Quotes And Leadership Lessons From Project Power

Project Power is a unique Netflix original movie. The premise is that a drug is being manufactured and distributed that gives users superpowers for 5 minutes. The catch? You don’t know what your superpower will be. Your power could be incredible, or it could be deadly.

The theme isn’t the only thing that is powerful about Project Power. There’s quite a bit of star power packed into this Netflix original movie. Jamie Foxx stars as Art. Joseph Gordon-Levitt stars as local cop Frank. Rodrigo Santoro is Biggie. Courtney B. Vance is Captain Craine. As you can see, Project Power has star power.

Cast of Netflix's Project Power

Project Power was a fun, different take on a superpower movie. Its uniqueness is just quirky enough to make the film innovative. Check it out if you like superhero and superpowered movies.

But you won’t only get a  unique twist on superpowers. You’ll be able to walk away from watching Project Power a better leader. Oh, yes, that’s right… There are Reel Leadership lessons in Project Power.

Quotes And Leadership Lessons From Project Power

1. Frank:

So, the question is… what is your power?

Young star Dominique Fishback plays a young Power pusher named Robin. She’s selling the Power drug to locals in her neighborhood. She also has Frank watching her back.

In a deal gone bad, local thugs tried to steal the drugs from Robin. Frank shows up and takes them down. He then questions them.

He quickly discovers the thugs had never tried the drug. They didn’t know what their powers would be. He pushed and wanted to know.

Every leader has a power. Their power is unique to them.

Leadership power could be:

  • A unique take on leadership
  • Great charisma
  • Ideation
  • And so forth…

Figure out your superpower as a leader. Leverage it. Make sure you’re leading in what your specialty is.

2. Too much power is dangerous:

Art is a man on a mission. He’s out to find his kidnapped daughter and rescue her. He goes to Newt (Machine Gun Kelly), Robin’s drug provider.

Art pursues him. Newt pops a Power pill. Five minutes ticks by, and Art is still on his trail. This causes Newt to pop 3 Power pills at once.

Bad idea. Newt becomes supercharged and blows up.

Every leader has a certain amount of power they can leverage. Their power grows the more effective their leadership is.

However, leaders need to be careful. Power can corrupt.

Lord Acton once said, “Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.

Be cautious with the amount of power you accept. It can lead you down a bad road.

3. Great leaders delight others:

Art was at a gas station when he sees a young mother with her baby. He begins to wave at the child. No reaction. He then moves on to making silly faces. Still nothing. Finally, Art decides to cock his glasses into a crooked slant. The girl begins to laugh.

What Art did was silly. Still, Art did something great leaders do. He delighted his audience. He found a way to bring a smile to a young child’s face.

Are you delighting others? Are you finding ways to make your team smile, laugh, and enjoy coming to the office?

I want to encourage you to find a way to delight your team. They will enjoy the levity and fun it brings to the office.

4. You will be exposed:

There was a bank robbery in Project Power. The bank robbery was by a person using a Power pill. They had gained the power of invisibility.

Cool power, right? No one can see you. You can do whatever you want.

That’s what the robber thought as well. He almost got away with the heist until he opened the bag of money. The bag of money had a dye packet inside that removed his invisibility.

Uh oh…

You may think the things you’re doing in private are yours alone to know. Or you may think no one will ever know.

I want to warn you. The things you do in private, if they are wrong, will be exposed one day. People will find out what you’ve done and judge you on those hidden actions of your life.

Are you ready to be exposed?

5. Art:

You can’t keep playing the “I’m a child” card.

Art had kidnapped Robin to figure out what she knew about the Power drug. He threw her in the back of his pickup and drove her to a secluded area. There, he began to interrogate her.

He asked her all sorts of questions. Robin kept telling Art she’s a child.

Art knew this. He also knew she was dealing Power. She was playing big girl games. He wasn’t having it.

You will have team members who claim ignorance or youth. Both excuses have their place. Both reasons can also be overruled.

People know what they’re doing. They know whether or not they’re doing a good job or what needs to be done.

Don’t let them play cards they don’t have.

6. Distractions will make your leadership ineffective:

Robin had a number she could call if she ever got into trouble. Art had her call it and brought her to the location. It was a supermarket.

She went to the counter and told them the codeword. Art was watching. Then a man in a wheelchair approached him asking for help.

Art became distracted. He lost sight of Robin. They were both in trouble now.

Distractions not only take your attention off of what’s important, but distractions can also throw you off your game. This is why the squirrel syndrome is so dangerous.

Learn how to control the distractions around you. Don’t let them overtake your common sense. Be aware of them and ignore the distractions.

7. Knowing your purpose will drive you:

Art had a purpose. His purpose was to find his daughter, Tracy (Kyanna Simone Simpson). Rescuing his daughter was why he went after Newt, Robin, Biggie, Gardner (Amy Landecker), and others.

He had to find his daughter. It was what was driving him. It was his purpose.

What is your purpose? Do you even know it?

Leaders need to have a purpose. The purpose will be there long after the fun and thrill of leading wear off. Your purpose will help keep you going.

Discover your purpose. Let it guide you.

8. Art:

You gotta find out what you do better than anyone else and rock it.

Art believed the system was against him. And against Robin.

It was stacked to keep them down. To let them live in poverty.

He encouraged Robin to find something that she does better than anyone else. Then to rock it.

Robin knew what she did well but hid it… This may be the thing that draws it out of her.

What do you do better than anyone else? What is something only you can do?

There’s something special within you. There’s something only you can do.

Discover this. Then, as Art said, rock it.

9. Stop hiding your power:

Robin’s power was her ability to rap. Lyrics could flow out of her mouth like no other.

She was good. Really good. But she didn’t like to use her power in front of people. She would think of all of these amazing raps and keep them in her head.

What power are you hiding? Are you scared to let the world see what you can do?

For the longest time, I hid my writing. I didn’t want to expose it to the world. Or the criticism that could come from it.

One day, I decided to unveil it to the world. I’ve yet to regret it.

I want to encourage you to stop hiding your power. Expose it to the world. Let the world enjoy it.

10. Robin:

At least he’s being honest about it.

Frank told Robin Art was using her. He told her Art only needed her for what he could do for him.

Robin didn’t play. She pushed back. She told Frank he was using her too.

Ouch…

People know when they’re being used. If you’re using your people, they know it. It’s not a secret.

If this is you, begin to change. You don’t have to use people. You can partner with them so it is a beneficial relationship.

A beneficial relationship is what people really want. They want relationships where both parties win. Help make this happen.

11. Art:

I’m going to end this.

After rescuing Tracy, Robin is captured by Biggie and Gardner. Frank, Tracy, and Art all make it to a lifeboat they could escape in.

As soon as Art realized what happened, he spoke up. He wasn’t going to let Robin get hurt or die. He was going to take down the bad guys.

He vocalized this to his daughter and Frank. Then, he got up and dealt with the problem.

I loved this. Art didn’t only talk about the problem. Art dealt with the problem.

He went down and took out Biggie and Gardner.

It cost him dearly. Using his power kills him…

Are you full of talk? Do your words flow but there’s no action?

That’s not leadership. That’s flowery words.

Be a leader who not only speaks out but takes action.

12. Great leaders have teams that work together:

We know Art died after using his power. It’s what it does.

The story, however, doesn’t end there. Tracy has her own power. Her power is to heal hurt and dying things.

She goes to her father. She kneels before him. And begins to power up.

Before long, Art is breathing. He’s standing on his feet. He’s alive!

The example of Art and Tracy is just one of the power of teamwork. Art’s power destroys him. Tracy’s revives him.

Working together is what great teams do. They look for ways to complement each other.

Find ways to pair people together who have opposing but complementary skills.

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