In the magical world of cinema, the audience is often captivated by compelling performances that convey deep emotions. A classic example of this occurs in the epic film The Mission, in which Robert De Niro and Jeremy Irons immerse themselves in the storyline, living the challenges of their characters and making the story truly engaging. This same authenticity and immersion are essential in the business world, where company founders face the challenge of embedding themselves and all decision-makers in the company’s mission.
The company mission is what the business declares it aims to accomplish in order to achieve success, both for itself and for its customers.
In this article, we explore the parallel between acting and creating an engaging company mission, and how this parallel can lead to a mission capable of generating motivation, commitment, growth, and satisfaction within an organisation.
In the world of cinema, a compelling performance requires actors to go beyond superficial acting and truly immerse themselves in their characters. Just like De Niro and Irons in The Mission, company founders must first embody the company mission themselves, truly believe in it, live it with passion, and naturally pass it on to everyone else. This authentic involvement can inspire employees to feel like they are part of something greater than “just a job”, a story that is told and lived, almost like the experience actors have in a gripping film. This is true regardless of what is written in the mission statement, which, of course, must make sense, be rich in content, and have a strong connection to the company’s vision and, most importantly, to the interests of the end customer.
Just as a convincing performance emotionally transports the audience, creating a deep connection with the story, in the business world, a well-defined mission that is embodied by all employees can generate a similar emotional connection with employees and, as an important consequence, create Trust and Value with the end customer, who will eventually perceive this “energy.”
The sense of purpose that is embedded in the company’s mission motivates people to give their best and act with commitment, following a shared and well-known script, while feeling part of something meaningful, clear, and thought-out.
In successful films, the lead actors drive the plot and emotional journey of the story. In companies, founders and management play a similar role, creating a narrative around the company’s mission. Their passion, dedication, and engagement are contagious, inspiring others to follow their lead, just as the audience in a cinema follows the main actors of a captivating film.
In the process of acting, actors often face personal challenges in order to embrace their roles authentically. It is said that in The Mission, due to the adverse weather conditions in which the film was shot, the actors suffered and truly empathised with some of the crucial scenes.
These challenges are also crucial in the business context, though without the suffering and extreme weather conditions, of course! Immersing employees in the company mission leads them to overcome personal obstacles and work together to achieve the organisation’s objectives. This individual growth process contributes to the overall evolution of the organisation and helps achieve the end customer’s goals.
Just as the lead actors in a film convey the intensity of their characters to the audience, company founders and management can positively influence the culture and success of the organisation, creating a deep connection through a genuinely lived company mission. This all benefits everyone: the end customer, the company, the people who work there, and the founders.