Good Enough for Government Work

The 2008 movie Taken, is the story of a man, a former CIA agent played by Liam Neeson, whose daughter has been kidnapped in Paris by Albanian sex traffickers. In a now-famous line from the film, Neeson’s character, Brian Mills, warns the kidnappers over the phone: “I don’t know who you are. I don’t know what you want. If you are looking for ransom I can tell you I don’t have any money. But what I do have are a very particular set of skills I have acquired over a long career… if you don’t [let my daughter go], I will look for you. I will find you, and I will kill you.” To make a long story short, the kidnappers soon learned of Mills’ particular skills and he ultimately retrieved his daughter from them, safe and sound. This scene resonated with audiences and the “particular set of skills” line has become iconic in pop culture, generating countless internet memes. The Mills character is not arrogant and he is not bragging when he warns the kidnappers. He ...

Enthusiasm is one of the most powerful engines of success. When you do a thing, do it with all your might. Put your whole soul into it. Stamp it with your own personality. Be active, be energetic and faithful, and you will accomplish your object. Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm. – Ralph Waldo Emerson In the previous post we discussed the importance of a clear mission to a leader. In our public agencies, a clear mission is essential if we ever hope to get our followers to give us more than the minimal amount of effort necessary. We need a mission our followers can embrace and are willing to pursue with the same enthusiasm we, as their leaders, have. As public sector leaders, we must embrace a mission that we can personally be passionate about. Because without passion, our employees – our followers – will be indifferent about the work. There is no universe where indifference leads to high-performance. Passion, for leaders, has a few meanings. ...