One of my favorite actors, Jason Statham, returns to the big screen in A Working Man. In A Working Man, Statham plays Levon Cade. Levon is a former Royal Marine Commando. He has some skills and he knows how to take care of business.
However, he retired from the Royal Marines and settled down as a working man. He took a job as a construction foreman. He’s enjoying his work when Joe (Michael Peña) and Carla Garcia’s (Noemi Gonzalez) daughter, Jenny (Arianna Rivas), is kidnapped. They want her back and know Levon’s history. They approached him about a rescue.
Levon reluctantly agrees. That’s when he goes door to door, busting heads and getting answers. No one is safe from Levon as he seeks out the culprits in Jenny’s disappearance.
A Working Man is based on the Chuck Dixon book Levon’s Trade. It’s a great adaptation and exactly what you’d expect from a Jason Statham film.
A Working Man is also packed full of leadership lessons. We’re going to look at those in this Reel Leadership article.
Quotes And Leadership Lessons From A Working Man
1. Jenny:
You scheduled three things at once…
Levon, Joe, Carla, and Jenny were in the construction site’s office. Joe and Jenny were going back and forth. That’s when Jenny tells Joe he’s overbooked.
Joe didn’t realize that he’d scheduled multiple meetings simultaneously. He didn’t know he was overbooked. But he was.
When I think of this scene and what Jenny said, I think of so many leaders out there. They’re overbooked, overwhelmed, and don’t even realize it.
How many times have you double, triple, or quadruple-booked your day? It could be multiple meetings, an important family event, or a sales call.
Overbooking is not leadership. It’s a sign that you’re overwhelmed and need to do something about it.
2. Leaders protect their people:
Levon sees two men approach an employee on the worksite. He knew they weren’t good guys when he saw them. This put Levon into action.
He approached the employee and the two men, who were pummeling the employee. Levon couldn’t stand for this. He takes matters into his own hands and stops the attackers.
Levon protected his people.
Do you protect your people? Great leaders do. They know they can help deflect potential conflicts, resolve issues before they happen, and care for their needs.
Watch out for your people. See where you need to step in. Be willing to speak up and for your people.
3. Levon Cade:
It’s okay. I hurt too.
Merry Cade (Isla Gie) asks her dad if she can tell him something. Levon replies that she can tell him anything.
That’s when Merry drops a bombshell on Levon. She tells her dad that she’s mad at her mom.
Levon shows empathy by telling Merry he hurts, too. He still feels the pain of his wife’s passing.
The people you lead are experiencing loss and grief. They’re hurting. You can help by showing empathy.
Your team members may experience:
- The passing of a loved one
- The betrayal they never thought they’d face
- The death of a pet
- Grief from the suicide of a dear friend
Whatever their grief, great leaders understand they can step into the situation with them. They can feel or relate to the feelings their employees have. They can let them know they feel that way as well.
Empathy isn’t a sin. Empathy is a leadership superpower. Learn how to be an empathetic leader and feel with your employees.
4. Great leaders ask for help:
Joe and Carla owned the construction company for which Levon worked. When Jenny, their daughter, was kidnapped, they didn’t hesitate to go to the person they knew they could trust. They went to Levon.
They asked him point-blank if he could help. While Levon was initially resistant, he came around and chose to help. Why? Because good people asked.
When’s the last time you asked for help? Great leaders know they can’t do it all themselves. They have to have help.
It’s the main reason your organization has hired additional employees. You and the leadership of the organization need people with specific skills. Skills that can help.
Reach out to people who can help. Don’t be ashamed of asking for help. You need it, others can provide it.
5. Levon Cade:
It ends with me.
Levon meets with Gunny Lefferty (David Harbour). Lefferty is a friend of Levon’s who has lost his sight. Levon blames himself for not being able to help him.
They discuss the situation Levon finds himself in now. Levon tells Lafferty it ends with him.
Levon stepped up and took responsibility. He told his good friend that he’s the final block in the chain.
You know who else is the final block? You are. As a leader, everything ends with you.
You must take responsibility for your actions, the actions of your team, and the success of your organization.
It ends with you.
6. Great leaders inspire followers:
Jenny had a music scholarship. She was crazy talented. She could have been a big star.
Yet, she turned it all down. Why? Because she wanted to be like her dad. She chose business school over the arts.
More importantly, she chose to follow in her father’s footsteps. He inspired her. She reciprocated.
When great leaders lead well, they inspire their followers, They create the next generation of leaders.
Look back at your career, what’s in your leadership wake? Are there more leaders? Are there people who choose to follow you?
Great leaders don’t just succeed. Great leaders inspire followers to become leaders.
7. Great leaders pay attention:
On his quest to find Jenny, Levon went to the local bar. Jenny and her friends had gone there for a night out. It’s also where she disappeared.
Levon pays attention to the details. He watches the bar’s bartender, Johnny (David Watts), deal drugs from behind the counter. He exits the bar and notices the cut security camera. Over and over again, we see Levon paying attention to what and who is around him.
Great leaders know they have to pay attention to the details. The details matter. Especially when there’s an issue.
Document what’s happening in your organization. Find a way to ensure you know what’s happening and who is doing what.
The more you know, the more you can fix things when they go wrong.
8. Small organizations can thrive:
Levon goes back to the bar. This time, he goes to the back, where he meets a guy sitting on a motorcycle throne that looks like it could have been in Game of Thrones. That guy is Dutch (Chidi Ajufo).
He’s a drug dealer. He’s a former Marine. He is trouble.
Levon looks for answers but gets trouble. Dutch unleashes a gang of men to take Levon out. That doesn’t happen.
Levon’s skills keep him alive. Keeps him fighting. He takes out the men and thrives in the chaos.
One man took on a handful or more. He came out victorious.
We think we have to have a huge organization to be successful. You don’t.
You can be a one-man army. Or a small shop. Or just a couple of people having a good time.
As long as your products are good, you care for the people around you, and you take care of your customers, you can thrive. Don’t think the size of your organization matters. Size matters less than you think.
9. Merry Cade:
He could have left you in there, grandpa. He saved your life.
The Russians came looking for Levon. Instead, they found his father-in-law, Dr. Jordan Roth (Richard Heap). Dr. Roth despised Levon. He blamed him for his daughter’s death. He thought Levon was an unfit father. Everything he did was to undermine his ex-son-in-law.
The Russians attacked Dr. Roth. Then, they set his house ablaze. Levon arrives and rescues Dr. Roth, but Dr. Roth also blames Levon for this.
Merry, Dr. Roth’s granddaughter, chides her grandfather. She reminds him that Levon said his life. He didn’t have to. He chose to do so.
Great leaders get to choose a lot of the things they do. That includes helping out their employees, keeping them safe, and being responsible.
While it’s a choice, it’s also the responsibility of a leader. A leader has responsibilities he must live up to. If he doesn’t, he’s not a leader.
10. Speak the language of your people:
Levon rescues Jenny. He tells her to stay on his six.
Does Jenny know what this means? She doesn’t. She’s confused by the verbiage he used.
So, she asks Levon what he meant. Levon clarifies and tells her to stay behind her.
We get so caught up in the latest leadership lingo, ideas, and mindsets that we forget there are people out there who don’t know what we mean by what we say. Our communication isn’t clear.
Be willing to dumb down your words. It may feel like you’re doing a disservice but if your people can’t understand you, they can’t do what you want.
Use the language of your people. You’ll get more out of them and they’ll understand you.
