RoboCop. If you were around in the 80’s, you most likely remember the original movie.
Alex Murphy, mortally wounded in the line of duty, was given a second chance to “live” and serve the citizens of a decaying Detroit. They’ve now remade the movie.
As I loved the original RoboCop, I was thrilled to know the remake was happening. That’s why I took the opportunity to watch the new film.
The 2014 RoboCop remake still focuses on Alex Murphy as he makes a transition to RoboCop. However, the movie takes a drastic turn in how Alex becomes RoboCop and the tone of the film is much lighter.
Throughout the movie, I couldn’t help but see leadership lessons. From Alex’s struggle to the villains, there is plenty we can learn.
Warning: There are movie spoilers ahead if you plan to see the new RoboCop.
Image by JD Hancock
1. Comebacks are possible: Once again, Alex Murphy is injured to the point he needs assistance to continue to live. This is where OmniCorp comes with the offer to give him a life sustaining suit. The robotic suit keep Alex alive and allows him to keep serving.
There are times in our lives where we feel that we’ve reached the end. We’ve screwed up royally. We’ve taken the wrong path. We’ve missed the boat.
Learn from RoboCop and know that what looks like the end isn’t necessarily the end. Maybe it’s just a reinvention of who you are.
2. Emotions are critical to leadership: People were scared of the robots OmniCorp wanted to bring to the streets as policemen because the robots lacked emotions. This is why OmniCorp began a search for an injured human candidate to become a part-human, part-robot.
Except OmniCorp learned the human thought process and emotions created a time delay in response time. So much so they felt this human/robot hybrid would be considered ineffective. During the creation of RoboCop, OmniCorp decided to remove the human thought process and emotional feelings of Alex.
As the movie progresses, you see how RoboCop’s lack of emotions affects people. His wife, son, and partner begin to notice he pays no attention to them. This behavior begins to weigh heavy on those most affected.
Leaders need to be aware of their emotions and realize it’s partly what makes a great leader. We must be in touch with our feelings.
Don’t neglect to show your team members that you feel. Learn to connect with them. And, most importantly, don’t forget to nurture your relationships with your family members.
3. Shortcuts rarely turn out well: Raymond Sellars, the head of OmniCorp, wanted to have RoboCop ready to serve on the street quickly. He realized this wasn’t going to be possible as his emotions were slowing down reaction times and making him “less effective.”
Raymond has the doctor who’s working to create RoboCop override the human elements that were left. Thus creating a robot.
In the end, this doesn’t turn out well for Raymond.
We’re often taught shortcuts are the way to go. The quicker the better. Only to wind up in hot water when the shortcut doesn’t lead us to the end we desired.
Begin rethinking the benefits of taking a shortcut. Instead, do the work required to get the job done right.
4. You can change your thinking: I mentioned how the doctor rewired RoboCop’s brain so he no longer had the ability to think like a human. However, we discover Alex’s brain was able to override this programming and he began to think again.
How often do we get stuck in a rut because we think we can’t change our thinking? I know I get stuck because of this.
Yet we can change our thinking. We can change what we input into our brains. We can choose different actions. We can be different people.
Don’t get caught in the trap of thinking you can’t change. You can!
5. Family is everything: What made Alex’s human brain take control again? It was the love for his family.
The memories and love he had for them began to surface and was the reason he was able to regain control.
Leaders can get caught up in leading and forget about the homefront. Sometimes resulting in divorce, broken relationships, or worse.
Remember there are people waiting for you at home. Learn to leave the office and spend time with those who really matter.
Question: Have you seen the new RoboCop movie? If so, were you able to take any leadership lessons away? Please share them in the comment section below.
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