home
Death Star. Need we say more? A spacecraft and superweapon that had the capability of destroying an entire planet. Two Death Stars were built throughout the Star Wars franchise. You should seek industry domination within your selected niche. Don’t shy away from a big idea because you think it’s too hard, or it won’t work. Make it work for you. If budget is your concern, talk to a consultant who might have some ideas on how to scale it down a bit to fit.
You aren’t going to make everyone happy
Darth Vader had his enemies, the same way you will have competitors who just want to get rid of you and customers who won’t necessarily like what you are selling. Find your niche, your stormtroopers that will follow you to the ends of the earth, and seek to make them happy. You will find that they might just start growing in numbers. It’s easier to market to two people who are alike (clones) than it is to two highly different groups.
Don’t be afraid to use the dark side
Sometimes you just have to be ruthless to get what you want. Darth Vader made evil decisions on a regular basis. You will come up against some tough decisions in your business’ lifespan, and you need to be able to weigh the pros and cons and make an educated decision as to what is best for you and the company. It may have seemed like a good idea at the time, but maybe you didn’t need to hire 5 extra people – someone has to go unless you enjoy losing money every month.
If you don’t succeed, try, try again
Time after time we see the villain try to take over the world. Darth Vader is no exception (remember the previous point about the Death Star?). They all have two things in common: 1) They generally don’t get the results they are looking for; 2) They keep trying until they are dead. That doesn’t mean you should work yourself to death, but you should take on a “pick yourself up and move ahead” attitude. Even though Vader’s goals were nefarious, his attitude towards trying to achieve his goals is one to be emulated.
Happy (early) Star Wars Day! May the 4th be with you.
