Leadership Qualities

This is the fourth in a series of posts sharing business lessons learned from the movie, AMERICAN GANGSTER.

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Setting the Scene:
“Blue Magic” has transformed Frank Lucas from a nobody to a somebody. Business is booming and Frank needs people he can trust to run his daily operation. For years Frank was estranged from his large extended family in Greensboro, North Carolina. However, family is family and he trusts his brothers and cousins to help him expand his heroin business. The Lucas family is uprooted from Greensboro to live and work in the new family business of “Blue Magic” heroin.

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Leadership Qualities
Frank’s brothers, Melvin, Huey, Dexter, Turner, and Terrance, were new to the drug business and to the informal social rules of street life. They needed mentoring, just as Bumpy Johnson once mentored Frank.

Frank spent quality time with his brothers teaching them everything he learned about growing a business, earning respect, and being honest. His brothers were in total sponge mode, soaking up every last drop of streetwise wisdom from their older brother.

In this pivotal scene, Frank Lucas shared the core necessities his brothers need to become successful businessmen:

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Frank’s core business leader necessities include: Honesty. Integrity. Hard work. Family. Never Forgetting your Roots.

Plus, as evident in that scene, a business leader needs to make Bold, Audacious Moves in order to become a somebody.

Comments

[Ladyday93]

I am glad to see that I am not the only one who saw some actual leadership lessons in this movie.

[Travis Dahle]

Leadership is definitely important, but I'm not sure how successful you will be if you shoot someone in the head on a street...but I do get your point that you have to take bold moves. I think that is what truly separates those who are successful and those who are sitting on the sidelines: you have to be able to stick your neck out and take charge to succeed! Those who didn't and were successful are few and far between.

Love the series of posts!

Travis Dahle

[johnmoore (from Brand Autopsy)]

Travis ... "character assassinations" take place daily in corporate boardrooms in front of innocent bystanders. Character assassinations can kill someone's career. You know that happens.

To your point, having the courage to make bold moves separates out those who aspire from those who actualize.

[Charles Sipe]

The thing that most struck me in that scene with Frank Lucus is his unflappable confidence. Great leaders show confidence in their decisions even if they have doubts inside.

Also, leaders sometimes have to make an example of someone who is not pulling their weight to establish the right culture within an organization.

[johnmoore (from Brand Autopsy)]

Yeah know Charles ... one attribute I respect from leaders is knowing that's okay to admit a mistake. Sometimes leaders with unflappable confidence are too arrogant to admit making a mistake.