7 Career Lessons From The Queen’s Gambit

When Netflix released the Queen’s Gambit, Twitter was agog with the series getting positive reviews from both the critics and the general audience. We all literally became chess lovers because of the series and some of us went as far as seeing a giant chessboard on the ceiling above us, just kidding. Not surprising, Insider.com reports that the Queen’s Gambit is Netflix‘s most-watched scripted limited series to date with about 62 million households tuning in to watch the series in its first month!

While some of us became chess enthusiasts and began to channel our inner Beth Harmon, others like me saw some life lessons as well as career lessons to take away from the movie. This article highlights some of the career lessons in the series.

The Company You Keep Matters

Truthfully, Beth’s journey cannot be talked about without referencing the people and friends who stood by her, supported her and continued to believe in her. All of her friends (Benny, Harry Beltik, Matt and Mike) were instrumental in giving her the needed strength to face all of her opponents and her ultimate opponent, Borgov. Likewise, in your career, you need to align yourself with individuals, friends who believe in you, stand by you. Staying in negative company will only derail you from achieving your career goals.

You’ll Need Help Sometimes, And That’s Okay

The importance of getting help or guidance can really not be overstated. Beth’s chess journey was what it was because she got help and guidance from others. In Alma Wheatley (her foster mum), she found a woman who gave her wise counsel, in Mr Shaibel, she found someone who not only introduced her to chess but also gave her all the initial  resources to excel. You can never have answers to all questions, likewise in your career, you may need mentors, people who would guide you and help you avoid pitfalls in your career.

Never Settle For Less

“It takes a strong woman to stand by herself, in a world where people will settle for anything just to say they have something.”

 -Beth’s biological Mother.

Perhaps, these profound words by Beth’s mother went on to serve as a guiding principle to Beth even as she navigated the world of chess. She was no push-over and would constantly aim to win all of her games especially as a woman in a male-dominated game.

In your career, you should learn never to settle for anything short of excellence, you heard me right, never settle for less. If you are not getting job satisfaction from your present job, maybe it is time to move on, if you work in a toxic environment, maybe it is time to bid your employers adieu. But whatever decision you make career-wise, ensure you go for the best and not the less.

Be Confident, Trust Yourself

Intuition can’t always be found in books

-Alma Wheatley

One of the keys to Beth’s success is self-confidence. She learnt to trust herself enough to make the right moves while playing the game of chess. In your career, you might need to make some decisions but are unsure, this is the point where you must trust yourself and your ability to make the right decisions.

Always Put In The Work

One thing that particularly impressed me about Beth was her willingness to put in the work and to get better. Her relentless pursuit for improvement is nothing short of admirable. Right from her time in the orphanage, she skipped classes to watch, Mr Shaibel, the janitor play chess, she read chess books in her free time because she wanted to be a better player. Similarly, in your career, you should be ready to put in work to get better. Take that online course, attend that conference, read that article, don’t stop, keep working to get better

Be Open To Criticism

Beth was tutored by people, she had her game-plan scrutinised, criticised by her friends. She improved because she was receptive to feedback. Taking feedbacks might be hard but be open-minded. When someone offers you feedback, listen and see how incorporating the feedback might positively impact you, but also learn to discern between purely negative  criticism and actual constructive critique.

Prioritise Your Health

All through the movie, we saw how Beth was heavily reliant on alcohol and medication (tranquiliser pills) to focus so that she could compete and how it caused her health to suffer. It is very important to look after yourself, don’t get too engrossed in your work that you fail to prioritise your physical and mental health. At the end of the day, no matter how valuable you are to your organisation, you are still replaceable.

These are some of the key lessons we took away from the Netflix film, The Queen’s Gambit. Did we miss any? Let us know in the comments below!