Lessons from Star Wars and New Ideas
Our family loves Star Wars!
The other night we made pizza and sat down to watch Episode 1. It had been a while since we spent some time with young Anakin. We had watched it before, but this time I noticed something. George Lucas made Episode 1 with some awkward and difficult moments. A friend had recently pointed it out to me.
“Ever notice how midi-chlorian counts and Jar Jar Binks never made much of a mention or appearance after the first movie? There’s a reason!”
He was right.
When Simple Gets Complicated
Why couldn’t The Force just be enough? Millions of people already understood the concept through the original trilogy (Episodes 4–6). Why make The Force all scientific and complicated? It was working!
And then there was Jar Jar Binks. After the film released, fans tore into Lucasfilm for months. He was awkward and odd, and people didn’t want him.
As I was thinking about all of this, something important came to mind. There’s a leadership lesson here.
A Star Wars Leadership Lesson
Sometimes leaders need something new. We look for ideas to launch. But we must be careful about how “new” and “out there” those ideas are. If we aren’t grounded, our projects or programs can miss the mark. Like George Lucas, we can start making things way too complicated…or worse, just plain annoying.
Proverbs 19:20 reminds us, “Listen to advice and accept instruction, that you may gain wisdom in the future” (read here).
Don’t Create a Jar Jar Binks
Even if you’re not a Star Wars fan, the point still applies. New ideas are good. They can lead to growth. But don’t let an idea become your perfect, untouchable baby. Surround yourself with trusted voices who can tell you the truth: “That’s a Jar Jar Binks.”
I’ve had my share of Jar Jar Binks. The one I remember most was a college ministry event called Trick or What? We planned to dress up for Halloween, but in the spring and go trick-or-treating. Prizes would go to the students who collected the craziest items.
In my mind, it was awesome. In reality, people were confused. They weren’t laughing, and the students bore the awkwardness. I should have thought it through, maybe even tested it with a few homeowners first.
Afterward, one student said, “That wasn’t Trick or What, that was Trick or Flop!” It stung, but he was right.
Ecclesiastes 4:13 says, “Better was a poor and wise youth than an old and foolish king who no longer knew how to take advice” (read here).
Sometimes the best leadership move is listening before launching.
Join the Conversation; Share Your Thoughts
- Have you ever created a Jar Jar Binks idea?
- What leadership lessons have you learned from a flop?
- Who helps you discern when an idea isn’t worth pursuing?
