Keywords: Communication, Trust, Psychology, Teamwork, Leadership, Critical Thinking, The Professor, Money Heist
Money Heist (La casa de papel or ”The House of Paper” in Spanish) has now become a phenomenon in itself. The speed. The accuracy. The details. The precision. The planning. The thrill. The Ups and Downs. Emotions. Drama. Action. Car chase. Gun fights. Bank robbery. Romance. Failure. Success. Betrayal. Death. Prison. Friendship. Love. It has everything for everyone.
This is one TV series made for Spanish viewers turned into an unstoppable phenomena when Netflix brought it to its global audience. This was one web-series that made many across the world buy Netflix subscriptions for the first time. It created its own fandom.
Many of its characters were truly loved and adored by viewers across the world. They were relatable. Their traits were familiar. But most of all everyone loved especially one of the characters. The Professor. He is coy. Seems nervous. Has a completely forgettable personality. One among the crowd. Nothing special. Self-effacing. A loner of sorts.
But, he turns out to be the Master strategist. The protagonist. The pivot. The bond. The ultimate leader of the pack of wolves. No matter how strong or stubborn other “robbers” in the team are. No matter what their skills were. No matter how far they have gone into the world of crimes.
When The professor spoke - they listened. When he led - they followed. When he guided them - they paid attention. When they were confused, they looked up to The Professor as their North Star. When they had nowhere to go, The Professor showed them the way. When they were in danger, he did everything and ensured their safety.
Though the web-series is all about bank robberies and its elaborate plans, it has many things to teach us. No! Nothing about robbery or crimes. But about finer traits that made The Professor a successful leader and his team an unformidable pack.
If you wish to be successful. You will one day lead a team. So why not start becoming a leader today? Why wait and then find it’s too late. Leaders are not only born - they are cultivated. They develop traits that make them a leader. So here are some traits of this beloved Professor:
1. Patience - never get angry or upset
He was patient. Literally. His backstory tells us his father tried an unsuccessful bank heist for his treatment. At hospital he read. He listened. He absorbed. He asked questions. He made plans. He wrote everything. Every minute details. Even the ones that seemed unimportant.
He was bullied. So he developed a mental steel frame. He was sick. So he worked on his health. He was poor. So he planned to get rich. His father was betrayed. So he made life-long friends.
Never once he is seen upset or angry. At least when anyone else would. He could control his emotions. He wouldn’t give in to his impulses. He behaved like a rational machine with logic. Which could also understand feelings. But can separate them both.
He waited. Long enough. To get his one moment. He preserved his energy. His focus. His attention. In finding that moment. And seized it! He was eager, but not too much. He even waited for the British High Commissioner’s daughter’s school trip to the Royal Mint! It wasn’t a coincidence. Nothing was a coincidence.
2. Critical Thinking - Planning, Execution, Monitoring.
The professor thought and planned. A lot. About everything. About how stupid one can be. One of his team members. One of the hostages. One among the police. He thought about how things could go wrong. In what ways? Under what circumstance? Because someone was overconfident. Or more daring than imagined. Or cunning and smart. Or decided to cheat!
He made plans. And backup plans.For every situation. For every contingency. If police entered the premises. If one of the hostages could take control of a gun. The Professor did not put all his eggs in one basket.
He made every team member memorize their roles. What to do when things fall apart? When there is a sudden attack - how to fortify. When someone is shot - how to take the bullet out. Everyone trained. Everyone practiced. Everything. Some plans were known to only a specific member. On a need to know basis.
He anticipated every move of the police and counters to it - well in advance. He left nothing to chance. Or to his team’ limited intellectual capacity.
3. Organizing Team
A team can do what no one can. In words of the great Michael Jordan:
"Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence win championships."
The team had people with complementary skills. Berlin the on site commander. Tokyo the mercenary. Moscow and Denever the miners. Nairobi as master forger. Rio the tech wizard. Helsinki and Oslo the security chiefs. No one was redundant or just because s/he was forced on the team. He knew them well. He even made accomplices out of the police, the hostages, the media and the general public!
His calm demeanor soothed everyone. His authority helped him resolve conflicts. The team respects him. Not because he is most ferocious. Or the strongest. In fact, The Professor is the opposite of ferocious. And physically the weakest. His mental strength makes him command his teams’ unflinching loyalty.
He made their concerns his concerns. He made them respect each other. Even if they didn’t like each other. He taught them the need for teamwork. The problems of not doing it. One for all. All for one.
4. Human Psychology
The Professor wasn’t good with people. He had terrible social skills. But, he knew what he wanted from someone. He understood their deepest desires. He studied human behaviour. The mental state behind a particular action. Or spoken words.
One thing that most successful people share is their innate understanding of human psyche. Every action is guided by conscious and subconscious thoughts. Which are shaped by collective experience. Environment. Upbringing. Personal experiences. Family & Friends.
Professor understood it. And used it. First it was his team. They were all violent people with criminal backgrounds. Still he managed to make them into a formidable team. He linked their personal goals to the collective goal. Inspired them to their biggest achievement!
He knew what the reactions of hostages would be. He classified them and made plans for each of them.
The Professor knew how the Police would react. Their Modus Operandi. Their organizational thinking. When they threw a spanner into his plans, he had a backup plan to counter it.
5. Growing Trust
I have your back, Always! I’ll never leave you in time of need. One for all, all for one. The professor told them all. And made good on his words. Many times.
Any team works on trust. More so in critical missions. Where lives are at stake. Trust in a team leads to unimaginable synchronization. All of them think differently. But towards the same goal. They don’t hesitate to improvise. Experiment. Innovate. As long as they know the team and the leader trusts them. This brings out the best in them.
"Teamwork is the ability to work together toward a common vision. The ability to direct individual accomplishments toward organizational objectives. It is the fuel that allows common people to attain uncommon results."
~ Andrew Carnegie
The leader has to trust his team. Then only the team can trust the leader. The Professor did not trust anyone blindly. Even the police officer he fell in love with. This kept him safe. Protected. He checked. Double-checked. But ever so subtly that it remained invisible. “Trust was a double-edged sword. It could give you hope, but it could cut you in an instant when it was broken.” ― Tiffany King.
6. Communication - The key to enter minds and change psyche
One thing The Professor knew was that his team cannot and must not go beyond the script. They could not communicate. He had to do it. And he did it so beautifully. With team members. With police. With impossible hostages. With the media. With the public at large.
He changed the apathy and hostility of the public and media. Turned the tide. Into a wave of sympathy. They became modern Robin Hoods. The victims. The underdogs. In the eyes of the public & media.
With his understanding of the psyche - of team, of hostages, of police, of media, of politicians, of public - he chose words that gave them a glimmer of hope. A sense of control. They are incharge. They are party to the decision. He nudged them silently. Slowly. But definitely. In the direction of his choosing. That’s the power of good communication.
7. KYC - Know Your Competition
Technically there was no competition! No one else was planning on doing what he did. But he did have obstacles. Hurdles. Roadblocks. Moats. Literally. On his path to profit. He did not take them as his adversaries. But made them his accomplices.
The Professor knew which police officer would be deployed. With whom. How will they act. Behave. Respond. He studied them all. Knew them like the back of his own hands. This helped him plan dynamically. In uncertain situations. When things got out of control.
The Professor studied hostage psychology. Was prepared for any type of situation or hostage. Submissive. Daring. Stupid. Smart. Sick. Difficult. He made them do their bidding. Used their basest instincts to get his work done.
Bella Ciao
Comments