In the Hollywood movie studios, you'll find examples of really bad management. In the entertainment industry, people with creative talent or ruthless dealmaking skills (or both) get promoted. Along the way, they don't necessarily learn management skills.

That's why I feel fortunate to have had one of the best mentors I've ever encountered while working at a studio. Here's I learned from him:

a) keep it short, keep it decisive
In my communication with him, I learned to present first the decision I needed him to focus on, and then provide the background context. When I did this, he was able to give me clear decisions about how to proceed.

b) deploy your lieutenants
My boss knew the power of presence. He would send a lieutenant to a meeting unless his presence was absolutely required. This freed him for other matters, and it conferred responsibility on his staff. As a result, both parties got more powerful.

c) let them know your bottom line
My boss gave me a lot of freedom but very precise instructions about the structure of business deals. And when I watched him negotiate, I learned how he would make his bottom line "dealbreakers" very clear without overstating the case.

d) a humble approach gets results
My boss never took an ego trip. That's rare in a studio. As a result, he managed to get a lot accomplished, and he managed some pretty big egos. By sidestepping the quicksand of ego, he was able to move through his business day with less stress and fewer distractions.

e) don't go looking for fights
There are a lot of politics on a movie studio lot. My boss didn't engage in much of this activity, preserving his power for the battles that mattered. Frequently he played the role of mediator. In time, he accrued a reservoir of goodwill and authority.

f) know your numbers
In a negotiation, my boss always knew the math better than anyone in the room. He had an incredible ability to retain financial data, and could summon the figures in an instant.

I learned to pre-think my desired outcome for meetings, keep calm in a negotiation, conserve my power, communicate with precision, and give balanced and direct feedback.