Lessons from Top Gun Maverick

Growing up, I was obsessed with my personal CD of Top Gun and knew the key lines by heart. Will also confess to having a Top Gun poster :) I was an infant when it released, so I never got to watch it on the big screen. In my fan boy opinion, the sequel nailed it, and was a worthy successor and delivered the story flawlessly. I am in a different place in life now, and can absorb a lot more from the movie. In my current role, I have the distinct honor of leading high performance teams, taking on mission critical first-of-a-kind challenges. Not quiet the fighter jet action, but I would bet IBM is the Top Gun of AI Consulting :)

< Spoilers ahead.. if you haven't watched it in IMAX yet, get out now :) >

This post is not about debating wars, military spending, defense lobbyists, or accuracy etc. Purely looking at this as a learning opportunity for me to grow. Below are some of the lessons I took away:

1. There is no singular definition of success

"Thirty-plus years of service. Combat medals. Citations. Only man to shoot down three enemy planes in the last 40 years. Yet you can't get a promotion, you won't retire, and despite your best efforts, you refuse to die. You should be at least a two-star Admiral by now, yet here you are. Captain. Why is that?"

Captain Pete "Maverick" Mitchell (Tom Cruise) is the crème de la crème of fighter pilots. His definition of success is different from other Admirals. He chooses to be the fastest man on earth, going hypersonic, breaking 10Gs. He has a "need for speed". That's what drives him. Before he pushes the Stealth to it's limits, he friend Hondo says “You know what happens if you go through with this.” Risking his safety and career, Tom responds, “I know what happens to everyone if I don’t.”

In my AI Consulting world, we sit at the intersection of AI engineering skills and a consulting mindset. I routinely have career conversations with rising rockstars on AI technical track vs. Partner sales track. At the end it boils down to your own personal definition of success. Own that definition and you alone are the judge of your success.

2. Growing from a rockstar expert to a coach is tough transition

Maverick is very self aware and transparent that he is "not a teacher". When he addresses the team for the first time, he is not trying to create replicas of himself.. he clearly articulates "he intends to find their limits, test them.. push beyond those limits". He is squarely focused on making each of them, the best version of themselves.

Most of us carry our bias of what good looks like, and tend to assess people's skills against our own definition of rockstar. It's taken me a while to slowly grow into a coach and I am more aware now that I have a long way to go. It's the toughest transition I have had to make. Understanding the strengths of each team member, respecting them on their own merits and pushing them to grow. I have learned to find and respect what others bring to the team.

3. High performance teams need to be inclusive

The opening scene has this text before the Top Gun logo, just like the original movie.. I knew this by heart, and instantly noticed that they added "and women" to the text. I loved the fact that the cast and their personalities were a lot more diverse than in 1936. Still a long way to go, but a step in the right direction. The mission needed each pilot to tap into their unique skills to collectively push the team to success.

When our clients trust us to build responsible AI, it's imperative that we are inclusive in who and how we train AI systems that are making critical decisions. We need to collectively strive towards equal representation in building one of the most consequential technologies of our generation.

4. Earn the respect of the team, and inspire them

When the Top Gun pilots meet each other for the first time in the bar, Trace says "everyone here is the best there is.. who is gonna teach us". On the very first day, Maverick has to earn their respect by defeating them in an aerial dog fight, to prove there is still more they can learn. The movie comes to a pivotal point where the mission seems impossible, and Maverick is told to step down. He breaks protocol and risks a court marshal to prove to the team that the mission is possible, and they got to believe in themselves.

In consulting, we hire the very best in AI from amazing schools and other firms. As a leader you can't ask them to take certifications in Azure, AWS, Google etc, or take 100+ hrs of training every year, or pickup a new skill, unless you personally lead the way and set an example. Show the team, don't just tell them what to do.

5. Need to step out of work environment to build a 'Team'

The team was under an unrealistic timeline to train for the mission, and Maverick desperately needed to bring together everyone as a team. Contrary to his admiral, he opted to take a break from the rigorous training schedule and take them out to play football on the beach. A great nod to the legendary beach volleyball game in the original. That bonding was a necessary ingredient in them trusting each other, and evolving from exceptional individuals to a stellar team.

The past couple years, it has been a struggle to bond thru a small box on video conferencing. But as we gradually open up, please take the time to get back to the basics of team building. It's invaluable how much closer I have gotten to our clients and team members in the past couple months over long casual dinners and team outings.

6. It's not the plane, it's the pilot

Multiple times in the movie they reiterate "it's not the plane, it's the pilot". There is an intense F-14 vs SU-57 aerial dogfight, where it's the pilot that reversed the odds. The human factor is undeniable. It's so true in life that it's not the tools and the ingredients, it's what you do with it, and how far you push yourself. Every artist, doctor, racer, pilot, musician, engineer, photographer etc. uses similar tools to create their own magic.

Consulting has always been a people business. When we engage with clients, we all have access to the same AI tools, models, cloud services. It's the individuals on our team that make the difference being an AI experiment vs. Trustworthy AI @ Scale. It's always humbling when clients call out specific team members in their NPS responses. Please take the time to be more verbal celebrating individuals.

7. Don't let your past hold you down

There is an emotional scene where 'Maverick' is grappling with his past with 'Goose' and not being able to make an objective decision on 'Rooster'. His past was holding him down, and a heart to heart chat with 'Iceman' helps him grow out of his own shadow.

Most of us have scars from our past that weigh us down - a failure, a risky decision that back fired, a project that went south. As I have grown, I have gone back, done an introspection, and re-attempted things that didn't work out at first. The environment has changed, and I have a lot more support from my family, team and mentors to make it easier to fail, accept, learn and move on.

8. Everyone needs guardians who trust them

Multiple times in the movie, it's clear that 'Maverick' is allowed the space to be the Maverick, because of support from his friend & wingman 'Iceman'. Maverick earned his trust in the first movie and they have continued to nurture their bond as Iceman rose through the ranks to be an admiral. Iceman sees the potential in Maverick, and throughout provides him air cover. Iceman reiterates to Tom that "the world needs maverick, the team needs maverick"

In consulting, we often use the term 'board of directors'. In a people's business, it takes a while to build trusted relationships with people within your organization and clients. It is critical to have mentors and board of directors who understand your strengths and create the space for you to succeed. You may never be in a place to repay their debt, but need to always pay it forward and be that guardian for someone else.

9. Leave no man behind

Throughout both movies, the camaraderie between team members was phenomenal. In one of the climax scenes, Maverick and Rooster risk their lives and go back for each other, and then Hangman comes back for both of them.

In our consulting teams, we have an explicit performance checkpoint goal around "responsibility towards others". Some of the best year end stories are those of team members helping their peers grow, helping them thru a difficult time, and being a pillar and an advocate for each other. It's all about having each other's back no matter what.