Leadership Lessons from the MCU

Recently I read the book The Marvel Studios Story by Stephanie and Charlie Wetzel. Since I am a big fan of the Marvel movies I found the book quite interesting. If you are a Marvel fan like me then head over to Amazon and get a copy.

Since I always seem to be thinking about leadership, I drew out six leadership principles we can all apply, whether leading at work or home. Let’s jump in.

Plan and Be Flexible

Before the first Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) came out, there was much discussion on which comic character to use. At the end of the first movie after the credits a short scene was included as an “easter egg” for comic book fans.

Today we think that was a plan for the entire movie series. In the beginning, they didn’t know they would build out a series involving the Avengers. Throughout the process they had a plan, but continually adjusted and innovated as needed. They learned what worked with Iron Man and what didn’t with Hulk and adjusted accordingly. Similarly, as leaders, we must have a plan, but also be willing to adjust to what we are seeing.

Find the Right People

As a leader you want to build a team and oftentimes it seems logical to bring on individuals with the most experience or best resume. This is not quite how they brought on team members.

Instead of courting directors for movies, Feige would create an opportunity for directors to show their skills. He provided the vision for the movie, and after multiple discussions, he looked for the director who would make their vision better, and they would get the job.¹ They would also seek out the right fit for casting, even if the person was an unknown or risky, such as the case with Robert Downey Jr.

As a leader, sometimes it pays to wait. Know what you want in the people on your team and then patiently seek out the people who fit what you are looking for. This clarity of knowing and patience in waiting will pay off in the end.

Create Win-Win Situations

Spiderman was a key Marvel hero throughout the lifetime of Marvel comics and in the movies. The challenge was that Marvel sold the rights to Sony to use Spiderman in movies. When Marvel studios wanted to introduce Spiderman into the the MCU they couldn’t without an agreement with Sony.

Over the course of time they came to a mutually beneficial agreement that you can explore in the book that created a win for both Sony and Marvel with little money being exchanged.² This opened the door for some great movies to be developed within the MCU.

As leaders, a no may not be the end of the conversation. At first Sony said no, but eventually they came to an agreement. Be aware of your mindset. Are you just looking out for your benefit or for what is beneficial to everyone involved? When we seek to get a win for everyone it opens the door to more opportunities and creative solutions.

Clear Vision

I know this sounds basic. I get the opportunity to come alongside many leaders and when they are clear on what they are pursuing it helps the entire team to be effective. When Jon Favreau was hired to direct Iron Man he had a clear vision. Wetzel and Wetzel put it this way.

He wanted to tell a great story and make it something that appealed to people who didn’t know anything about Iron Man, but he felt it was important to make a movie comic book fans would love.³

He knew exactly what he was looking for. As a leader, he knew this and communicated it to the team he led. When you have this kind of clarity, the team can deliver what you are envisioning more effectively. Be intentional to provide a clear vision so the team can move forward productively.

Define Success

Although the MCU has made billons of dollars over the years that was not the measurement Kevin Feige used to determine success. He was more concerned about whether people enjoyed the movie. One of the tangible metrics for that was not opening weekend, but how the movie performed the following weekends.⁴

As leader it can be easy to get caught up in defining success only by numbers such as revenue, people impacted, or other numerical metrics. This often is only part of the story. Are the metrics you are looking at helping gauge what you truly want to measure? Feige was trying to measure enjoyment, and if the movie continued to perform well, it was most likely a sign that others were talking about it because they enjoyed it. What are the metrics you could look at that help you see if you are achieving the success you are looking for?

Focus

This can oftentimes be one of the most challenging principles for leaders. Marvel was having tremendous success and gaining momentum. At this point they are looking at the interconnectedness of the movies which could become a distraction from the movie they were working on.

Feige had a great ability to keep the team focused on the movie they were on, and then they would figure out what is next.⁵ I applaud him for this ability because in the creative space we can easily get distracted. This is also true for a visionary-minded leader. If the focus constantly changes, then execution can stumble or even fail.

When I think of focus, I am reminded of an idea I heard a while ago: WIN. What’s Important Now. As you look at the team you lead, what is truly important that you need to focus on? Set a deadline and adjust as needed. As the lead, maintain your focus to help keep your team on point.

Which of these do you need to grow in this week? These are six leadership areas all of us can benefit from growing in. Need help increasing your focus or clarity? Contact me for a complimentary powerful coaching session. Want to learn from these authors how to write great books? You can if you go here to learn about their outstanding program to help you write your first or next book. Lead Well!