The Wrecking Crew brings together two movie powerhouses: Jason Momoa (Lobo in Supergirl) and Dave Batista (Drax in Guardians Of The Galaxy). The pair play estranged brothers. Momoa is Jonny, a cop who plays fast and loose. Batista is James. He’s a straight-laced Navy SEAL.

They reunite when their father, Walter (Brian L. Keaulana), is killed in a hit-and-run. The police initially rule the death an accident. Jonny believes it to be something else. Why? Yakuza thugs attack him in his home, looking for something his father was supposed to have mailed to him.

Jonny makes the trip back to his home in Hawaii. There, he reunites with James.

Let’s explore the leadership lessons within The Wrecking Crew.

Quotes And Leadership Lessons From The Wrecking Crew

1. Relief can be short-lived:

Walter was walking the streets of Hawaii. He was looking extremely nervous. He’d randomly look at the people around him, scanning for trouble.

There’s a mailbox. He walks up to it. He pulls the opening down. Then, he places a package inside. There’s a sense of relief that washes over his face. He’s done what he set out to do.

But…

He walks out of the alley. He goes to cross the street. A blue van streaks into view and straight into Walter, killing him.

His relief was short-lived.

There’s so much going on in your organization that can cause you stress.

• Lower-than-expected revenue
• A poor-performing employee
• Short-sighted leadership

You tackle one of these. The stress level goes down. Then, bam!, some new issue raises its ugly head.

Your relief was short-lived.

Know that leadership is one battle after another. You’re going to constantly face new issues, new problems.

When you know this is the path of leadership, you can be better equipped to handle the new challenges as they arise.

2. Valentina (Morena Baccarin):

Even when you’re here, you’re not here.

Valentina was Jonny’s girlfriend. We see her packing up her vehicle as Jonny pulls up on his motorcycle. She’s had enough of his shenanigans. She’s leaving.

Jonny protests, but Val has good reasons. One of those reasons?

Jonny may be there physically, but he’s not there emotionally or mentally.

We have to watch out that we don’t do this as leaders. We can’t check out and only check off the “leadership boxes” we think we need to. We need to be there for the people we lead.

That means listening and caring when they share a personal struggle. It means learning family members’ names. It means trying to understand performance issues from a people-view rather than a business view.

Leading is just as much about leadership as it is about getting results.

3. James:

She made room for you anyway.

When the two brothers meet again, there’s animosity between the two. We discover part of the issue is that their mothers were different. Their father had cheated on James’ mother, Malia.

James brings Jonny to Malia’s house. Jonny sees it as smaller than he remembered. James retorts that it was always this small. But…

Malia made room for him anyway.

It didn’t matter that Jonny wasn’t her son. She still cared for him the same as she did for her actual son. She made room for him.

Great leaders make room for people… Even if they’re not their people – Leadership lessons from The Wrecking Crew
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Who do you need to make room for today? 

You may need to make room for that obnoxious coworker who doesn’t get along well with others. Or it may be a young employee who is not a direct report, but you see the potential in them.

Find ways to make room for people that others discard.

4. Bad days can compound, but there will be better days:

Jonny’s day seemed to get worse and worse. Do you remember how Jonny’s day went? A little reminder:

• Val breaks up with him
• He gets word from Leila (Roimata Fox) that his father had passed away
• A group of yakuza broke into his house

That’s a lot that can go wrong. I’d be down and depressed if all that happened to me. I’m sure you’d feel the same.

However, as the movie progresses, Jonny’s life gets better. He

• Reunites with his brother
• Connects with long-lost family
• Finds a new place in the world
• Reunites with Val

Life throws us curveballs. We’ll find ourselves wondering when the bad will end. I can’t give you that answer. The answer I can give you is that things will get better.

Hold on. Hold fast.

Know that things will turn around. There are better days ahead.

5. It takes one person to spark change:

When Jonny met with James and shared his theory on their father’s death, James laughed it off. Jonny had delusions. He was just trying to make a story that works for their father’s death.

Yet, Jonny’s theory planted a seed in James’ mind. One that he pursued.

James went to Detective Rennert (Stephen Root). He began to ask about his father’s death.

His brother’s words sparked something. It led them to uncover a deeper conspiracy. It led them to the killer.

It only takes one person to spark massive change. You can be the spark – Leadership lessons from The Wrecking Crew
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You may think you don’t have much to offer. I beg to differ. You have a lot to offer.

Your ideas. Your methods. Your skills.

They all add something to the organization.

And, when you begin sharing those with the organization, you can spark a change.

You may offer up a suggestion that quickly gets dismissed. Later on, you discover the idea was vetted and implemented. That idea changed the course of the company.

Don’t discount yourself. You can spark change.

6. Pay attention to the details:

Jonny was searching his father’s apartment. A young man, Pika (Jacob Batalon, Ned Leeds in the new Spider-Man movies), comes in. He attacks him but soon discovers Pika worked for Walter.

They begin to talk about his father and the work Pika did for him. Jonny looks up and sees a surfboard. There’s something not quite right about it.

Jonny notices one of the fins is on backward.

That doesn’t make sense. Jonny goes to investigate. He discovers blueprints hidden within.

The details panned out for Jonny. They’ll pan out for you.

Leaders must be aware of the details. What are some details you have to pay attention to?

• Customer reviews
• Employee attitudes
• Vendor performance
• Production values

If you’re paying attention to the details, you’ll soon discover what matters. You’ll discover what works.

The details matter. Pay attention.

7. Leaders do what they think is the right thing:

Jonny and James get into a fight outside of the police department. They’re tussling near the police cars. Then they begin throwing each other into them. Cars are damaged. Egos are bruised.

Then the talking begins.

Jonny felt as if he was abandoned. He felt that James had sent him away. He was the bastard child, after all.

James didn’t deny that he sent Jonny away. But he had a reason. Jonny was getting into trouble. He’d be sent to prison. The yakuza would kill him there. James did the only thing he could think of: send Jonny away.

He believed he was right.

Maybe he was. Maybe he wasn’t. Still, he did what he believed was right.

Leaders must act on what they think is right. Sometimes they get it right, other times they won’t – Leadership lessons from The Wrecking Crew
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You’re going to make decisions that upset people. They’re going to feel as if you took sides, intentionally hurt them, or purposely messed things up.

Take heart. If you made the decision fully informed, with a right heart, you did the right thing in the moment. You did what you believed was right.

Now, if it comes to light that there were other things in play, be the bigger person. Own up to it. Let them know you believed what you were doing was right. But also admit you made a mistake.

When you do this, people will look at you with greater respect.

8. Your actions can cause massive problems:

The yakuza were chasing James, Jonny, Val, and Pika down the highway. It was a high-speed chase that racked up massive damage.

We see this as James holds one of the yakuza thug’s head to the pavement. He holds it there for a long time. Then he lets go.

The thug’s body bounces down the road. It smashes into vehicles. Others try to avoid it. This only causes them to hit other vehicles.

Lots of cars are damaged. There are explosions. It was chaos.

All because of James’ action.

We have to consider the ramifications of our actions. They can do great good. They can also cause massive problems.

9. Your people will accept more responsibility than they should:

James and Jonny get back to James’ home. James begins to look for his wife, Leila, and their kids. He can’t find any of them. He begins to worry.

What does he do? He calls Leila’s cell phone. It’s there, in the room with him. Uh oh.

He begins to search the house. He finds Lanie (Maia Kealoha) and Kai (Josua Tuivavalagi) hiding in the bathroom. Kai keeps saying that he should have done something. He should have been a better protector.

All of this from a young boy. Someone who shouldn’t have to worry about much.

Watch out for employees taking on too much responsibility. It can be bad for them – Leadership lessons from The Wrecking Crew
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It’s easy to think your team members won’t take on responsibility. Their job doesn’t require it. So we dismiss them. We think they’re lazy or unmotivated.

The truth?

Your team members are weighing themselves down with guilt over the things they should have done. They are taking on the emotional responsibility that isn’t theirs.

Walk through their responsibilities with them. Help them to understand what is theirs to worry about and what is not.

10. We sometimes put ourselves in the line of danger when we don’t need to:

James and Jonny make a run at the bad guy, Marcus Robichaux (Claes Bang). They attack his compound to rescue Leila and Haunani (Frankie Adams).

To start the assault, James tries to snipe one of the thugs guarding the compound. The shot hits the window. But it is bulletproof glass.

James thinks he missed his shot. Then the thug opens the window. James takes the next shot and hits his target.

How many times do we do something like this? We see danger. We avoid danger. Then we step back into the danger that’s waiting for us.

Probably more than we’d like to admit.

Be careful not to put yourself into dangerous situations you don’t need to.

Silence…

Here’s the thing: Leaders can make mistakes. That’s okay. Their failures aren’t through trying. Leadership failures show up as silence.

Oof.

If you’ve ever been in an organization where leadership is silent, you know the damaging impact silence has. We’re going to discuss 4 things that happen when leadership is silent and fails to give proper feedback.

4 Things That Happen When You Fail To Give Feedback

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Small problems compound into big performance gaps

Small problems can be quickly fixed if they’re addressed early on. However, when silence is the response to a problem, team members see it as affirmation. Since nothing is said, I must be doing things right. Right?

But that’s not the case. The silence makes performance gaps larger.

You’re harming your team members when you fail to break the silence. When you let small problems fester, you create massive issues.

Step up. Speak up when you see a small problem. Reality is that your team member will be grateful you were willing to make the painful correction.

Quality quietly declines—until “normal” looks unacceptable

Quality begins to decline when you miss the easy coaching opportunities. Are you no longer conducting one-on-one meetings? Maybe you’ve failed to touch base with your team members.

These missed opportunities allow quality to decline, slowly. Now, it’s the new normal. The new normal is not something that your organization desires.

Whoops.

But that’s what happens. Team members’ patterns begin to repeat. Patterns that you don’t want.

Now, you’re stuck with unacceptable behavior that has become normal.

Trust erodes because people feel surprised instead of supported

When does your feedback show up? Only during performance or annual reviews? You’re missing out.

If you only give feedback during reviews, many team members will be shocked by the feedback that is given. They haven’t been informed of any shortcomings or issues.

You’re now hitting them with it with no warning. No chance to correct.

Your actions here erode trust.

Team members feel as if they’ve been blindsided with the feedback. They feel like they’ve been in a vacuum doing their best only to be told that they’ve been failing.

Ouch.

The sense of support or trust goes away immediately. The team members feel like they’ve had the truth withheld from them.

Talent quietly leaves—or stops trying

When there’s no feedback, talent begins to wonder what’s the purpose of their work. Do they really matter? What’s the difference between here and another place? Would they even be missed?

This silence is the danger zone.

You’re signaling to your talent that what they do doesn’t matter. That they can stop trying and fly under the radar.

That’s not healthy.

Your silence creates disengagement. The lack of guidance or empowerment leaves employees feeling empty.

Eventually, people completely disengage (quiet quitting) and begin to look for newer, greener pastures.

What Can You Do?

I know you don’t want this for your organization. You’re probably asking What can I do?

Here are four quick tips to break the feedback silence.

• Find ways to give feedback early
• Create effective one-on-one meetings
• Use feedback to coach, not correct
• Make it short and specific

But, if you’re intentional, 1:1 meetings can have a huge impact on your employee.

Here’s how to run your 1:1s so they can make a huge difference in your organization.

How To Run 1:1s That Make A Difference

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A 1:1 meeting is a meeting scheduled between a leader/manager and one of their team members. The meeting is a dedicated time to share expectations. More importantly, the 1:1 is for your team member to share what’s going on with their projects, how they’re feeling, and how you can help them.

So here’s how to run 1:1s that make a difference.

Have an agenda:

Most meetings suck because they lack a clear path forward. You call Bill in. You tell him it’s time for his one-on-one meeting. The meeting meanders through various topics. None of which really matters.

This all changes when you have an agenda for the 1:1. The 1:1 agenda doesn’t have to be complicated. It could be as simple as what you see below:

• Welcome
• Share any concerns that you see
• Share any wins/struggles
• Project updates
• What do you (team member) need from me
• Close the 1:1

You give each other room to share what’s going on, what could change, and how you could assist your team member.

Keep it short:

One-on-one meetings aren’t meant to last for hours. These are short touchpoints that allow your team member to share concerns and update you on projects she is working on. Don’t drag it out for an hour.

Most 1:1 meetings should last between 15 and 30 minutes. Once the time limit has been reached, agree to reconvene at the next meeting time.

Make it regular:

Most things are better when they’re regular, on a schedule. So are 1:1 meetings!

Your team member can understand the cadence of your meetings. They will know when, where, and how it goes. A regular meeting schedule allows them to document and report.

Make your meetings regular.

Don’t judge or interrupt

A lot of 1:1 meetings go off the rails when the leader starts judging or interrupting their team member. The team member feels that they can’t share what’s going on without causing a stir.

The less you judge or interrupt, the more your team member will open up. They will begin to feel that you’re a trusted source they can go to in the organization.

This isn’t a way to get insider information or find out all the dirt. You don’t interrupt or judge so that you can hear the raw, unfiltered truth. With that truth, you’re able to go out and fix the things that are broken.

Make Your 1:1 Meetings Matter

Think through the list above. What are you doing in your 1:1 meetings that align with the methods shared? What do you need to change, add, or remove?

The more you implement structure, listen without judgment, and keep it short, the more effective your 1:1s will become.

After a strenuous day of activity, your battery levels are shot. You can’t see the blinking red indicator, but you can feel it. Maybe it was compounded by forgetting to eat lunch, snacking on unhealthy snacks, or eating too little.

In effect, you didn’t fuel properly. And you felt it.

The same can happen to your mental health.

If you find yourself fueling with the wrong things, incomplete things, or too little of the good things, your fuel level will deplete. You’ll find yourself struggling to lead well.

So, what can you do about it? Fuel with the right things.

Photo by CHUTTERSNAP on Unsplash

4 Things Leaders Can Fuel With

1. Read great books:

Books are a great way to fuel your mind and your soul. It’s also an easy way to fuel.

Books are plentiful. They’re easy to find. They’re also easy to consume.

You may choose to read physical books. To do that, you head to your local bookstore, peruse the book selection, and choose a couple of books to take home.

Or you may love reading through audiobooks. You find yourself fueling your mind with auditory stimulation.

Whatever way you choose to read, read!

It can be great non-fiction books. You may enjoy a good romance novel or sci-fi adventure. You may find yourself picking up a graphic novel and reading a visual adventure.

Great books will fuel you.

2. Talk with great people:

We have so many people in our lives. So many of them are great people.

They have had experiences we never will. They may have traveled the world, experienced love and loss, or started a successful business. The great people around you are teaming with wisdom.

Find time to talk with them. Ask them about their family, life, and adventures. You’ll find out people are fascinating, and their stories can fuel you.

3. Experience great adventures:

Great adventures lead to massive fueling opportunities. Whether you choose to run a marathon or swim in the Turks and Caicos or climb Mount Everest, adventures will take it out of you but the adventures you have will also fuel you.

Why?

Because the great adventures you have are stimulating your mind and body. They’re giving you new inputs. They challenge how you see yourself and others.

Find a great adventure to go on. You may not climb Mount Everest, but you can walk along a beautiful river, sit in awe at the beach as the sun is setting, or do something you never thought you could.

Adventures await to fuel you.

4. Find time to rest:

Our lives have become such a mess of doing and going that we rarely find time to rest. That’s hurting you!

Think about a Rivian truck. They’re a great-looking electric vehicle. However, they require a period of rest to charge.

You’re not driving a Rivian around to charge it. You’re connecting it to a charger. That charger sends an electric charge. The truck eventually charges.

All of that happens while the truck is stationary. While it is at rest.

We need to find time to rest. You’ll find yourself fully fueled if you take the proper resting periods.

What if the tale of Robin Hood that we’ve come to love and know isn’t true? What if Robin Hood’s true exploits were much darker? That’s what we get to explore in A24’s The Death Of Robin Hood.

We enter the story of The Death Of Robin Hood as Robin Hood (Hugh Jackman) is wrestling with his past. He was a criminal. More than that, Robin Hood was a murderer. And he enjoyed it.

Robin Hood and his merry men weren’t merry because they were helping the downtrodden. No, they were merry because they enjoyed the violence, chaos, and death they brought to the world.

Robin Hood believes his life is over after a bloody battle. He’s bruised and beaten. Death is at his door. Or is it?

He’s saved by a woman, Sister Brigid (Jodie Comer). She’s a prioress who helps restore people. She also has a past that intertwines with Robin Hood’s.

The film is very reminiscent of the Marvel film Logan. It’s a dark take on Robin Hood.

His final tale doesn’t disappoint in the aspect of leadership lessons. There’s plenty to learn from The Death Of Robin Hood.

Quotes And Leadership Lessons From The Death Of Robin Hood

1. Not all leadership tales are true:

The Death Of Robin Hood opens with a young girl finding a feral Robin Hood. He’s wild, unkempt, dangerous.

We’re led to believe that she’s a scavenger. She’s looking for help. But she’s not. She’s looking to take Robin Hood’s life.

Before that, Robin Hood shares that the tales of his heroics are not true. The tales had been spun. They made him look good.

Yet, Robin Hood was a bad, bad man.

We often hear stories about great leaders. Or maybe it’s about leadership events. The stories sound good. They make us feel good.

But are they true?

Many of them are not true.

I recently learned about Ernest Shackleton placing an ad in a newspaper. The tale goes that the ad was looking for men. There was a hazardous journey ahead. The wages would be small. The weather would be bitterly cold. They would face months of darkness and constant danger. Their safe return would be doubtful. But if they were successful, honor and recognition would be secured.

According to many sources, this tale is not true. It’s likely a myth.

Be cautious when entertaining leadership tales. They may sound good but they may not be true.

2. Robin Hood:

It’s not your farm.

Little John (Bill Skarsgård) comes to Robin Hood. He begins to share how he had met a family. He killed the man, Edward. Not only did he kill Edward, but he also took his name, his wife, and his farm.

The original Edward’s family was furious. Now, Edward’s family has come to reclaim the farm. They drove John out.

John has now come to Robin Hood to ask for his help in getting his farm back.

Robin Hood answers in an unexpected way. He tells John that the farm isn’t his.

What a peculiar answer for a thief.

Here’s the thing: we never truly own anything. Even our leadership positions.

We hold them in high regard as a trusted person. We are to tend and care for the position. But we’re to give up our leadership position when the time comes.

Remember, leadership is never yours. It’s only borrowed.

3. John:

There’s many places to begin again.

John shows Robin Hood a picture of his young girl, Margaret. He’s so proud of her.

Robin Hood had felt lost for years. John believed Robin Hood could begin again. All he had to do was find something to believe in.

There are many places leaders can start again. Don’t stay stuck in an organization – Leadership Lessons From The Death Of Robin Hood
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You may have lost your leadership position. Maybe you’ve lost your love for the position you’re in.

You’re not married to an organization. There are many places to begin again.

4. Leaders are willing to stand in the place of their people:

One of Edward’s family members comes looking for John. He needed to avenge the deaths of his sons and grandsons. He was out for blood.

John is inside the house. Robin Hood is outside. Robin Hood sees the man. He allows the man to attack him instead of John. He’s standing in the place of one of his people.

Even if it were to cost him his life.

What do you do when you see your people struggling? Or maybe you see failure looming?

Do you step in? Do you ask them if they need help?

Great leaders don’t leave their people to flail, to struggle. They’re willing to place themselves between the challenge and the employee.

Be willing to stand in the gap.

5. Sister Brigid:

Do you understand my words?

After the battle, John drops off a severely wounded Robin Hood to the prior. Robin Hood awakens to see Sister Brigid.

She’d tended to his wounds. She was in the process of helping him recover.

Then she asks him that question… Does Robin Hood understand what she’s saying?

How often do you take the time to step back and ask your team members whether they understand what you’re saying? If you’re like most leaders, it’s rarely.

Help your team to understand your words. Make sure they’re understanding them – Leadership Lessons From The Death Of Robin Hood
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Your words can sound like a foreign language to the people you lead. KPIs, rightsizing, synergy, OKRs, OGSMs, MBOs, and the list goes on and on.

Words, abbreviations, codes…

We have to be careful when using leadership speak. Be willing to ask the room if they understand what you’re saying.

Many people will fail to ask what you’re saying because they’re scared of looking dumb. You can help them through that by asking if they understand.

6. What was once easy may not be easy anymore:

Robin Hood had been gravely injured. Yet, he was recovering. He still had a long way to go. Sister Brigid even warned him to be careful.

Did that stop Robin Hood? No. He went out, found an axe head, a stick, and some feathers. He builds himself a new bow.

When he goes to pull back the string, he finds out he doesn’t have the strength he once did. What once came easily was now a difficult task.

As we get older, we think leadership should become easier. But does it? I think there are areas where leadership does become more difficult.

You may not:

• Pick up on new technology like you once did
• Understand new slang
• Get the new culture

Just know things don’t always get easier the older you get. Sometimes it gets harder. This doesn’t mean you can’t learn new things or interact with a younger team. You only have to understand your limitations.

7. Leaders can take on the responsibilities of others:

A Leper (Murray Bartlett) brings news to Robin Hood. His friend, John, has passed away. That’s not the only thing The Leper brought him.

There was a young girl on the boat. Little Margaret (Faith Delaney). John’s daughter.

Robin Hood took the young girl under his wing, even if it was reluctantly. He made sure she was safe from Edward’s family.

Great leaders may take on the responsibilities of others – Leadership Lessons From The Death Of Robin Hood
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Sometimes, life gets in the way of things. Your team member has a sick spouse. They find out they have cancer. A new child is born.

What was once a priority for your team member has now become something in the back of their mind. They have more important things to deal with.

Consider whether or not you need to take on their responsibilities. In doing so, you can help them in their time of need.

8. Sister Brigid:

Knives cut bread as well as they do flesh. It’s a question of balance.

Robin Hood and Sister Brigid are sitting around a fire. They’re discussing whether or not the island has magical powers. Then the discussion shifts to something else.

Balance.

Sister Brigid tells Robin Hood that balance is critical. It has a say in things. Balance brings people together.

Do you have balance in your organization? Do you bring together the right people for the right time for the right task?

Make sure you’re finding balance in the time you’re putting in. Find balance in the people you bring in. Find balance in the time outside of work.

9. Give team members a chance for something better:

Arthur (Noah Jupe) arrived on the island. He had come seeking help. He was badly injured.

Or was he?

In truth, Arthur was seeking out Little Margaret. He wanted to kill her for what John did to his family.

Robin Hood began to sense something wasn’t right. One day, he tells Arthur he thinks he sees his family. He takes Arthur out on the boat. We all know there’s no family where he’s taking him.

But Robin Hood wasn’t out to kill the young man. Instead, he gave Arthur a choice. A chance for something better. And it appears Arthur took heed and went back to his family.

How do you respond to a team member who makes a mistake? Is it a freak-out moment? Is everything going to end? Will the world never be the same?

Or…

Do you help them find something better? A way to make things right?

Great leaders give second and third and fourth chances. Especially when they see potential in their team members.

Give people a chance for something better.

10. Sister Brigid:

I owe this life to you.

We discover that Robin Hood had murdered Sister Brigid’s husband years ago. This ripped Sister Brigid apart. It also sent her on a path that she never would have expected.

That path was something good. She was able to help people. To care for them.

Without the evil deeds of Robin Hood and his band of men, Sister Brigid wouldn’t be where she is.

And she was good with that.

Sometimes, bad things happen to us. A team member betrays us. An organization collapses. We lose our job.

Don’t think life is over. The situations you’re facing could be leading you to something different, maybe even better.

We owe our lives to the things that have happened to us.