An “I” in Team and a “U” in Lead
"Give me a minute, I'm good. Give me an hour, I'm great. Give me six months, I'm unbeatable."
The A-Team (2010)
A few years back, I got my dad a four-pack of action movies to relax to, and it was labeled “Kick Ass Movies for Guys Over 50!” One of those movies was the 2010 feature length adaptation of the 80s classic show, The A-Team. When I first heard there would be an adaptation, my first questions went to the casting. As it turns out, the casting for this film is brilliant - top marks all around. The question I didn’t have seeing this movie in the theaters back in 2010 was “what teamwork and leadership lessons can I learn from this rag-tag team of military bravado”?
If you’re going to make a film about teamwork and leadership, why not make it entertaining? An underrated action-filled romp playing to the nostalgia of Gen-Xers and Millennials, this big-screen adaptation calls back to the good ‘ol days of macho action flicks but in the margins speaks a lot to project planning, leadership, and of course, teamwork. Of course they are the best examples to learn from, they are the A-Team after all.
The Review
Four soldiers - Army Rangers John “Hannibal” Smith, Templeton “Face” Peck, Bosco “BA” Baracus, and H.M. “Howling Mad” Murdock - come across each other on an operation in Mexico and become the A-Team. After 80 missions during the Iraq war, they execute a mission to rescue engraving plates that could be used in the wrong hands to print billions in un-backed U.S. dollars. The mission backfires when a general in charge is murdered and the blame is placed on the Team. They covertly plan to escape prison with the help of a haughty CIA agent and recover the missing engraving plates to clear their names and their records. The CIA agent has other plans.
Meanwhile, a former flame from Face’s past is out to apprehend the federal fugitives and after following the evidence, she becomes an ally to their goals to right the situation, get their retribution, and save the day. The team has to constantly plot their next move and make their way to the States to bring the wrong people to justice and clear their records in the process. This fun action movie globetrots around the world, delivers the bangs and the laughs, and leaves a lot to learn in the process.
The Take
The genius behind this story is its simplicity, and the lessons therein even more so because of their elements. The movie falls into two teaching categories - teamwork and leadership. The team obviously has to work as a small unit to achieve success in their missions, and the movie indicates that they have run at least 80. But the missions are successful due to the cornerstone of Captain John “Hannibal” Smith’s infamous planning. He is a chess master in his own right, seeing the bigger picture and assigning his dedicated team members to the appropriate roles according to their strengths. Outside the fact that many engineers come from military backgrounds, all players in the AEC industry have a lot to learn from planning with military precision. If the logistics of any military project are impressive, then Hannibal and his A-Team are legendary.
" I would never tell him this, but they are the best at what they do, and they specialize in the ridiculous.”
Examples of Teamwork.
You don’t get to be the A-Team by ignoring teamwork. They have an innate understanding of teamwork fundamentals and the experience backed by 80 successful missions. They understand the gentle balance of strengths and weaknesses and how to maintain that by supporting each other to get the job done. Poor BA< every time they need to take a plane ride to escape, BA is having none of it. The rest of the team knows that he needs a heavy sedative, and he usually relents to it as long as he wakes to coconut curry tapenade with toast points. It’s a great example of understanding your weaknesses and being okay with getting help. The best team dynamic is always an ebb and flow, and is never a constant.
Successful teams are all ears. After Face and Hannibal rescue BA, he feels some restraint about telling them about his newfound spirituality but also his regret that he can’t be of much help. BA is hesitant to share at first but they reassure him that he can always confide in them and they will always listen. The culture of military brotherhood is really exemplified here but presented in a much more intimate and simple manner. Listening is so important between teammates.
All contributions matter in a team. Whether it’s a small contribution to the mission (Murdock picks up a package in a crate with a chopper) or a daring escape (fleeing the hospital while improvising and adapting) all contributions are important. Hannibal goes so far as to reassure Murdoch that even though his role is smaller with no death-defying aerial feats, he’ll have his chance on the next turn.
The team succeeds together and it falls together. When the A-Team is caught and tried, JAG court offers them the opportunity to be tried separately for their actions. Each member refuses to be tried separately and states as much, acting with an innate understanding of this principle. As in most facets of the military, no one gets left behind.
Thinking outside the box not only helps them to succeed but keeps them alive. No idea is too crazy for this gang. Which explains why they learned how to “fly a tank” while falling into a lake. Although they are still subject to the chain of command and the respect expected within that structure, they stretch the confines of that military structure by thinking creatively, listening to each other, and accepting the results (good or bad) as a team.
" I believe that no matter how random things may appear, there's still a plan.”
Examples of Leadership.
At the head of every good team is a better leader. Hannibal isn’t just the best leader because of his legendary planning skills but because he brings out the best in his team. When Hannibal helps BA with his crisis of conscience and vow of non-violence, he doesn’t necessarily agree but he still listens and offers sage advice. He doesn’t tell BA what to do, but helps him weigh his options based on his own experience and knowledge of Ghandi quotes, and leaves the decision and the responsibility of that decision with him. At the end of the film after the mission is complete (no spoilers there, you know the A-Team is going to win) Hannibal not only asks about his team’s physical condition but also asks about BA’s conscience. He cares for their personal health and wellbeing, both physical and mental.
Hannibal is kind of like a father-figure to the rest of the team but has the outside-observational perspective to be clear and honest. When Face nearly compromises the job they have to do for a close encounter with his tempting former lover, Hannibal has a one-on-one with him to check Face’s motivations to keep him on mission, to which he asks “Which head are you thinking with?” He is like a sage father questioning his son’s priorities, and while he might be cross with Face for a bad decision, he is never disrespectful to him.
When the next generation of leadership is ready to come up with a plan, Hannibal not only steps aside but one-hundred percent supports it. Face has already figured out their opponent’s mentality, weaknesses and modus operandi, which gives them a strategic advantage in the last battle. He steps up to plan the final battle in the film and simultaneously reveal the villain’s schemes to the authorities. Hannibal steps into a supporting role and when Face even shows doubt in his own plan, it’s Murdoch that reiterates his trust in Face, and his plan. He is literally putting his life in Face’s hands and wouldn’t be doing so unless he trusted him.
Some lessons on teamwork and leadership seem simple and obvious, and yet it’s easy to forget to regularly apply them. In the AEC industry, especially in the marketing realm, it’s easy to be so focused on the deadlines and the requirements that teamwork and leadership can seem like unaffordable luxuries. Most marketers I know get by with a dedicated and intricate plan. If you’re like me, you’re a lot like Hannibal. Overseeing the bigger picture, picking the right people, considering all details and options, and making the right plan with all of the details involved is necessary for our success in the AEC world as much as it applies to any military mission. Just don’t forget that there is always time for teamwork and leadership qualities. Be like BA and open up to ask for help when you need to. Be like Murdoch and put your faith in someone else. Be like Face and step up to lead when it’s time. Be like Hannibal and know when to lead and when to serve. As long as you stick with this plan you will see success in your life and in your career. And I love it when a plan comes together.
