
Like most kids, I loved Star Wars and was enthralled by the adventures of the rebellion fighting against the evil empire.
All I wanted to do when I grew up was become a Jedi like Luke Skywalker – fight the good fight, protect the people, be a force for good and become a hero. Not much to ask, but then again I’ve always been ambitious – even as an eight-year-old. As I got a little older, went to university, entered the world of work and set up my own business, a funny thing happened – a Jedi Knight I became! So why am I a Jedi? Well, I might not be skilled at moving objects with my mind (yet) but I found that setting my mind to the right path, I was able to assemble a team that’s capable of greatness, whilst also adapting the technology that sets us apart as a service provider. For our experts, their lightsabres are mops, their Star Fighters are our vans and we work to serve the greater good and make people’s lives easier. You see, to be a Jedi breeds a certain kind of culture. In being a Jedi, you need to be selfless in helping others and I believe there is a new strand of companies that abide by the key principles of the light side of the force. Like a Jedi, successful and ambitious companies and their leaders, need to be agile. Jedi companies have a purpose that serves a greater good.We see this in businesses like John Lewis, Virgin, Barclays and Zappos who all boast exceptional customer service and place the consumer at the heart of who they are as a brand. They exist to serve the people and understand the wants and needs of the individual. Profit is, of course, important, but comes secondary to doing things the right way. Companies who don’t place the consumer at the heart of what they are and only think about profit are battling on the dark side of the force where customer care often leaves a lot to be desired.
Read more on company culture:
- Why a company’s sole purpose is to build purpose in its people
- Meet the five businesses you should never copy when it comes to company culture
- How changing the internal culture of Airbnb, Pinterest and Uber netted Culture Amp $6.3m
Our customers have high standards and so do we, but it’s not just about doing a great cleaning or gardening job, the journey starts with a phone call, or a click. Everything from the front end needs to be “fantastic”, anything secondary simply won’t do – otherwise we’ll never achieve ours aims and ambitions.
Striving to be the best is what keeps us driven, motivated and forward thinking as we aim towards achieving the Jedi master status. Luke is cool but Yoda is king. There is always something to learn and a Jedi business will never rest on its former glories. The other critical Jedi trait is passion. “Be passionate” is my underlying key principle in business. Quite simply, you have to care about what you do, believe in your vision and show passion in every step you take.The Intern is another Hollywood movie that business leaders can learn from, with the importance of employing a Robert De Niro to empower your company revealed.
Rune Sovndahl is the CEO and co-founder of domestic services provider Fantastic ServicesShare this story