Kenneth Branagh returns as super-sleuth Hercule Poirot. We last saw Poirot in Murder On The Orient Express. Death continues to follow him as he takes a trip to the Nile.
He’s been asked to accompany Linnet Ridgeway (Gal Gadot) and her new husband, Simon Doyle (Armie Hammer), on their honeymoon in the Nile. They’re joined by a wide-ranging crew of friends and family: Bouc (Tom Bateman), Euphemia Bouc (Annette Bening), Windlesham (Russell Brand), and many others.
The movie is a classic who-dun-it with Poirot tasked with finding the killer or, is it, killers?
You’ll be stuck in your seat during the film. You’ll also be given a crash course in leadership. Today, we will do a Reel Leadership dive into the leadership lessons in Death On The Nile.
Quotes And Leadership Lessons From Death On The Nile
1. Hercule Poirot:
There is an alternative, Captain.
Death On The Nile starts with Poirot part of a battalion of soldiers. They’re given what amounts to suicide orders. The soldiers are ready to go to war.
Then Poirot speaks up.
He gives the suggestion of a new tactic. They take the tactic and successfully attack the enemy.
Leaders will think they have the best solution. The Captain here did.
Yet, he made time to listen to Poirot. He also was able to change his plans according to the thoughts Poirot shared.
We have to be willing to listen to those we lead. We have to look at alternative suggestions.
If we don’t, we become dictators, not leaders.
2. Don’t get too cocky:
Captain Rens (Orlando Seale) was the captain who listened to Poirot. After the victory, he was excited. The men were victorious.
He got a little too cocky, a little too excited. He walked forward without paying attention to his surroundings.
BOOM!!!
He walks into a tripwire. The tripwire triggers an explosion. He is blown to smithereens.
Cockiness can lead us to do things without paying attention. We believe we have won; we believe we are the better ones.
Then we hit a snag. We step on the unseen landmine or walk into the tripwire.
Get rid of the cockiness. It could cost you dearly.
3. Know how to do business:
At a club, we see Rosalie Otterbourne (Letitia Wright) getting into it with the club manager. The manager was frustrated because Rosalie’s aunt’s, Salome Otterbourne (Sophie Okonedo), band had not yet begun to play. The hopping club was silent.
Rosalie knew how to do business. She’d seen many club owners stiff musicians. Her method was to have the band not play until they were paid. Otherwise, there was a good chance they wouldn’t get paid.
The band got paid. Then the band played.
Do you understand how to do business with certain people? You may have to withhold service for payment. You may even have to walk away from a business deal.
Know how to deal with the people you do business with.
4. Hercule Poirot:
Why would you fly a kit on a pyramid?
Bouc:
Because no one has before!
Poirot ran into Bouc. Bouc was in the process of flying a kite on one of the great pyramids. It seemed strange but Bouc was that kind of guy.
When Poirot inquired why Bouc was flying a kite on a pyramid, Bouc answered how I would’ve. He said he was flying a kite on a pyramid because no one had flown a kite there before.
Leaders do things others have never done before. They do things others are unwilling to do.
What do you need to do that people haven’t done before? What challenges do you need to tackle?
Look for things people haven’t done before. Try them.
5. Lynette:
When you have money, no one is really your friend.
Lynette was wealthy. She was also paranoid. She believed everyone on the boat could be out to kill her.
Why?
Because she was extremely wealthy, Lynette learned a lesson. The more wealth you have, the more people use you and come for you.
Most of us dream of becoming wealthy. We think wealth will make things better.
Lynette found out what most people in life discover. Wealth doesn’t make things better. Sure, you can do more things but it also puts a target on your back.
Be cautious of chasing after wealth. Instead, seek significance.
6. Question everything:
There wasn’t a person on the boat that Poirot didn’t question in Lynette’s death. He asked everyone: friends, family, her new husband, and stalker, Jacqueline de Bellefort (Emma Mackey).
He asked pointed questions that got him to a conclusion. He knew he had to be inquisitive of everyone.
I don’t think you should question everyone. Instead, I think you should question everything.
- Why do we do this?
- Have we tried something else?
- Is this how we’ve always done it?
- Who started this process?
- What if we did this?
When you begin to question everything, you see new opportunities.
7. Jobs can overlap:
We discover that Bouc’s mother had been the one to hire Poirot. She had wanted Poirot to investigate her son’s love interest, Rosalee.
His investigation into Rosalee overlapped with Lynette’s desire for Poirot to investigate and protect her.
Our jobs can have overlapping objectives. It’s okay to take on two tasks at once, especially if those tasks overlap.
8. Hercule Poirot:
Ask your questions until the right one comes.
Poirot asked a lot of questions. He did this because he knew something.
If he asked enough questions, the right question would come. This question would blow the case wide open.
Keep asking questions. The right question will come.
9. Don’t avoid the consequences of your actions:
The murderer turned out to be two people. Simon and Jackie had both been involved in the murder of Lynette, maid Louise Bourget (Rose Leslie), and Bouc.
The duo had been accused and cornered. They took the coward’s way out.
Jackie put a gun to Simon’s back. She pulled the trigger. Both died from the single gunshot
We have to face the consequences of our actions. We cannot be cowards and lead.
Don’t take the easy way out. If you’ve screwed up, face the music. Take the punishment.
