I saw the much-anticipated, COVID-delayed James Bond movie the other day, “No Time to Die,” and I must say it did not disappoint. Full disclaimer: I am probably one of the biggest Bond fans in the world and know a lot of mundane trivia from the movies going back to the first one in 1962.

Anyway, as I was watching the movie, I thought, man, there are actually a lot of business lessons that could come out of watching James Bond flicks. 

For example:

Keep one step ahead of the competition. I kind of feel sorry for Bond. I mean, the guy can’t relax. Someone is trying to kill him all the time! In one scene in “No Time to Die,” a battalion of bad guys in SUVs and motorcycles were chasing him. This is just like your competition. They would like nothing better than to erase you and put you out of business. Are you keeping your eye on the rearview mirror? How are you staying one step ahead of them?

Gadgets. As we know, James Bond would have been dead a long time ago if it weren’t for the wonderful and innovative gadgets Q invents for him. Whether it’s an electromagnetic watch, a car equipped with machine guns or a pen that shoots an exploding dart, these devices have gotten Bond out of a lot of tight jams. How about your equipment? Do you have the right tools? Are they fine-tuned for your particular operations? Are you up-to-date with the latest technology? Equipment can sometimes make or break you.

Perseverance. James Bond is down but never out. He has bad days, and sometimes the bad guys get the best of him, but he never quits and keeps turning up like a bad penny to aggravate his enemies. How resilient is your shop and personnel? Do you have a can-do, never-say-die attitude? Do you have a plan for when disaster strikes?

Even though James Bond is a made-up, fictional character, we can all learn a lot from him, in both our personal and business lives. Go see the current movie! I highly recommend it.