Sunday, December 21, 2014

15 Leadership Quotes And Lessons From X-Men: Days Of Future Past

 

15 Leadership Quotes And Lessons From X-Men: Days Of Future Past

 

X-Men: Days of Future Past is a great movie!  Facing a global extinction of both the human and mutant races, Wolverine, played for the seventh time by Hugh Jackman, must go back in time to stop a war with machines called Sentinals before it ever starts.  This movie is one of the best comic book films ever made.  You will absolutely enjoy it.
The following are 15 Leadership Quotes And Lessons From X-Men: Days Of Future Past:
  1. Inserting Talented Young Leadership Upgrades Your Church Or Organization – Other than Wolverine, the movie’s primary characters are the younger versions of Xavier (James McAvoy), Magneto (Michael Fassbender) and Mystique (Jennifer Lawrence).  Fassbender and Lawrence, in particular, steal every scene they are in.  The insertion of younger talent upgraded an already successful franchise.
  2. Leaders Must Know Their Limitations – Wolverine acknowledged, “Patience is not my strongest suit.”
  3. The Naivety Of Youth And Its Potential – Young leaders are often high on passion but low on life experience.  Patience and a long-term view is required.  Showing his concern about Wolverine’s having to interact with younger versions of themselves, Magneto tells Xavier, “We were young.  We didn’t know any better.”
  4. Leaders Must Be Given The Tools For Success – Dr. Bolivar Trask, creator of the Sentinals, says, “When you sent your soldiers to Viet Nam without the necessary weapons, you underestimated your enemy.”
  5. Leaders Seek To Serve Rather Than Be Served – The best leaders are committed to the success of those they serve.  Wolverine says, “The professor I knew would never turn his back on someone who lost their way.”
  6. Leaders Cast A Big Vision – Great leaders give others a great vision for their lives.  Xavier tells Quicksilver, “You’re going to break into the Pentagon.”
  7. Leaders Find A Way – Leaders are resilient and keep pressing forward.  Wolverine tells Magneto, “You’re like me.  You’re a survivor.”
  8. Leaders Bring People Together By Creating Common Ground – Despite their disagreements, Magneto and Xavier sat down to a game of chess to rebuild their relationship.
  9. Leaders Can Become Dangerously Misguided – Trask tells President Nixon, “Never before has there been a cause to unite human history.”  There are many great causes to unite people.  However, the destruction of a race of people will never be one of them.
  10. Failure Is Not Final – Leaders are people of second chances and extend grace to those who need it.  Xavier says, “Just because someone stumbles doesn’t mean they lost their way.”
  11. Leaders Are Dealers In Hope – Xavier says, “The greatest gift we have is to bear their pain without breaking and it comes from your most human part – hope”
  12. It Often Takes A Leader To Talk To A Leader – Because of the commonality of their journeys, it often takes one leader to encourage another.  Other leaders have credibility because they understand the struggles which come with leadership.  Wolverine gives Xavier confidence by telling him, “Your best is enough.  Trust me.”
  13. Leaders Are Bridge Builders – Magneto says, “Humanity has always feared what is different.”  While this may be true, successful leaders are inclusive and continually building bridges.  Leaders find ways to bring people together.
  14. Leaders Have A Responsibility To Understand The Impact Of Their Decisions – Leaders make decisions and decisions make leaders.  The most successful leaders have developed a quality grid for decision-making.  “Countless choices define our fate…Enough ripples and you change the tide.  For the future is never set.”
  15. Honor The Past – Leaders understand you cannot move people into their future without first touching their past.  This movie provided a nice touch by bringing back all of previous film’s most popular characters.
Once again, X-Men: Days of Future Past is a wonderful movie.  You will have great time watching it.  Let me know what additional leadership lessons you gleaned from the movie.
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