Be More Leia: find your rebel voice and fight the system by Christian Blauvelt
Be More Leia: find your rebel voice and fight the system by Christian Blauvelt
Having been in "lock down" for the past 2.5 weeks due to COVID-19, you'd think I would've had copious amounts of time to catch up on the backlog of reference books and "minor" narrative books that I've managed to accumulate. Well, I decided to get my butt in gear and finally read this gem today! Be More Leia is one in a series of four (so far) books that are self-help tomes set within the Star Wars universe. They are SO good!! All of them have been a joy to read. Check out my reviews of the other three at the following links: Be More Yoda, Be More Vader, and Be More Lando. My favorite of all of them has to be Be More Vader mostly because I have a problem being assertive and standing up for myself and this book gives some great ideas for being confident and assured in your own ability to succeed. But I digress, Be More Leia is a wonderful book as well and contains a number of great bits of in-universe humor that made me chuckle aloud along with really insightful business tips on being a successful leader.
The book is separated into 5 sections: 1) Defining Your Goals, 2) Taking the First Steps, 3) Forging Your Own Path, 4) Building a Community, and 5) Leading With Confidence. Each of these sections contains 5 sub-sections with an inspirational paragraph accompanied by a corresponding quote and image on the opposite page. Above each sub-section's title is a cute little Leia icon (pictured below). Despite Leia being the main thrust of this book's advice, many others contribute their own quotes and likenesses to round out the message--my favorite, of course, being the two-time inclusion of Padme!!
Now I would like to relay my favorite quotes and bits of advice from throughout the book by section.
1. Defining Your Goals
a. Banish thoughts of failure--"Having confidence doesn't mean being cocky, though: double check that the cave where you've landed isn't the belly of a giant space worm or, worse, that you're not about to hit 'reply all' to that email." Hahaha!! Oh my goodness this happens ALL the time at my place of work. Sometimes the reply alls are just ridiculous and completely unnecessary...other times they seem to contain privileged information. Great advice on just being careful with your digital communication.
2. Taking the First Steps
a. Be proactive--"You can have the best plan ever mapped out on your blackboard, laptop, or holoprojector, but without being willing to fire a grappling gun and ascend to your target destination yourself, you can't really expect anyone else on your team to do so. And you certainly can't afford to be beholden to the timetable of others--not even that of the Galactic Senate." And who is this referring to?? Why Padme of course!! In The Phantom Menace, she knew the Senate wasn't going to take action to help free her planet from the grip of the Trade Federation. So, she stepped up and took matters into her own hands, quite literally firing a grappling gun at her target destination. Padme is a fabulous example of being proactive in so many different situations! Another great example being her actions in Petranaki Arena!
b. Celebrate small victories--"Maybe you're recognizing a follower milestone, or a fundraising goal, or you just connected with the Force for the first time despite being about 15 years older than most first-time Force users." This advice is obviously pointing toward Luke's journey to become a Jedi. Yoda was adamant that the boy was too old at the ripe age of 19, but Luke was insistent and determined and continued to celebrate small victories along his path to success.
3. Forging Your Own Path
a. Trust your instincts--"Unwanted advice,[…], can be as unwelcome as a happabore's snout in your drinking water. Be confident enough to trust your instincts--especially when you have the home-planet advantage--and learn how to refuse advice firmly, but politely." The accompanying image for this sub-section is Rey and Finn running from First Order troopers on Jakku (see below). And the quote?? "I know how to run without you holding my hand!" I have to admit, this whole sequence is one of the funniest in the sequel trilogy--Finn repeatedly grabbing for Rey's hand with Rey repeatedly shrugging him off, as they both try to outrun their doom. I could certainly use this advice in my own life...especially when it comes to how my mom has determined I should decorate and organize my house lol.
4. Building a Community--"How you build a community--by inspiring other rebels, leading with conviction, and repeatedly relocating to secure, secret bases--will determine if you truly have a new hope." Hahaha! "repeatedly relocating to secure, secret bases" That is so humorously true!! Dantooine, Yavin IV, Hoth, D'Qar, Crait, Ajan Kloss...a whole parade of "secure, secret bases" that just never seem to last.
a. Unify your allies--"They might be great at making phone calls, a star at crafting social media strategy, or startlingly capable of taking out a squad of stormtroopers blind with nothing but a big stick." Chirrut!! Here the emphasis is on discovering what people are good at, and then putting those skills to appropriate use. Something all managers and leaders need to learn and take advantage of.
b. Purge outdated ideas--"Society might be governed by outdated rules, Senates might be ruled by Sith Lords disguised as politicians, and ordinary people might not believe that a tiny green creature can be all-powerful with the Force. But times are changing. Be the first to say, 'I have a good feeling about this.'" The associated quote is, so appropriately, Yoda saying, "You must unlearn what you have learned." When being a leader, you definitely need to keep track of realities and make sure you're not making decisions based on outdated information or opinions...something I think many current day leaders could really learn!
c. Take it to the next level--"You've achieved your initial goals: you earned the recognition you were looking for, grew the size of your movement, won the Boonta Eve Classic in exhilarating fashion, and had all the naysayers saying 'poodoo!'. Now what? It's time to think about new, even bigger goals." Anakin!!! Despite the fact that it scared the living daylights out of him, he knew it was his destiny to go on to bigger and better things, and he gathered up the courage to leave his mother behind on Tatooine so he could join a grander cause and become a Jedi.
5. Leading With Confidence
a. Be the boss--"Clear with your HR team first that the phrases 'scruffy looking' and 'nerf herder' are acceptable feedback." This is why these books being in-universe is just so darn good!!! I think I'm going to talk with the HR person at my work and ask her if these are acceptable...*wink*
All in all, a really great collection of useable, uplifting, and inspirational advice with a lovely dash of humor stirred in for good measure. I love all four of these books and really hope they continue to come out with more!!
The book is separated into 5 sections: 1) Defining Your Goals, 2) Taking the First Steps, 3) Forging Your Own Path, 4) Building a Community, and 5) Leading With Confidence. Each of these sections contains 5 sub-sections with an inspirational paragraph accompanied by a corresponding quote and image on the opposite page. Above each sub-section's title is a cute little Leia icon (pictured below). Despite Leia being the main thrust of this book's advice, many others contribute their own quotes and likenesses to round out the message--my favorite, of course, being the two-time inclusion of Padme!!
1. Defining Your Goals
a. Banish thoughts of failure--"Having confidence doesn't mean being cocky, though: double check that the cave where you've landed isn't the belly of a giant space worm or, worse, that you're not about to hit 'reply all' to that email." Hahaha!! Oh my goodness this happens ALL the time at my place of work. Sometimes the reply alls are just ridiculous and completely unnecessary...other times they seem to contain privileged information. Great advice on just being careful with your digital communication.
2. Taking the First Steps
a. Be proactive--"You can have the best plan ever mapped out on your blackboard, laptop, or holoprojector, but without being willing to fire a grappling gun and ascend to your target destination yourself, you can't really expect anyone else on your team to do so. And you certainly can't afford to be beholden to the timetable of others--not even that of the Galactic Senate." And who is this referring to?? Why Padme of course!! In The Phantom Menace, she knew the Senate wasn't going to take action to help free her planet from the grip of the Trade Federation. So, she stepped up and took matters into her own hands, quite literally firing a grappling gun at her target destination. Padme is a fabulous example of being proactive in so many different situations! Another great example being her actions in Petranaki Arena!
b. Celebrate small victories--"Maybe you're recognizing a follower milestone, or a fundraising goal, or you just connected with the Force for the first time despite being about 15 years older than most first-time Force users." This advice is obviously pointing toward Luke's journey to become a Jedi. Yoda was adamant that the boy was too old at the ripe age of 19, but Luke was insistent and determined and continued to celebrate small victories along his path to success.
3. Forging Your Own Path
a. Trust your instincts--"Unwanted advice,[…], can be as unwelcome as a happabore's snout in your drinking water. Be confident enough to trust your instincts--especially when you have the home-planet advantage--and learn how to refuse advice firmly, but politely." The accompanying image for this sub-section is Rey and Finn running from First Order troopers on Jakku (see below). And the quote?? "I know how to run without you holding my hand!" I have to admit, this whole sequence is one of the funniest in the sequel trilogy--Finn repeatedly grabbing for Rey's hand with Rey repeatedly shrugging him off, as they both try to outrun their doom. I could certainly use this advice in my own life...especially when it comes to how my mom has determined I should decorate and organize my house lol.
4. Building a Community--"How you build a community--by inspiring other rebels, leading with conviction, and repeatedly relocating to secure, secret bases--will determine if you truly have a new hope." Hahaha! "repeatedly relocating to secure, secret bases" That is so humorously true!! Dantooine, Yavin IV, Hoth, D'Qar, Crait, Ajan Kloss...a whole parade of "secure, secret bases" that just never seem to last.
a. Unify your allies--"They might be great at making phone calls, a star at crafting social media strategy, or startlingly capable of taking out a squad of stormtroopers blind with nothing but a big stick." Chirrut!! Here the emphasis is on discovering what people are good at, and then putting those skills to appropriate use. Something all managers and leaders need to learn and take advantage of.
b. Purge outdated ideas--"Society might be governed by outdated rules, Senates might be ruled by Sith Lords disguised as politicians, and ordinary people might not believe that a tiny green creature can be all-powerful with the Force. But times are changing. Be the first to say, 'I have a good feeling about this.'" The associated quote is, so appropriately, Yoda saying, "You must unlearn what you have learned." When being a leader, you definitely need to keep track of realities and make sure you're not making decisions based on outdated information or opinions...something I think many current day leaders could really learn!
c. Take it to the next level--"You've achieved your initial goals: you earned the recognition you were looking for, grew the size of your movement, won the Boonta Eve Classic in exhilarating fashion, and had all the naysayers saying 'poodoo!'. Now what? It's time to think about new, even bigger goals." Anakin!!! Despite the fact that it scared the living daylights out of him, he knew it was his destiny to go on to bigger and better things, and he gathered up the courage to leave his mother behind on Tatooine so he could join a grander cause and become a Jedi.
5. Leading With Confidence
a. Be the boss--"Clear with your HR team first that the phrases 'scruffy looking' and 'nerf herder' are acceptable feedback." This is why these books being in-universe is just so darn good!!! I think I'm going to talk with the HR person at my work and ask her if these are acceptable...*wink*
All in all, a really great collection of useable, uplifting, and inspirational advice with a lovely dash of humor stirred in for good measure. I love all four of these books and really hope they continue to come out with more!!
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