300

HA-OOH! HA-OOH! HA-OOH! This is what comes into my mind whenever I think of the movie 300. For all those who love to watch epic movies with lots of action in it, I would suggest 300.


The movie takes us back to time when Persian king Xerxes sends his massive army to conquer Greece. The Spartan king Leonidas along with his finest 300 warriors block the narrow passage of Thermopylae where Xerxes intends to reach Sparta. The 300 are accompanied by few Greek warriors combined, the forces manage to slay tens of thousands of Persians and prevent their entry for several days. The battle is a suicide mission, meant to buy time for the rest of the Greek forces to prepare for the invasion.


Why am I going so crazy about this movie? Keeping aside the special effects, this movie teaches about running a business now a day. The story resembles what an entrepreneur often faces when competing against a big corporation. It also offers some insight into what it takes to be an effective leader, inspire employees and create a recognizable brand. And, yes, this film can be ugly, but that's sometimes the nature of the business world.


If we look at management’s functions it consists of the following:


1. Planning


2. Organising


3. Leading


4. Co-ordinating


5. Controlling


6. Staffing


Now let us look at each function one by one and how the movie teaches us about the management.


1. Planning:
Before you run out and start your own business (or war in Leonidas’ case), make sure to formulate a business and marketing plan to improve your chances of success. At the Ephor Temple, Leonidas shares his war plan with the priests and says “We will use our superior fighting skills and the terrain of Greece herself to destroy them…we will block the Persian costal assault by rebuilding the great…wall. From there we will funnel them into the mountain pass we call the Hot Gates. Now, in that narrow corridor, their numbers will count for nothing and wave after wave of Persian attack will smash against Spartan shields. Xerxes losses will be so great, his men so demoralized, he will have no choice but to abandon his campaign.” These shows the kinds of planning you need to have for your business. Every manager should identify the importance of planning and implement it for the success.


2. Organising:
Organising is the act of rearranging elements following one or more rules. Anything is commonly considered organized when it looks like everything has a correct order of placement. This can be seen in the movie when the war starts, the Spartans put themselves in war formations. They repel the attacks with these formations which they organise. The formation in which Spartans fought is quite magnificent.


3. Leading
King Leonidas shows the perfect example of a leader who leads from front. This is how an entrepreneur or a manager should act. Although Leonidas is a warrior, he treats his family and friends as equals. In same way a manager should treat his/her subordinates. When Leonidas suits up and goes to his day job--Destroying enemies with his spear and shield--he's focused on what's best for the business and his employees; in this case, the kingdom and his soldiers. In the war he shows what a true leader is and always keeps his cool, even in the time of difficult situations. Like a wise leader inspires trust and doesn’t rely on control.


4. Co-ordinating
Coordination is the act of coordinating, making different people or things work together for a goal or effect. The final goal for the 300 Spartans was to stop the Persians for a while so as to buy time for the Spartan army for preparation of war. Everyone from the army is clear about the role that they need to play in war. The kind of team work showed by the Spartans helps them in stopping the Persian army for 3 days. The co-ordination between the Spartans and the Greek soldiers can be seen in the fight scene with the immortals. The managers should co-ordinate the team well so as to show high-quality results.


5. Controlling
The CEO of the company needs to have control on all the functions of the company so that he can take decisions in the interest of the company. Control is required when there are some variations with standard. King Leonidas did everything in his power in the interest of Sparta (company). The 300 spartans held the Persians for 3 days just for the fact that they fought with standards. A manager needs to have control over his subordinates for eminence work.


6. Staffing
Having passion alone isn’t a sufficient reason to hire a potential employee. Look to see if the applicant’s skill set will fit into your organization or compliment your existing staff. When Ephialtes requests to join the Spartan army, Leonidas is forced to explain that the Spartan phalanx requires that “We fight as a single impenetrable unit. That is the source of our strength. Each Spartan protects the man to his left, thigh to neck with a shield. A single weak point and the phalanx shatters”. As a good hiring manager, Leonidas recognizes that Ephialtes’ inability to raise his left arm above his shoulder would jeopardize his entire organization and the effectiveness of their strategy. Sometimes doing what’s best for your company means having the ability to say “no”.