Quotes And Leadership Lessons From Death Wish

A Reel Leadership Article

I’ve often wondered what I would do if I was ever put into a situation like Bryan Mills from Taken or, now, Dr. Paul Kersey (Bruce Willis) in the new Death Wish movie. Would I want to extract revenge for the pain brought upon me or the deaths I had to witness?

Bruce Willis in promotional image from Death Wish

As a man, these questions often flood my mind. And I love watching movies explore this thought process. Death Wish tells the story of Paul Kersey, a doctor whose job it was was to save lives. Only to have his wife brutally murdered and his daughter shot and left in a coma.

What would you do? That’s the question Death Wish gets you thinking about.

And, if you’re intentional, it’ll also get you to think about leadership.

Caution: Death Wish spoilers below.

Quotes And Leadership Lessons From Netflix’s Bright

A Reel Leadership Article

In the 2018 Netflix original movie Bright, a human cop is forced to partner with an Orc. The cop is Daryl Ward (Will Smith) and the Orc is Nick Jakoby (Joel Edgerton).

Tension is high between the various races of Orcs, Elves, and Humans. Being paired up with an Orc meant Daryl Ward was in for a world of trouble.

leadership from Netflix's Bright with Will Smith

Bright begins with Daryl being shot during an armed robbery. His partner, Nick, was busy buying a street burrito for Daryl. After a brief hospital stay, Daryl is back in the squad car with Nick riding shotgun.

While the language was very strong (multiple F-Bombs were dropped), the story was intriguing. The buddy cop twist was different. And, of course, there are plenty of leadership lessons in Netflix’s Bright. Let’s take a look at those leadership lessons below.

Caution: Spoilers for Netflix’s Bright below.

What To Do When You Doubt Yourself As A Leader

Leadership Lessons From Black Lightning

I had the pleasure of meeting comic book writer Tony Isabella in October 2017. Tony is the creator of the DC Comics first African American superhero Black Lightning.

black lightning Jefferson Pierce doubt his superheronessDuring my time with Tony Isabella at the Grand Rapids Comic-Con, I asked him what was his favorite comic book issue to work on. Without hesitation, he said Black Lightning Volume 2 Issue 5.

Tony went on to explain why he enjoyed the comic book so much. Black Lightning’s civilian identity is Jefferson Pierce, the principal at Garfield High School. Pierce dons the Black Lightning costume to protect his students from the gangsters who want to recruit them to their gangs and do them harm.

In the Black Lightning comic recommended by Tony Isabella, something goes wrong. Walter Kasko, a teacher at Garfield High School, tosses himself in front of a young student named Lamar as gangsters burst into the room Walter, Lamar, and Jefferson was. Walter was riddled with bullets and died. Jefferson was injured and spent time in the hospital.

How To Overcome Self-Doubt

Your mind is lying to you...

One of the things I’ve battled with throughout my life has been self-doubt. I doubt that I’m good enough. I doubt people like me. And I doubt I make an impact on the world.

No one has told me any of those things. Yet my mind replays those thoughts on an almost daily basis.

You can overcome self-doubt

Image by Evan Rummel

Self-doubt mocks me. It tells me I’m never going to be anything. Some days, I believe it. Other days I battle back and overcome the self-doubt I face.

But what does it take to overcome self-doubt? Let’s take a look.

Keep reading to get your free download on how to implement the information discussed in this article. There’s a free Overcoming Self-Doubt Checklist at the end that will help you take the steps to become more confident.

Why Self-Doubt Is Crippling

As you already know, self-doubt cripples you. When you don’t believe in yourself, you have a hard time taking action.

You Must Be Yourself

Every leader has a big temptation in front of them. The temptation is whether to be true to who they are or to be who they think others want them to be.

The shocking truth is that the people you lead want you to be yourself, not some fake.

Get rid of self doubt and shame

Why We Struggled Being Our True Selves

Let’s be honest here, being yourself is scary. I remember elementary school.

Kids would pick on me relentlessly. Whether it was the fact that I wore Hush Puppies or that I was a giant among my peers. The kids in my school picked on and bullied me.

The sad thing about the constant taunting was that I was being picked on for things that I couldn’t change.