This video is hilarious.

(Queen Latifa as Gwen Ifill, Tina Fey as Sarah Palin and Jason Sudeikis as Joe Biden on SNL)

Many kids grow up wanting to play for the Red Sox or shooting hoops and making millions for the NBA. In the movie “21″ Ben Campbell (played by Jim Sturgess) grew up wanting to go to Harvard Medical School. But…there was just one tiny problem…he didn’t have the $300,000.00 it was going to take to make it happen.

So, Campbell, the most talented student at MIT, uses his mathematical skills (yes…he’s good with numbers), a few fake ID’s and creative disguises to join his brilliant stats professor (played by Kevin Spacey) and five friends in a plot of counting cards to break the Vegas casinos. And…he almost gets by with it.

As it usually goes in the movies, the mastermind plot begins to unravel, and young Ben Campbell has to decide which direction to turn…and in the end, he does the right thing.

I have to say, however, that Ben used some amazing leadership skills during the plot that we can all learn from. No…I don’t condone counting cards (I have heard that card counting is actually legal unless you are using an outside device…but maybe some of you who are Blackjack players can set me straight), but I am a believer in these leadership skills:

Vision: Ben can see, taste and smell that Harvard Medical School ride. He keeps this vision front and center through both the highs and the lows.

Hard Work and Drive: Ben studies, reads and pours himself into the game of counting cards. He does not want to just learn the skill…he wants to be the best!

When you make the rules, you change the game: Ben and his teammates made the rules, so they change the game of Blackjack. In leadership, you have the opportunity to change the rules (legally of course) so that you get the results you want. If you are leading your organization by worn out rules, there is a good chance you are probably getting the pants beat off you by your competition.

Team Work: The game of counting cards is a team sport, and Ben plays the team according to the rules spelled out by the team. He watches his teams’ signals (Folded arms = Table’s Hot) listens to their language (the word sweet means the count’s at 16) and follows the system to build team chemistry.

Risk: Ben does something that most people don’t. He takes risk after risk by accounting for variable change. Brilliant!

Calm and Composure: Even when the pressure’s on, Ben stays as cool as a cucumber…quiet, calm and quite composed.

Playing a System: In the movie “21″, Professor Micky Rosa (played by Spacey) makes it very clear to the team that they are not “gambling” but that they are counting cards…a methodical system that works over and over again.

LESSONS LEARNED:

As the plot begins to unravel, young Ben Campbell does the right thing (you’ll need to watch the movie to find out what that is,), and he learns these important leadership lessons:

1. Quick fixes almost always don’t’ last. The quick solutions almost always end in disaster.

2. Don’t justify your actions when you know they’re crossing a line! Be very careful about saying “I’m only going to do this negative action one time or until x happens.” Before you know it…you’re hooked!

3. Pay attention to your gut. Ben knew early on in the process that something was not sitting well about this whole scheme, but as with all humans, he gets lured in by the thought of wealth, fame, the hot girl and the thrill.

4. When you create rules that you know are not on the up and up, watch out! The system’ll get you every time!

5. When you become so engrossed in your work that you ignore what’s going on in the periphery of your life, there will be a cost to pay. Ben loses a lifetime opportunity in his quest for money, AND he almost loses his closest friends.

6. Let integrity guide your decision making. In the end, living in integrity and doing the right thing can bring you the greatest rewards in life.

I highly recommend this movie! I watched it two times in 24 hours, and I rarely watch movies two times:

During a birthday party earlier in July, Senator Obama allowed his daughters to be interviewed by Access Hollywood. He is now saying that this move was not appropriate, given their young age.

I do think that they were probably caught up in the moment and said “yes” without thinking, but you know what…as a registered voter, I want to know about our potential future leaders’ families and their lives. We all want to know about the wife and kids, because when you see the family of a leader, you can tell a great deal about that leader’s character.

You can see a bit what the senator has to say about all in this interview with Matt Lauer (you will need to fast forward to the end of the video). This whole interview from MSNBC is actually worth watching:

Carol Dickson-Carr of Managing Personal Resources created a great video today for EDGE. Thank-you Carol!

And…if you have not yet downloaded a free chapter of EDGE, you may do so here:

http://beafields.com/Edge_FreeChapter.pdf

In chapter 10 of EDGE! A Leadership Story (DIGGING), our protagonist Mitchell James brings to life his dormant creativity by writing his personal manifesto as he is listening to the song Unwritten by Natasha Bedingfield. We were fortunate to be granted permission to use the lyrics in the book.If you have not yet had a chance to take a look at EDGE!, we invite you to do so by downloading this free chapter:

Download a free chapter of EDGE! A Leadership Story

And…as you are reading the chapter, watch and listen as Natasha Bedingfield sings UNWRITTEN on the Ellen DeGeneres Show.

If you cannot load the video below, visit this link on You Tube to see her video.