By Peter Jeff
The Leadership Mints Guy

Here’s an idea to focus your commitment to a mission. Reading time: 4:05

In the 1980 movie-The Blues Brothers — Elwood assures Jake with all sincerity: “We’re on a mission from God.”

Indeed in this mission, The Blues Brothers were specifically deployed. Not generally employed.

They were virtually thrust into a targeted and timed problem-solving role that challenged them to lead -NOW-or else suffer the consequences beyond frayed friendships and scarred relationships.

And in the process the Blues Brothers illustrate the ennobling might and majesty of leading from the heart, for the heart and by the heart over and through obstacles to complete their mission. No matter what!

Let’s see if we can capture the Blues Brothers magic formula of Deployed Leadership and make it work for you.

Deployed Leadership

Deployed, the Blues Brothers bubbled with enthusiasm for achieving the objective: raise $5,000 in 11 days to pay off back county taxes OR ELSE the orphanage where the Blues Brothers grew up would be foreclosed. They focused on achieving the objective BECAUSE of — not in spite of -the deadline.

Deployed, the Blues Brothers faced a broader challenge to redeem themselves from a life of crime (Jake had just gotten out of prison) and both had not lived up to the expectations of the nuns -the only real family they ever knew -who cared for them as children in the orphanage.

Deployed, the Blues Brothers mission was personal: Keep the head of the orphanage -Sister Mary Stigmata —from losing her home and her leadership role. She told the Blues Brothers she wanted to stay in Illinois as head of the orphanage instead of being shipped off to Africa to do the Lord’s work. Continue reading →