George Woodhouse (Michael Fassbender) is a devoted husband… and a spy. So is his wife, Kathryn St. Jean (Cate Blanchett). When George is informed that a member of his inner circle has betrayed the country, George embarks on a mission to root out the traitor. Even if it is his wife.
The mission takes George through five suspects:
- Freddie Smalls (Tom Burke)
- Clarissa Dubose (Marisa Abela)
- Col. James Stokes (Regé-Jean Page)
- Dr. Zoe Vaughan (Naomie Harris)
- And Kathryn St. Jean
George must use his smarts, intuition, and more to discover who has sold the top-secret government weapon, Severus, to the Russians. It’s a pulse-pounding, slow-burn movie. There’s not a lot of action; there is a lot of thinking.
Join us as we take a look at Black Bag and the leadership lessons it contains. You may be just as surprised with the lessons in the movie as you are with who the true villain is.
Quotes And Leadership Lessons From Black Bag
1. George Woodhouse:
I’m here to see Mr. Dmitri.
George went to a club to meet with a specific person, I believe he called him Mr. Dmitri (I could be wrong, if I am, correct me!). When he arrived at the club, bouncers were standing outside. They were preventing people from getting in and giving others special access.
George tells the two bouncers who he is there to see. When they hear his name, they immediately open the doors and allow him in.
What can we get from this quote? It doesn’t seem like a leadership quote, but it shows us something important.
The people we know can open doors that are closed to others. They will give special access to those they know, like, and trust.
Our relationships matter. Make sure you’re making the right connections with the right people for the right reasons.
2. Those closest to you have to be considered when something goes amiss:
George meets with Philip Meacham (Gustaf Skarsgård), the man he called Mr. Dmitri. Meacham tells George there’s a traitor. He has to find out who it is.
Meachum then hands George a list of five names. One of those names includes his wife!
He’s not shocked but he does consider whether or not she is the traitor.
We work with people we care about. They may be family, friends, or close acquaintances. That doesn’t mean they won’t do something wrong.
If there’s an issue at work, you must consider everyone, even those closest to you.
This doesn’t mean you treat them poorly, unfairly accuse them, or attack them. What it does mean is that you have to be willing to look at everyone.
Clear their names. Move on.
3. You can make things elegant or not:
Kathryn and George have Zoe, James, Clarissa, and Freddy over to their house for dinner. George was going to use this dinner as a way to suss out the traitor. George’s method shocked Kathryn.
There’s other methods George could have used. Kathryn had expected George to use a lie detector first. The lie detector test would have been an easy, straightforward way to get answers.
Instead, George told Kathryn he wanted an elegant way to get answers. His method was through an interesting game during dinner.
What’s your method for getting things done? Are you the simple, quick, and easy type of leader? Or are you a leader who makes things a little more elegant?
To be honest, either way can be effective. You have to use the methods that work for you.
4. George Woodhouse:
That was the rock. Now I need to see the ripples.
George’s way of getting answers was unique. He had asked the couples he invited over to play a game. The game was interesting. He asked each person to make a resolution for the person next to them.
Strange… but effective.
Each person used this opportunity to make the other person uncomfortable. We find out there was infidelity and more amongst the group. I believe George also saw who the traitor was at that moment.
His game was the rock. He tossed a grenade into the midst of the people at his house. The result was ripples in their actions and words. He watched those over the next few days.
Sometimes, we must be willing to toss a metaphorical rock into our organization. It’s a tool that will send ripples throughout. It can even be painful.
However, the ripples you see from your team members can show you what’s going on behind the scenes.
Don’t be afraid to toss a rock into the water. But when you do, watch the ripples.
5. Dr. Zoe Vaughan:
That’s not the goal in here.
Kathryn was having a session with Zoe. As she was talking to Zoe, Kathryn was listing out the exact amount of medication she was taking.
Zoe notices something. Kathryn is stating she’s using just below the reportable limits. If her dosages were higher, Zoe would have to report her.
What was Kathryn’s response when this was brought up? Kathryn stated she was being careful and cautious. Zoe’s response was important. She said they weren’t there to be careful or cautious. They were there to get to the bottom of things.
You may be a cautious leader at heart. However, there are situations and times when you can’t be cautious. You have to throw caution to the wind.
Be sure you’re doing this at the right time. There’s a time to be cautious. There’s a time not to be. Know those times.
6. What are you loyal to?:
One of the questions Zoe asks Kathryn is about her marriage. Zoe asks if Kathryn is loyal to her husband. Kathryn values loyalty.
The answer raises Zoe’s interest. She begins to dig deeper. She asks Kathryn loyalty to what?
I want you to ask yourself: What are you loyal to? Who are you loyal to? What is that loyalty?
We can say we’re loyal all day long. The fact of the matter is, you need to know what you are loyal to.
Find that out. Make sure you’re loyal to the right things.
7. Stop looking for the easy out:
In the spy world of Black Bag, the spies had an easy way out for messy questions. All they had to do was throw out the words Black Bag. That stopped any further questioning.
Saying Black Bag was saying it was part of the job. They couldn’t go beyond that. Black Bag became an easy out for the spies.
What easy outs are you looking for? What are you doing to avoid the hard questions?
Don’t Black Bag situations in your life. Face them head-on. Answer the questions. Deal with the consequences.
8. Use the technology you have:
Kathryn meets with the Russian, Andrei Kulikov (Orli Shuka). George and Clarissa are watching her through government satellites. They’re shocked to see her meeting with him.
The video was visual only. There was no audio. Clarissa realized she had a way to listen in. There was a new AI technology that read lips. They could use this to listen in on the conversation.
New technology is coming out every day. Some of it we have, even if we don’t realize it. Tools like Microsoft 365 include new technology and roll it out to existing customers.
Figure out what technology you have at your disposal. Use it to its fullest.
9. George Woodhouse:
It’s easier to think out here.
George meets with James. He takes him out on a boat on the lake. James is hesitant. He doesn’t like to fish.
George notices James’ hesitation. He tries to quell James’s fears by telling him being on a boat, in the water, on a great day is great for thinking.
Know what? I agree with George. Being out in nature is a great way to think. You’re able to focus on nature, the sounds around you, and the thoughts you have to deal with.
If you’re struggling to get your thoughts in order, step outside. Find a peaceful place. Listen to your thoughts. Work through them.
Nature is a great place to think.
10. Those close to you may betray you:
Arthur Stiegltiz (Pierce Brosnan) is a high-ranking official in the intelligence world. He was also the person George reported to.
As the movie ends, we begin to realize something isn’t right with Arthur. He’s not a loyal employee. He was in on the plot to sell Severus to the enemy.
We have to love and care for our people. We also have to watch them.
Find out where their loyalties lie. If it’s not with the organization, you may have to consider cutting ties with them.
Remember, we’re not looking for loyalty to you, we’re looking for real loyalty.
