Something about the Fast and Furious movies has captivated me from the beginning. My guess is it’s the sweet cars and the fast driving that draws me in.
But there’s more to the Fast and Furious movies than the cars and the driving. There’s a deeper story woven throughout.
And I realized that as I sat watching Furious 7 with my wife on Saturday. The story goes so much deeper.
1. Dominic Toretto –
They say an open road clears the mind
In the opening scene, Dom and Letty are driving fast on a clear and open road. Dom turns to Letty and utters this line to her.
We in leadership have so much on our minds and so much in front of us, we don’t take the time to get somewhere open and free. We don’t let our minds see the wide expanse before us.
No, we dig in deeper to work. We serve more. We travel more. We produce more.
This is when we need to step back for a few minutes. We need to clear our mind. We need to see there’s more than what’s in front of us. We need to get back to the basics.
When’s the last time you cleared your mind and got to someplace freeing? It’s time again.
2. Protect those you work with: Hobbs, played by The Rock, walks back into his office to find Deckard Shaw sitting behind his desk.
Hobbs offers Shaw an ultimatum that results in a shootout. Eventually, Shaw pulls out a grenade and throws it in the direction of one of Hobbs co-workers.
In an effort to protect her, he wraps himself around her and they’re blown out of the window. He put himself in harms way to protect others.
Good leadership doesn’t look out for self. Good leadership looks out for others.
3, Letty Ortiz –
I’ve got to find me for me
In previous Fast And Furious films, Letty was thought to be dead only to return to the series as a villain with her memories gone.
Furious 7 sees her still dealing with this memory loss. And that’s where this quote comes from.
While you may not lose your memories, we do lose ourselves on occasions.
When we do, we can’t find ourselves for the wrong reasons. We’ve got to find ourselves so we can be who we were created to be.
4. Our past actions can catch up to us: Deckard Shaw was tracking down the Fast And Furious crew because they had killed his brother in a previous movie.
This action caught up to them in the latest film. They’re being hunted because of an action they took in the past, even if it was justified.
The sins of our past can catch up to us
We all have a past. Some of us have crystal clean pasts. Others have a much more complicated past.
The truth is, there’s something in all of our pasts that we’re probably not proud of and that can come back to haunt us.
Realize this is a possibility but don’t let it stop you from moving forward.
5. Hobbs –
There are official answers and then there are brother-to-brother answers
As an FBI agent, Hobbs has to give an official answer to Dom about what he should do in regards to Shaw. So, Dom gets the official answer.
Then, a special moment happens, Hobbs tells Dom that there are official answers and then brother-to-brother answers. And he lets Dom know what he should do.
You’ll have moments where you have to tell people to do the right thing, even when it goes against official rules and regulations. Be willing to step up and let them know what needs to be done.
6. Fear or loyalty keep a team together: Ramsey, a brilliant hacker, drops this amazing leadership tid-bit on us.
She sees how the gang in Fast And Furious work together. She sees the respect they have for each other. And she knows they’re sticking together because of loyalty, not fear.
Leaders can go one of two ways to keep a team together. They can use fear and intimidation or they can create loyalty within the team.
Loyalty is always better.
7. Mr. Nobody –
You kill a shadow by shining a light on it
So simple. So dead on.
While Mr. Nobody, Kurt Russell’s character in Furious 7, mentions this as they’re trying to flush out the bad guy, it is a truth we shouldn’t forget.
When we keep secrets and hurt within us, we allow those things to live on. When we’re willing to expose them to the light, we can begin to heal and begin again.
Don’t hide from the light.
8. What looks like the wrong way may be the right way: During the rescue of Ramsey, Dom and her are surrounded by bad guys. There’s no where to go. Or is there?
As in most movies, Dom finds a way out only it looks like the wrong way to Ramsey. He chooses a difficult path that leads them to safety.
You’ll find that the right path may look like the wrong choice at the time. Be willing to examine all options and see if there’s something you can do that’s out of the box.
9. Dom –
Sometimes it’s not about being fast
Fast is what the Fast And Furious movies have always been about. Fast cars. Fast action. Fast thrills.
But Dom has his car modified to be tougher rather than faster. He realized being tough is an asset.
Where are you trying to go fast in your organization when a slower, sturdier approach would be better? Think about it for a minute.
10. The real thing is family: If you’ve watched previous Fast And Furious movies, you will see there’s an underlying current to remind us that family is important.
Whether it’s your paternal family or your chosen family, they’re what life is all about.
Dom had an awesome quote
Everyone’s looking for the thrill but the only thing that is real is family
Don’t look to success to fulfill you. It’ll only last so long. Chase what’s important, your family.
11. Dom –
Sometimes you have to play the hand you’re dealt
We don’t always get the best circumstances given to us in life. But we do have a chance to redeem those circumstances.
Play the hand you’re dealt and make it the best you can. You’d be surprised at how well bad hands can play.
12. Honor others: As you probably know, Paul Walker, who played Brian O’Connor, died while the film was still being filmed.
At the end of the movie, they played a moving montage to honor and recognize Walker’s role in the Fast And Furious movies.
I’ll be honest, a few tears were shed as I watched scenes from previous movies flicker on the screen. It was a truly moving gesture.
When others move on or pass away, don’t forget to pay respects and honor the work that was done.
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