It’s funny where you pick-up bits and pieces of inspiration over the years.
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Sometimes it’s from a mentor. Sometimes we learn our best lessons from our failures. And, sometimes we learn things just by listening as life happens.
I tend to listen to the scripts of movies for writing style, for inferences, and for any tidbits that I might apply in the way of analogies, or storylines in my day-to-day professional communications. And, so it is that I’ve come to quote movies in a great many of my team huddles, sales meetings, and production scrums.
Here are some of my favorites:
1) From The Godfather: “Keep your friends close, but your enemies closer.” This is sound business advice from the Godfather himself, Vito Corleone.
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2) ”Never hate your enemies. It affects your judgment.” These words were spoken by Michael Corleone in Godfather III. Having been a big fan of Godfather and Godfather II — Godfather III is NOT one of my go-to movies. But, these words were penned by Mario Puzo in the book, and they do ring true.
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3) Monty Python hit a chord in Life of Brian when the boys on the cross broke into song with “Always look on the bright side of life.” Because, as my friend Todd puts it: “No use in being pessimistic, it wouldn’t work anyway.”
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4) In Animal House, Dean Wormer shares the timeless classic ”Fat, drunk, and stupid is no way to go through life, son.” Perhaps not the most constructive of criticisms, but certainly worth contemplating.
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5) I’ve gathered a couple of really great gems for my arsenal from a very old movie, Mr. Blandings Builds his Dreamhouse. There are a whole lot of great script lines in this classic that speak to the difficulties of renovating an old house. In addition, anyone in the advertising biz will appreciate some of the classic lines spouted by Mr. Blandings who is a 1940s ad exec. But, one of my favorites that I’ve been known to work into many a sales prospecting meeting is: “Can’t squeeze blood from a turnip.”
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6) This list would be incomplete without the infamous instruction that Blake imparted to his sales troops in the classic, Glengarry Glen Ross: “A-B-C. A-Always, B-Be, C-Closing. Always be closing, always be closing.” Truer words were never spoken for a sales team.
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7) A great quote to utilize when dealing with international communications comes from Pulp Fiction:
Vincent: And you know what they call a… a… a Quarter Pounder with Cheese in Paris?
Jules: They don’t call it a Quarter Pounder with cheese?
Vincent: No man, they got the metric system. They wouldn’t know what the fuck a Quarter Pounder is.”
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8) In Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, Paul Newman (as Butch) brags to Redford (as Sundance): “Boy, I got vision, and the rest of the world wears bifocals.” That’s a great line!
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9) Sound advice for men in business everywhere is culled from the cult classic Used Cars: “Don’t let the little head do the thinking for the big head.”
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10) Ferris Bueller reminded us that “Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.”
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11) And, in a far less often quoted verse … Ferris’ dad spews a line that I love to spout after I’ve hung-up the phone with a reluctant client: “We know you’ve got the money. We just have to spend it.” And, as he closes the car door (under his breath) “Bonehead!” I love that line!
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12) Risky Business provides a great bit for any occasions where-in you are about to embark on a task that may be outside-of-the-box: “Sometimes you gotta say “What the Fuck”, make your move. Joel, every now and then, saying “What the Fuck”, brings freedom. Freedom brings opportunity, opportunity makes your future.”
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13) Investment advice from Rodney Dangerfield in his role as Al Czervik in Caddy Shack: “Buy, buy, buy! Oh, everyone’s buying? Then sell, sell, sell!”
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14) Not one of my fav movies, but providing good advice, the movie Working Girl included sound counsel for everyone in business: “Never burn bridges. Today’s junior prick, tomorrow’s senior partner!”
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15) Jerry Maguire deployed this altruism: “The key to this business is personal relationships.”
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And …
16) As anybody who has ever worked with me knows … one of my all-time favs comes from the movie Cool Hand Luke. The Captain crystalized my thoughts. The phrase that I have recited during so many frustrating business interactions is: “What we’ve got here is failure to communicate.”
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The Relevant Man looks for inspiration in every aspect of his life.
Do you have a favorite movie line that inspires professional greatness, or alleviates the tension in a stressful situation? Please share it in the comments.
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Photo: GettyImages
