What can artistic, cinematic masterpieces teach CEO’s start-ups, marketers and business mavens everywhere about what it takes to elevate one’s game?

Unpredictable, uplifting, insightful and inspirational movies go a long way towards getting to the heart of any emotional truth we all face in our daily lives.

You begin to envision yourself as the main character. Rejecting status quo, bucking the establishment, and staring down adversaries. Confronting bitter reality before discovering the strength of your convictions.

How does each business hero begin their journey? What external dragons did they slay? Inner demons they conquer? What were the sacrifices and trade-offs involved? The real magic in any film is how it can push and propel you toward original thoughts and conclusions about your current career or industry.

Since January 16th – aka “Blue Monday” - is generally regarded as the most depressing day of the year, it’s only appropriate that we focus our first blog of 2023 on helping you add some bounce to your step with fresh and exciting ideas by stepping back to watch some thought-provoking movies.

Get your popcorn ready, cozy up with your favourite blankie and have a notepad handy while you enjoy The Greatest Business Movies Ever Made on this segment of Leaders & Legends.

“His cars mean victory. We need to think like Ferrari.” LEE IACOCCA

Prior to the holiday break, a well-established CEO asked a simple enough question about entrepreneurial vision. He wanted to know in a practical sense how having a bigger vision applies to creating economic wealth and fulfilling a deeper sense of purpose. Without hesitation, I recommended he watch two of the movies listed below to see if he could see himself in one of the main characters.

Lifting enduring lessons from Hollywood is a simple way to remind yourself of what it takes to overcome inevitable hurdles you face along the way. Certain films possess the power to speak to your own truth. They can provide unusual clarity around issues and opportunities you are witnessing right now.

The pandemic may have subsided, but if there is a recession looming while you pay off Christmas debt, thus may be a most opportune time to study some of the best films ever made to lift capitalist spirits.

With help from a blue-ribbon selection panel that includes Josh Parlee of Defiant Astronaut Media, Bob Parker of The Pit Crew Challenge as well as Michael and Paulette Curtis from The Response Team, here are the Five Greatest Business Movies Ever Made.

5. THE BIG SHORT (2015)

Like watching a slow-motion train wreck, The Big Short opens an all-too real window into the 2007-2008 financial crisis. A star-studded line-up that includes Ryan Gosling, Brad Pitt and Steve Carrell brought to life three separate but parallel stories of individuals who predicted and profited from America’s cataclysmic financial meltdown. Directed by Adam McKay, the film employs unconventional “Fourth Wall” techniques to explain complex and bone-dry boring concepts like subprime mortgages and collateralized debt obligations.

Why It’s a Great Business Movie:

The Big Short reveals the psychology that still drives far too many business leaders today. That profit for profit’s sake is good. The film forces you to answer some tough questions about when to push for what you believe in, when to hold off and why you need to take a look at a much bigger picture and the emotional carnage created by money-driven decisions. While it serves as a cautionary tale, The Big Short also highlights the importance of risk-taking and personal values.

Very few would have bet against the gigantic housing market but, watch how the Michael Burry character (played by Christian Bale) does just that in the face of much mockery and ridicule.

Best Scene in the Movie: Margot Robbie (playing herself) explains sub-prime mortgages from a bubble bath.

Reflective Leadership Questions:

Are you playing a much longer game with your business, brand and career legacy or much more focused on short-term profits in the here and now? When faced with moral dilemmas do you look the other way or pursue hard, uncomfortable truths?

Enduring Quote:

“We live in an era of fraud in America. Not just in banking, but in government, education, religion, food, even baseball... What bothers me isn't that fraud is not nice. Or that fraud is mean. For fifteen thousand years, fraud and short sighted thinking have never, ever worked. Not once. Eventually you get caught, things go south. When the hell did we forget all that? I thought we were better than this, I really did” MARK BAUM (Steve Carrell)

4. FORD vs FERRARI (2019)

This is a movie about legends before they became legends, Following an unsuccessful bid to buy luxury sports car manufacturer Ferrari, Henry Ford II becomes determined to beat the Italian racing icon at his own game. Rebuffed, insulted and called ‘fat’ by Enzo Ferrari himself, the grandson of America’s greatest automaker hires racing superstar Carroll Shelby to move heaven and earth to build a car that will defeat Ferrari at the world’s most prestigious race. Starring Matt Damon and Christian Bale, Ford v. Ferrari is a thrill ride to the finish line as director James Mangold captures the story of the clash of egos that produced the GT40; the Ford that defeated Ferrari to take first, second, and third place at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1966. In the end, the moral victory achieved by previously unknown driver Ken Miles is what makes this movie a winner; an underdog who risked life and limb for his beliefs.

Why It’s a Great Business Movie:

Like many bigger organizations today, Henry Ford II is surrounded by far too many lackeys, henchmen and Yes Men. Corporate boot lickers and paper pushers who add zero value while erecting massive cultural, creative and communication barriers which wrecks team spirit and sends initiative crashing into a brick wall at 200 m.p.h. The ‘red folder’ passed around the office is the perfect metaphor for the layers of middle management bureaucrats who are more interested in protecting their positions and paycheques rather than take the personal risk necessary to embrace new ideas and evolve with the times.

Best Scene in the Movie: Every setback presents an opportunity to succeed. Every business leader worth his or her salt will have to face the fire of withering questioning like Carroll Shelby when he was called on the carpet by Henry Ford II.

Reflective Leadership Questions:

How far are you willing to go to defend your values? Would you exceed driving at 200 m.p.h. to stand up for what you know to be true?

Enduring Quote:

"There's a point at 7,000 RPM where everything fades. The machine becomes weightless. It just disappears. All that's left, a body moving through space and time. 7,000 RPM, that's where you meet it. You feel it coming. It creeps up near you, and it asks you a question. The only question that really matters. Who are you?”
CARROLL SHELBY (Matt Damon)

3. THE FOUNDER (2016)

Some people will say Ray is a business hero who did what he had to do to assure the future of the business. Others argue he’s a monster. This historical biopic of fast-food tycoon Ray Kroc is a perfect illustration of how every entrepreneur struggles with a simple, yet powerful question: Do you own the business or does the business own you? The Founder, starring Michael Keaton and directed by John Lee Hancock explores the origins of McDonald’s. How did a travelling milkshake salesman from Chicago have the foresight to envision a future empire from a Southern California burger joint? No matter how you feel about Kroc’s character flaws and business ethics, the movie clearly illustrates the difference in big picture thinking between a successful local operator focused on service excellence and a visionary who saw the value in strategic marketing and creating a larger-than-life brand. As Kroc once said, “I didn’t invent the hamburger. I just took it more seriously than anyone else."

Why It’s a Great Business Movie:

When you watch The Founder, notice how a lack of unified vision creates fissures that are eventually solved by buyouts and lawyers. Watch how the McDonald brothers and Ray both used their different strengths to solve customer problems and deliver on quality and service while achieving growth. Pay close attention to how operational details are systemized to perfection in a way that Michael Gerber explores further in his all-time classic, The E-Myth Revisited. Pay close attention to the long-term thinking required to create a sustainable business model along with a visual identity that equity and value over time.

Best Scene in the Movie: The day The Founder discovered he wasn’t in the hamburger business at all. When Ray Kroc runs into cash flow issues with his rapidly growing franchise system, he gets taught a visionary lesson by Harry Sonneborn; the man who will go down in history as the individual who helped McDonald’s understand what business they were REALLY in.

Reflective Leadership Questions:

Do you have a business and brand vision that extends well beyond your local area? Have you developed a signature identity that sets you apart in the same manner as the “Golden Arches”?

Enduring Quote: “Mac, I'm the president and C.E.O. of a major corporation with land holdings in 17 states. You run a burger stand in the desert. I'm national. You're f**king local” RAY KROC

2. THE GODFATHER (1972)

Gangland violence. Cold-blooded murder. Sleeping with fishes. Decapitated horses. This is a movie you can’t refuse. A compelling portrait of how greed, ego, loyalty and corruption swirls through the business empire controlled by Vito Corleone. A wily Sicilian immigrant based in New York, Don Corleone builds a thriving olive oil company with diversified interests in gambling and protection rackets. Like many CEO’s, Corleone deals with issues like staff disloyalty, strategic alliances, hostile takeovers, succession planning and maintaining a strong position as a market leader while running a family business. Directed by Francis Ford Coppola, the Shakesperian story arc is focused on the rise of youngest son Michael (played by Al Pacino) to replace his father Vito (Marlon Brando) and become the new head of the Corleone family. It’s also worth noting that Godfather II is the only time two actors (Brando and Robert DeNiro) have ever won an Oscar for playing the same character in separate movies.

Why It’s a Great Business Movie:

In The Godfather, it becomes abundantly clear that Vito Corleone values respect, family and loyalty above all else. He also values generosity and is continually extending favours to colleagues, friends and people in the community. His status as head of the family is directly connected to his ability, capacity and willingness to be a giver. With no expectation of immediate return or future rewards. In other words, Corleone is thinking way beyond the transactional nature of business and far more interested in building long-term relationship capital.

Best Scene in the Movie: Great opening scenes capture the essence of the film and overarching theme while establishing tone, genre and character qualities. In six minutes, The Godfather is set up for long-term success with the juxtaposition of the American Dream, the criminal justice system, mutual respect and bonds of true friendship in this discussion between the undertaker Bonasera and Don Corleone.

Reflective Leadership Questions:

Is the source of your leadership power built on fear, hatred, job title or position you currently occupy? Could you increase your personal influence by taking a page from Don Corleone and treating everyone as a friend, regardless of their status and in doing so build powerful networks?

Enduring Quote:

“Fredo -- you're my older brother, and I love you. But don't ever take sides with anyone against the Family again. Ever"
MICHAEL CORLEONE (Al Pacino)

1. MONEYBALL (2011)

Moneyball is not a baseball movie. On the surface, it appears to be one, but truth be told it’s about a stunningly simple, universal concept called Adapt or Die. While the cash-strapped Oakland A’s and combative general manager Billy Beane provide the backdrop, this film represents what’s happening right now anytime the Freight Train of Change slams into a reinforced steel wall called Status Quo. It’s a penetrating look at the emotional turmoil experienced by visionary leaders determined to reinvent old business models and challenge the establishment. If siloed thinking, personality clashes and outdated views are common at your workplace, Moneyball explains the open warfare that transpires when people stubbornly cling to the way things have always been done. Directed by Bennett Miller, the central character (played by Brad Pitt) has been tasked to assemble a competitive team in the face of baseball’s changing economics, escalating salaries, cultural resistance to change while under the constraints of a limited budget.

Why It’s a Great Business Movie: Moneyball reveals how Billy Beane reconciles his failed athletic past and experiments with a completely different approach to evaluating players. Choosing instincts and intuition over deeply flawed traditional scouting methods, Beane adopts radical ideas from baseball outsiders. He embraces an untested, data-driven approach to talent appraisal that allows Oakland to level the playing field and achieve incredible results with a near storybook ending. While many business leaders interpret the movie as a license to blindly use data to justify every major decision, the real value of Moneyball is discovered in the willingness to tinker outside traditional parameters and the thick-alligator skin required of a courageous leader when the critics start snapping.

Best Scene in the Movie: Moneyball demonstrates that when the odds are stacked against you, risk-taking and inventiveness can take you a long way. But, someone has to step up and ask tough questions internally that no one wants to answer such as “What Is The Problem?” See if you can draw the parallels between the well-worn cliches used by crusty old guys in this profession and the resistance that you have encountered every time someone dares to challenge conventional wisdom.

Reflective Leadership Questions:

Before you can solve a business problem with clarity and intelligence, have you pinpointed with certainty what the real problem is? Are you OK with having a well-trained, trusted eye outside the organization take a look and maybe see things a lot more clearly than industry war horses enslaved by the rusty chains of their own dogma? Are you finding yourself stuck in many similar meetings with the equivalent to grizzled scouts right now with respect to marketing, operations and how to attract top talent?

Enduring Quote:

“There is an epidemic failure within the game to understand what is really happening. And this leads people who run Major League Baseball teams to misjudge their players and mismanage their teams”
PETER BRAND (Jonah Hill)

p.s… As you can imagine, there are many other business related movies that deserve ‘honorable mention’ status, especially, JERRY MAGUIRE, THE PURSUIT OF HAPPYNESS, ERIN BROCKOVICH, JOY and the first three films from the ROCKY franchise. With each of the Greatest Business Movies Ever Made, you will notice three consistent themes reflected and rooted in each film we’ve showcased.

#1. GREAT BUSINESS IS BUILT ON GREAT RELATIONSHIPS

The so-called “soft skills” of listening and the art of conversation are paramount. No matter how rough around the edges some of the main characters may have been, they all displayed qualities of trustworthiness, empathy and seeking to fully understand someone else.

#2. REAL LEADERS ARE PROBLEM-SOLVERS

Customer problems. Financial challenges. Partnership and employee issues. Product and service-delivery hiccups. When you wake up each day, you can be guaranteed another set of new problems will arise for you to confront and conquer.

#3. WHO IS YOUR #1 CHEERLEADER?

No matter how self-made, the heroes are in these stories never did it alone. Each one had a person they could count on standing in their corner; opening doors and offering support through thick and thin. Just as Batman had Robin and Rocky Balboa relied on Adrienne and Mickey, no champion emerges without one or two other special people riding shotgun and helping you do things you could never accomplish on your own. From Tom Hagen to Harry Sonneborn and Peter Brand, all play pivotal roles in the protagonist’s success journey. Only a true mentor or friend is willing to jump into the foxhole while live ammunition is firing.

“The world ain't all sunshine and rainbows. It's a very mean and nasty place and I don't care how tough you are it will beat you to your knees and keep you there permanently if you let it. You, me, or nobody is gonna hit as hard as life. But it ain't about how hard ya hit. It's about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward. How much you can take and keep moving forward. That's how winning is done!” ROCKY BALBOA

p.p.s…. Regular readers will have noticed this is our only Leaders & Legends post for January as we scale back the frequency to once a month. Over the course of 2023, you will notice some new, different and hopefully valuable approaches we are taking with this series including some video-based initiatives we’re really excited about. If you have thoughts about future subject material or personalities you think should be profiled, send me a direct e-mail. We are also launching some cohort and private programs in 2023 at different locations all over North America and should you be curious abut knowing more, reach out and secure a time through Calendly so we can have a chat.

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The wheels of business turn faster each quarter, and your company or industry association may be anxious to stay ahead of the lighting-fast relevance curve. In that respect, we are now scheduling many in-person programs for 2022 and 2023, sharing the universally-applicable message of BIG LITTLE LEGENDS: How Everyday Leaders Build Irresistible Brands.

Please send us a note to schedule a Keynote or Workshop for your event.

BIG LITTLE LEGENDS. : The Forbes Interview

Thanks to Vancouver-based Page Two Publishing, the little black book with the magical cover is steadily gaining traction with a global audience. The latest to join this groundswell of support is Forbes contributing writer Rodger Dean Duncan who published this interview on October 13th. Read here.

BIG LITTLE LEGENDS – How Everyday Leaders Build Irresistible Brands - is available 24/7/365 thanks to wonderful distribution partners like AMAZON, AUDIBLE and Wal-Mart.

YOUR BRAND. ON TRACK.

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