Danny Rand (portrayed by Finn Jones, known for his role on Game Of Thrones as Loras Tyrell), the Iron Fist and last Marvel Defender to get his own original Netflix series, burst onto the small screen laden with controversy. Iron First was criticized for the accurate portrayal of Danny Rand as a rich white man (which his comic book counterpart was). Critics also hurled negative reviews towards the new series as boring.
After watching Iron Fist, I’m still confused over the criticisms. Iron Fist’s first season (and hopefully not last) on Netflix was enjoyable. The pacing was much better than Jessica Jones and I couldn’t wait to watch the next episode.
The cast of Iron Fist was also racially diverse. From Colleen Wing (played by Jessica Henwick, also from Game Of Thrones) to the return of Claire Temple (Rosario Dawson reprised her role from Daredevil, Jessica Jones, and Luke Cage), there was a lot of diversity in the supposedly whitewashed Iron Fist.
Don’t buy into the critics laments. They’re not worth listening to. Except for the final episode, Iron Fist was an enjoyable 13 episodes.
Who Is Danny Rand/Iron Fist?
Before watching Iron Fist, I had a vague familiarity with the character. I’d seen him here or there in Marvel comic books or animated series. But I didn’t really know the character. This changed with the Netflix Iron Fist series.
Danny Rand was orphaned as a young, rich kid when the plane he was traveling in with his parents crashed over the Himalayas. Both of Danny Rand’s parents supposedly perished in the plane crash.
For 15 years, the world thought Danny Rand also died in the tragic accident. Danny showed the world he was still alive when he returned to New York and Rand Enterprises, the company his father used to run with his business partner Harold Meachum.
Something changed with Danny while he was away. Danny was being trained by Buddhist monks in the mystical city of K’un-Lun. There, he was trained in kung-fu and battled the fire-breathing serpent Shou-Lao the Undying. Defeating Shou-Lao, Danny gains the power of the Iron Fist (this was not explicitly covered in the Netflix Iron Fist series but in the Iron Fist comic book series).
Who Are Marvel’s Defenders?
Iron Fist is the last original Marvel series on Netflix before a new superhero team emerges. That team is Marvel’s Defenders.
Marvel’s Defenders consist of Matt Murdock/Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, and Danny Rand/Iron Fist. These heroes are set to team up in an original Netflix series to face off against a common enemy.
Defenders is set to premiere August 18, 2017 on Netflix.
Leadership Lessons And Quotes From Marvel’s Iron Fist
Caution: Marvel’s Iron Fist spoilers below
1. Appearances can be deceiving:
When Danny Rand returned to New York City in Iron Fist, he looked like a homeless person. He even slept outside a couple of nights.
Danny approached a street vendor selling hot dogs and told him he owned a building. The street vendor did not believe him. Instead, the street vendor told Danny Rand to sell the building and buy shoes.
All of this because Danny didn’t look like a billionaire. He looked broke and homeless.
Leaders can get in trouble when we begin to judge by appearances. Appearances can be deceiving and lead you to make incorrect assumptions about another person.
Instead of snapping to a quick judgment, ascertain all of the facts and then make a judgment.
2. Joy Meachum:
The perception is a leadership struggle.
How people perceive you, much like a leader may make a snap judgment based on appearances, impacts your effectiveness in leadership. Present yourself with confidence.
3. Danny Rand/Iron Fist:
I want answers.
Danny Rand came back to New York looking for answers. He especially wanted to know how/why his parents died.
Great leaders seek answers. By getting an answer, you increase your understanding. Seek answers.
4. Blending in stops people from finding you:
As Danny Rand was being pursued by a number of assailants, he put on a mask which helped him blend in during a parade. Those looking for him couldn’t find him.
While this helped Danny escape harm, blending in can also harm you.
There are business leaders out there looking for people just like them. They want to do business with people they like and have things in common with.
I’m proud to say I enjoy watching TV and movies. Most leadership gurus will tell you leaders and successful people don’t do those things.
There are leaders out there who are successful and doing great things but still enjoy themselves.
Don’t hide who you truly are. I’m not.
5. Go deeper than the surface questions:
Ward and Joy Meachum, childhood friends of Danny Rand, were skeptical of his return. They couldn’t wrap their minds around the fact he had returned.
Unlike his children, Harold Meachum began to ask questions. And then deeper questions.
What if he is alive? Are his parents alive? How did he learn kung-fu?
He kept asking questions.
Great leaders continue to ask questions as well. They know by asking questions they can get to the heart of the matter.
Never stop asking questions.
6. People aren’t who they seem:
The Meachums end up sending Danny Rand to a psychiatric hospital. There, Danny met a man named Simon who claimed be a psychiatrist.
He wasn’t. He was one of the patients.
We run into people like this all the time. They pretend to be something they’re not.
When you discover who they truly are, you’re horrified.
Be careful who you trust. They may not be who they appear to be.
7. Bad leaders will try to justify their bad actions:
Joy and Ward drugged Danny Rand to get him to the psychiatric hospital. Joy tried to justify their actions in her mind.
When leaders make bad decisions, they try to rationalize or justify their actions.
Don’t do that. When you make a decision, own it.
8. You have to be able to perform in the real world:
Colleen Wing is the sensei at the Chikara Dojo. There, she trains students in kung fu.
We see a group of young people attempt to attack Colleen. She handily defeats them.
The viewer learns why Colleen was able to detect the attackers and defeat them. Their scent, noise, and style gave them away.
We also learn the attackers were her students. This was a test and they failed in the real world.
You can learn everything about leadership but fail to perform in the real world. You have to apply what you’ve learned and practice leadership.
9. Danny Rand/Iron Fist:
I lied…
As Danny Rand was being questioned about a passport, he lied and said he had never seen the passport before. Later, he confessed he had stolen the passport.
Leaders will make mistakes. They may lie or go against their moral system. We’re all human and we fail.
However, great leaders know they must confess when they make a mistake. They have to tell the truth even if it hurts.
Be willing to admit to what you’ve done.
10. Danny Rand/Iron Fist:
Listen, I’m going to make this up to you.
Ward Meachum sent men after Danny. He wanted to capture or kill him.
To escape, Danny hid in the Chikara Dojo owned by Colleen Wing. The men came looking for Danny and broke down the door of the dojo.
Danny offered to make things right with Colleen. He knew he caused the damage and he must make it right.
If you do something that hurts another person or damages their property/business, step up to the plate. Offer to make things right. Then do the right thing and make it right.
11. Danny Rand/Iron Fist:
You’re working too hard. Too much external force. It’s internal force you want to master.
Colleen and Danny wind up sparring. Danny noticed Colleen was expending more energy than necessary. This was making her fighting technique less effective.
On the other hand, Danny’s fighting style consisted of slow, powerful movements. Each movement was intentional and properly focused.
Leaders can get to a point where they’re expending outward energy to try to get the job done. They’re being forceful, loud, angry.
Instead, they would be much more effective if they were using inward energy. Talk in a calm but firm voice, try to seek for the reason behind the actions.
Use your inner strength and not outer strength.
12. You can always negotiate:
After their sparring session, Colleen told Danny to leave her dojo. He knew the dojo was a safe place so he began to negotiate with Colleen. She relented and allowed him to stay.
You may not see a way to resolve an issue. Have you tried to negotiate?
Even after someone says no, you may be able to figure out a way to make things work. Being willing to find a mutually beneficial agreement.
13. Money isn’t everything:
Joy and Ward Meachum wanted Danny out of their hair. They decided to offer Danny one-hundred million dollars. That’s a lot of money, a sum most people would have a hard time turning down.
Danny didn’t hesitate. He turned down their offer. Money wasn’t what he was after.
The world will tell you money solves everything. That’s a lie. Money won’t solve your issues.
I’ve seen so-called successful businessmen making hundreds of thousands of dollars a year have their marriages fall apart, begin using drugs, or take on reckless behaviors. The money they made didn’t quench their thirst for what they desired.
If you’re chasing after money as a leader, I implore you to stop. Money won’t make you happy. Discovering what you were created to be and do will.
14. Danny Rand:
It’s my name. It means something.
Joy tried to talk Danny into changing his name. Danny knew who he was and wouldn’t budge on this request either.
He knew he was Danny Rand. He couldn’t hide from who he is.
One of the reasons people chase after money or power is because they don’t know who they truly are. They struggle with their identity.
Every leader needs to take the time to discover who they are. They need to seek out what makes them happy. They need to seek out God and ask Him to reveal who they are. And they need to live fully in those realities.
15. Failing isn’t fatal:
Danny knew something was amiss with Ward Meachum. He followed Ward to a highrise building and scaled the side to see what was going on.
Arriving at a window, Danny begins to crawl into the building only to be kicked out of the window.
You, as the viewer, probably thought he was going to fall to his death. He failed and was in mortal danger. Or so it seemed.
We learn he survived the fall and landed on a ledge not far below the window. He was safe.
How many times do we fear failure? We believe failure will be the end of us.
Instead, failure puts us a few steps back but in a position to move forward in a powerful way. Don’t let failure hold you back.
16. Ward Meachum:
Be careful. The only person Harold cares about is Harold.
There are a lot of bad leaders who only care about themselves. Great leaders know they have to care about others.
Those they’re leading are the reason they’re in the leadership position they’re in. Without them, they wouldn’t be where they are.
17. Colleen Wing:
Push down your ego.
Your ego can, and will if you let it, get in the way of amazing success. Ego tricks you into believing you’re all that and a bag of chips.
You may be good. But you’re not all that. There’s always going to be someone better than you.
18. Instill a sense of purpose in those you lead:
Danny’s dad had instilled a sense of purpose in him. He sought to fulfill that purpose by returning to New York and leading Rand Enterprises.
Great leaders instill a purpose into the ones they lead. They help them discover who they are and how they can best serve others.
Begin seeking out ways to instill and foster the purpose of those you lead.
19. Danny Rand/Iron Fist:
Then normal is not the path to take.
Danny was chastised by Joy and Ward for making what was considered a bad business decision. He chose to help someone instead of brush past their issue.
Joy and Ward took issue with this. Yet Danny knew he had to do the right thing. He couldn’t make an obscene profit off of the misery of others.
Many business leaders will tell you to make a profit regardless of the cost. We’ve seen the results of this type of bad business thinking.
From Enwork to the auto bankruptcies, making a profit at the expense of other people isn’t worth the true cost.
Don’t go for normal if normal is wrong. Be different. Do right.
20. Do something special for those you’re leading:
Danny Rand was in one of the highest positions at Rand Enterprises. He owned part of the company and was on the board of directors.
Yet he did something special, something sweet for his personal assistant. He made an origami flower for her.
He didn’t have to do this. But he did. He knew doing something special would make her day.
Have you done something special for those you’re leading? Could you do something special, even inexpensive, that would brighten their day?
You know the answer is yes. So go do it.
21. Joy Meachum:
Why can’t I stop asking myself if we’re doing something wrong?
Joy began to have doubts about what she and Ward were doing. She was questioning what was right and whether or not they were doing it.
This was after meeting with their lawyer on a pending lawsuit. She knew Rand Enterprises probably caused the illness but didn’t want to own up to it because of the cost.
The funny thing about doing the wrong thing is that you will question yourself. You’ll feel a pang of guilt telling you you’re on the wrong path.
Listen to your inner voice. It’ll guide you towards the right path more often than not.
22. Great leaders have compassion:
There was something different about Danny. He wasn’t the same as Ward or Joy. He had something they didn’t have (or at least show).
The mother of a young boy with cancer, most likely caused by Rand Enterprises, approached Danny. She believed he would make things right and stop the chemicals coming out of one of Rand Enterprises plants.
He had compassion for someone else.
Great leaders have compassion. They are able to feel the pain of others and act to help them. Who do you need to have compassion for today?
23. Danny Rand/Iron Fist:
I need your help.
Great leaders know they can’t do leadership alone. They need help. These great leaders are willing to ask for help.
Who do you need to ask for help from today? Go ask them!
24. Radovan Bernivig
I don’t want a hospital. I want my daughter.
Radovan was a scientist the Hand had kidnapped and brought to New York. The Hand had also kidnapped his daughter.
After being rescued by Iron Fist, he was injured. Iron Fist knew he needed a hospital but he didn’t want to go. He wanted his daughter.
While Radovan may not have been a great leader, he displayed a characteristic of great leaders. He cared for his family.
Great leaders make their families a priority. They are willing to sacrifice to make sure they’re okay.
What are you doing for your family other than working yourself to death? Are you providing more than a paycheck?
25. Great leaders don’t stop:
In his search for Radovan’s daughter, Danny came against opposition. Ward wanted to stop their hunt for her. Danny wouldn’t give up.
He knew his mission at that moment was to find the girl. He didn’t give up and it paid off. They found something in a truck trailer.
Great leaders know they have to continue to push forward, even when they face opposition. Keep going, don’t stop!
26. Danny Rand/Iron Fist:
This is where I’m meant to be.
Danny Rand was trained to fight the Hand. Because the training was in K’un-Lun, he believed he would fight the Hand there. Instead, he found himself in New York.
He began to see the Hand at work there. And he knew where he was meant to be.
Do you know where you’re meant to be? Have you sought out direction for your life?
When you discover where you’re meant to be, things begin to happen. Find your place and live there.
27. Stories can give you courage:
Danny needed encouragement. He petitioned The Thunderer to recall a story. This story gave Danny courage.
Hearing Danny ask The Thunderer to tell a story made me think of movies and TV shows. Watching these give me hope and encourage me to be brave.
Much like the story Danny wanted to be told, you can find inspiration and courage in the stories you hear. Put the right ones in your mind.
28. Danny Rand/Iron Fist:
I have a vision of total victory and nothing else.
As a leader, you need to have a vision. One that is crystal clear.
Create a vision. Then cast the vision.
29. Danny Rand/Iron Fist:
Harold, we have a problem.
Danny fought in a tournament against the Hand. When Madame Gao turned the tables and played dirty, Danny conceded defeat.
Because of this, Danny was supposed to give up his fight against the Hand. He had to return to Harold Meachum and tell him of this new issue.
In Iron Fist, you see Danny didn’t run from the problem he faced. Instead, he went and admitted the problem to someone else.
Don’t hide your problems. Face the problem and bring in help when you need it.
30. People look for ways to cover their mental pain:
Ward Meachum had a lot on his mind. He knew his father was alive. He was running a cut-throat business. And he had the reappearance of Danny Rand to add to his troubles.
His mind was riddled with pain. He sought out a way to ease the pain. To do so, he turned to drugs.
You know that’s not the right way to handle pain. Yet so many people fall into the trap of medicating their mental pain in one form or another.
When you’re facing more than you can handle, seek out help. Find a great counselor. Go to a good friend.
You have to find the proper outlet for the pain. Don’t let it fester to the point where you begin destroying yourself.
31. Danny Rand/Iron Fist:
I can’t quit now.
After forfeiting the death tournament against the Hand, Danny knows he can’t give up the fight. The Hand is a dangerous organization which must be destroyed.
He has a mission. And he must fulfill it.
You have a mission. You know it deep within your heart.
Don’t give up on the mission you’ve been given. Continue to fight for what’s right.
32. Leaders may feel like they have to hide behind a mask:
Earlier in Iron Fist, we see Danny hide behind a mask to avoid being caught. Now we hear Colleen Wing admit to hiding behind a mask.
She uses bravado to hide from others. She feels she must put on a front.
I’ve seen many leaders do the same thing. They buy fancy clothes, the big house, and the sports car. They put on a show to hide from who they really are.
I hope you’re not doing this. If you are, I encourage you to stop.
You don’t have to live behind a mask. You can live life as your true self.
By not doing so, you’re robbing the world of a unique person. We can’t afford not to have your true self.
33. Claire Temple:
The Hand thrives on fear.
Danny became fearful the Hand would hurt her or Colleen. He didn’t want any harm to befall them.
Then Colleen makes a beautiful insight. The Hand thrives on fear. They want others to be fearful.
This is what bad leaders do. They want those they’re leading to be fearful.
To be fearful of a job loss. To be fearful of a pay cut. Or to be fearful of a punishment.
Great leaders don’t thrive on fear. They thrive on seeing others succeed.
34. Talk through what makes you afraid:
Fear does a number on us. When we’re fearful, we hold back our true selves. We’re afraid we may screw up or say the wrong thing.
We may even be afraid to take any action at all. That’s what fear does to us.
There’s a power though in talking through what makes you afraid.
As Danny was flying, the plane hit turbulence. He freaked out. And Claire had to talk him through the fear.
By explaining what made him afraid, he was able to calm himself down.
Open up about what makes you afraid. When you’re able to voice your fear, you’re able to work through it.
35. Danny Rand/Iron Fist:
It’s the waiting. It’s hard.
I chuckled at this quote. It’s simple yet profound and true.
No one likes to wait. And waiting is hard.
However, waiting is critical to success. Waiting allows you to see the full picture.
Don’t hate the wait.
36. Madame Gao:
Why are you asking about events that happened 15 years ago when you have more pressing concerns.
In his pursuit of finding out the truth about his parents and their death, Danny kept focusing on the past. He pressed Gao for answers on past events.
There were answers there. Yet there were pressing issues in the present.
Leaders can get caught in a bad loop of focusing on the past rather than the present. Leaders can remember the good old days and not realize there are good days in front of them.
Learn from the past but also focus on the present. There’s power there.
37. Colleen Wing
We’re not (ganging up on you). We’re with you. We just… We don’t want you doing something that can’t be undone.
Danny was thinking of doing something that wasn’t right. Claire Temple and Colleen stepped in and confronted him. They challenged what he was going to do.
And Danny didn’t like this. He felt Colleen and Claire were attacking him.
It’s easy to feel like others are attacking you when you’re in the wrong. Their words of truth sting because they’re right and you’re wrong.
Be willing to listen to a voice of reason. The voice of reason may be just what saves you from doing something that can’t be undone.
38. Even leaders need help:
We’ve covered this one before but we see this leadership lesson from Iron Fist brought up again. Danny broke into Rand Enterprises and asked a pharmacist for help.
He needed fentanyl (truth serum) to get Madame Gao to tell the truth. To do so, he had to ask for help.
Be willing to ask for help. Asking for help isn’t a sign of weakness. It’s a sign of strength.
39. Harold Meachum:
You know sometimes in life things happen that we’re not prepared for but we do the best we can.
While Harold turns out to be a villain in Iron Fist, we can still find wisdom in the words he speaks. Especially this quote.
Leaders are faced with challenges every day. Sometimes you’re not prepared for what you’re about to face.
This doesn’t mean you run and cower. Instead, you do the best you can.
40. Secrets and lies take a toll:
Because of the lies in the Meachum family, we see the family falling apart. Ward becomes addicted to drugs. Joy and Ward lose their control of Rand Enterprises. Eventually they lose their father once more.
All of this because of the secrets and lies they hold onto. It tears them apart.
This is true in leadership as well. When we work in secret, away from the help of others, we dig ourselves into a hole. One that can be hard to get out of.
Don’t do your work in secret. Be willing to share what you’re doing and going through with others. And be truthful and honest. Don’t hide behind lies.
41. People want to belong to something bigger:
One of Colleen’s students found purpose by joining the Hand. There, he found friendship and meaning in his life.
Even though the Hand is an evil organization, he was willing to join. They gave him purpose.
Are you giving those you lead a purpose? Do they know what they’re working for or what their work is doing?
Find a way to show your team their work matters. Giving them a purpose will give them a renewed desire to work hard.
42. Harold Meachum:
Have you thought about what a fall from grace may do to them (your children)?
Harold discovered Lawrence Wilkins had an affair with another woman. He confronted him and tried to convince Lawrence to commit suicide because he wanted his children back in control of Rand Enterprises.
Harold knew Lawrence may give up to protect his children. When he didn’t, Harold killed him anyways.
Great leaders consider the implications of their actions on their children. They’re willing to take the correct path because they know their children matter.
Are you considering your children and family in the actions you’re taking? How would they respond to what you’re doing?
Think about it…
43. Anger and rage will hold you back from your potential:
Bakuto, a leader in the Hand, stabs Danny Rand in the side during a battle. Afterward, Danny can no longer summon the Iron Fist.
We learn he couldn’t use the Iron Fist because he was letting his anger and rage take over. The Iron Fist cannot work through those emotions.
Anger and rage do something to us as well. Our judgment becomes clouded. We act out in inappropriate ways. We make bad decisions.
Find ways to deal with your anger and rage before they consume you.
44. You will be amazed by what you can accomplish:
After Danny Rand defeated Shou-Lao the Undying, Danny looked shocked and stunned. He wasn’t sure of what happened and he wasn’t sure of the power he now held as the immortal Iron Fist.
There’s power within you. God wove a uniqueness within you no one else has. Don’t be ashamed of this power. Use it for what He has put you here for.
45. Davos:
But you wanted to be the Iron Fist, Danny. You knew what your duties would be and you don’t get to decide what that means.
Davos was like a brother to Danny while he was in K’un-Lun. They trained together as one of them would face Shou-Lao the Undying to become Iron Fist. Davos wasn’t chosen and for that he harbored resentment.
However, he was sent to New York to find Danny and bring him back to K’un-Lun. Danny had forsaken the prescribed duties of the Iron Fist: To protect the gateway to K’un-Lun.
As a leader, you have certain responsibilities. You can’t neglect the duties of your position. Make sure you’re fulfilling the duties of your role as a leader.
46. Use what you have:
During one fight, Danny Rand was wounded. He had a large, gaping hole in his side that needed to be repaired.
Claire Temple stepped up to help. Except she didn’t have the right medical tools on-hand. Instead, she used an industrial style stapler to close his wound.
Wouldn’t you know, the stapler worked.
In leadership, you will feel you don’t have the right tools. You might not. You will have other tools at your disposal you could use. Use them.
47. Claire Temple:
Did those monks teach you how to deal with a broken heart?
Danny Rand’s training revolved around his fighting technique and channeling his chi. What they didn’t teach him was how to deal with the emotional pain he would face.
Most business schools avoid this as well. They overlook the importance of relationships in our lives.
Relationships impact every aspect of our lives. We bring our personal struggles to work. There, those struggles impact the quality of the work we do.
Work on your personal relationships. The better they are, the better you’ll be at work.
48. Great leaders make sure others are taken care of:
Danny had to restore his chi. He did this through a form of meditation.
While meditating, he couldn’t watch over Claire. So he asked Davos to watch over her while he was away.
Great leaders go to great lengths to make sure those they’re leading are taken care of. Find ways to watch over your team and ensure they’re taken care of.
49. Davos:
He was the first outsider to be chosen (to be the Iron Fist).
Danny Rand was the first person outside of K’un-Lun to be chosen as the Iron Fist. This duty was reserved for those within K’un-Lun.
Seeing this scene play out on Iron Fist reminded me leaders can come from within and outside of an organization. You don’t need to be part of the good old boys club to become a leader somewhere. You can be an outsider.
50. There will be people who believe you aren’t the right person to lead:
Going back to Davos’ statement about Danny being the first outsider chosen to be the Iron Fist, we see Davos also believes Danny wasn’t the right person.
You’ll run into this as you lead as well. There will be people who believe you’re not qualified or the right person to be a leader.
What do you do when someone believes you’re not fit to lead? You lead well. Show them you’ve got what it takes to be a leader.
51. Danny Rand:
Ever since I go to K’un-Lun… ever since the crash, I… I’ve always felt empty. I thought maybe… the Iron Fist would fix me. But it didn’t.
Danny felt empty. He felt like a piece of him was missing. Have you ever been there?
I have. And this feeling of emptiness sucks.
We try to fill it with what we believe will make us whole. When those things don’t work, we move onto something else.
Becoming a leader won’t make you whole. Leadership won’t make you feel less empty. Finding what you were meant to do will.
52. Nurse Stacey Hill:
What kind of nurse would I be?
Ward Meachum eventually was admitted to a rehab facility. While there, he tried to bribe Stacey, his nurse. He offered her a year’s worth of wages. She wouldn’t budge.
She knew her duties and responsibilities. Her responsibility was to see patients recover, not release them.
Do you know what leadership looks like? Do you know what you need to do?
When you do, you won’t be tempted to do the wrong thing. Leadership defined will keep you on the right path.
53. Having someone by your side means a lot:
Leaders often work alone. The leadership life is lonely if you let it be.
We see Harold Meachum admit to needing someone by his side. During his cancer treatment, he was so thankful to have Joy by his side. He let her know her presence meant the world to him.
Are there other leaders you can be standing next to? Find someone to be by their side. You’ll help them and find an ally in the process.
54. Lies will damage your trustability:
So many lies were told in Iron Fist season 1. Colleen struggled with Bakotu lying to her. Then he tried to kill her.
Danny Rand struggled with Colleen lying by omission of her position in the Hand. Joy Meachum struggled with the lie her father had passed away when he was still alive.
Lies will tear your team apart. Trust is broken when you tell lies.
Be truthful.
55. Leaders rush to help their people:
Bakuto took over the highrise Harold had been hiding out in. He then called Danny Rand on Ward’s cell phone and made him watch as he shot Joy.
Danny didn’t hesitate. He rushed out of the dojo and to the high-rise to rescue his people.
Great leaders care for others. They rush to help those they lead. They’re not willing to sit idly by as their team suffers.
Be willing to rush into battle for your team.
56. Danny Rand/Iron Fist:
I don’t even know what I’m meant to be.
Even great leaders can struggle with their identity. They will wonder whether they have what it takes to lead well. Or maybe it’ll be whether or not they deserve to be heard.
This is a constant struggle every leader will face. Know you have what it takes. Know you have a voice.
You can lead. And lead well.
57. Colleen Wing:
What matters is how you use your weapon.
Once again we see how leaders need to be resourceful when they don’t have the exact tools leaders need. Colleen was fighting her sensei Bakotu when he broke her sword.
Bakotu then tells her you’re only as strong as your weapon. Colleen shows him he’s wrong as she kicks the broken piece of her katana into his leg. She didn’t let her weakness stop her from being effective. Rather, she used the weakness to strike a blow.
Do you feel you’re ill-equipped to lead? What you’ve been taught isn’t effective?
Look for new ways to use your leadership techniques. Find ways to use the broken or ineffective methods in a better way.
58. Harold Meachum:
Things have changed.
At one point, Harold Meachum was behind Danny Rand. He was willing to help clear his name. This all changed.
Harold turned on Danny and began targeting him. He wanted Danny taken out.
Things change in leadership. Whether this is the people you work with, your position as a leader, or some other aspect of leadership.
Life is full of change. You have to be willing to move and transition as life changes.
59. There are things you’re missing right in front of you:
Ward had taken over his father’s office after his supposed death. Harold’s return to public life revealed a secret which was hidden.
All along, there was a hidden safe in the office Ward had been using. He never knew it was there until someone revealed the secret to him.
One thing I’ve learned along my leadership journey is that I don’t see what’s in front me all of the time. There are things I’m missing.
I miss the qualities others admire in me. I miss the qualities others possess. And I miss the reality of situations I’m facing.
We all can miss what’s right in front of us.
60. Colleen Wing:
There’s so much I don’t know.
The longer you lead, the more you realize the truth behind this. You will never know everything. And you’ll often know there’s so much you don’t know.
61. Madame Gao:
Stop thinking like a child.
Danny kept thinking it was Madame Gao who played a part in the death of his parents. The real perpetrator was Harold Meachum.
You can get trapped in your thinking. Your mind will focus on one course because you are focused on it.
This prevents you from seeing the different possibilities and, possibly, the truth.
62. There are people who will help you because it benefits them:
Ward wanted Danny’s help in putting Harold away. Not because bringing Harold to justice was the right thing. Ward wanted him taken care of because it would benefit himself.
People will offer their help for selfish reasons. Be aware of why people are helping you. It may not be for the right reason.
63. Bad leaders don’t take responsibility for their actions:
Harold lays into Danny. He blames Danny for the destruction of his family. He also blames Danny for the troubles Rand Enterprises is facing.
The one thing Harold Meachum couldn’t do was take responsibility for his own actions and how they played into what was happening.
Great leaders do the opposite. They take responsibility for their actions.
64. Danny Rand/Iron Fist:
But I keep thinking that maybe I can be something else. A light… for those trapped in the darkness.
Danny had been taught the Iron Fist was for K’un-Lun. The outside world didn’t need Iron Fist.
This was something Danny struggled with throughout the series. Where did his responsibilities lie.
Do you struggle with who you are and where to use your strengths? I know I do.
Do I work within the church and help only the church? Or do I pursue work in the private sector helping businesses? Could there be another possibility and both are fine?
You can use your talents in multiple areas. You can be something else. Find your place and work there.
While Marvel’s Iron Fist on Netflix received scathing reviews from critics, there are lots of leadership lessons in Iron Fist. You won’t walk away without finding a new way to lead well.
Question: Have you watching Marvel’s Iron Fist? If so, were you able to discover any leadership lessons from Iron Fist? If you haven’t watched Iron Fist yet, share your favorite leadership lesson from Iron Fist I shared in this article in the comments.
Did you enjoy these leadership lessons from Marvel’s Iron Fist? Would you like more leadership lessons from the movies and TV? Check out the Reel Leadership archives here for more leadership lessons from the movies.
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