21 Leadership Quotes and Lessons From In The Heart Of The Sea

In the mid-1990’s the Turner Broadcasting System (TBS) had an advertising campaign whose slogan was “Movies For Guys Who Like Movies.”  The new Ron Howard film, In The Heart Of The Sea, is a movie for guys who like movies.

In The Heart Of The Sea tells the story of the 1820 whaling expedition of The Essex, captained by George Pollard, played by Benjamin Walker, and first mate Owen Chase, played by Chris Hemsworth.  While the story is centered around a great white whale which inspired Herman Melville’s book Moby Dick, the essence of this film is it is a disaster movie about a group of men attempting to survive storms, whale attacks, ship wrecks, starvation, panic and emotional distress.

I enjoyed In The Heart Of The Sea.  It is a good movie but the stark reality is it will soon be swallowed up by Star Wars: The Force Awakens.  However, I do have one complaint.  The language, especially the use of GDs, was too much and completely unnecessary.  But if Star Wars is sold out, check out this movie.  You will enjoy it.

The following are 21 Leadership Quotes and Lessons From In The Heart Of The Sea:

1. The More Often Things Change, The More They Stay The Same – The whaling is industry was driven by a global demand for oil.  Not much has changed since the 1820s.
2. Lasting Leaders Accept Personal Responsibility By Focusing On Their Families First – Chase’s family was out of money and with a new baby on the way, he needed to provide for his family.  Therefore, Chase took expeditions which kept him at sea for months or years at a time.
3. Smart Leaders Make Decisions Based Upon Production – The ship’s owners appointed blue blood Pollard as captain because of his family name.  Chase was named first mate to ensure a successful voyage.  Chase was told, “You can have all the voyages you want but blood will win out.”  To which he replied, “Blood does not bring back oil.”
4. Successful Relationships Are Built Upon A Foundation Of Trust And Respect – The unprepared Pollard was lacking confidence upon being named captain.  Prior to his initial launch, Pollard’s father incorrectly told him, “To be a captain you cannot be a friend.”
5. Skill Builds Influence – Shortly after setting out to sea, a crisis developed with one of the ship’s sails.  Chase immediately sprung into action, solved the problem and garnered immediate respect from the crew.
6. Brevity Is A Leader’s Friend – Pollard was beginning to insult the crew with the amount and type of questions he was asking them.  One of his shipmates advised him, “Sometimes the fewer questions one asks the better.”
7. Leaders Must Put People Above Production – While clarity and focusing on results are good, they should never come at the expense of your people.  In a fit of rage, Pollard said, “You exist for one thing and one thing only – the oil”
8. Leaders Know There Is A Difference Between Position And Influence – Chase had influence with the crew because of his skill, expertise and the previous accomplishment.  Pollard was reluctantly followed only because of his title of captain.
9. A Leader’s Pride Puts Their Team In Danger – In an effort to demonstrate his authority, Pollard stubbornly sent his crew into a squall despite the advice of all his leaders.
10. If You Have To Tell People You Are The Leader, You Are Not The Leader – After the ship suffered much damage from the storm, Pollard yelled, “My name is Captain George Pollard!  Pollard!”
11. A Lack Of Leadership Unity Destroys A Team – Recounting the ship’s culture, a surviving crewman said, “A newly married couple can tolerate each other.  A newly married couple can bring down a ship.”
12. There Is A Difference Between Exposure And Experience – Because it was all he was ever exposed to, Chase told his crew, “The (whale is the) most fearsome creature to ever live on this earth.”  We have since learned otherwise.
13. Greed Causes Leaders To Focus On Themselves, Not Their Teams – After being told there were countless whales several thousand miles into the Pacific, both Chase and Pollard set sail hoping to become instantly wealthy.  A crewman said, “Greed took hold of our captain and first mate.”
14. Greed Causes Leaders To Make Foolish Decisions – The crewman continued, “Centuries ago people feared sailing off the edge of the earth.  We were sailing off the edge of insanity.”
15. During Times Of Crisis People Default To Personal Survival – While stranded in a lifeboat, one crewman said of an injured one, “Why waste water on a dead man?”
16. Smart Leaders Value Accountability And Seek It Out – “The devil loves unspoken secrets, especially those that fester in a man’s soul.”
17. Christian Leaders Not Only Prepare For The Next Month Or Quarter.  They Prepare For Eternity. – A dying crewman said, “It is a privilege to know one’s death before it occurs and prepare for it.”
18. Humbleness Is An Attractive Quality For Leaders To Have – Pollard finally admitted to Chase, “You were born to do this job (captain a ship).  I was just born into it.”
19. Not Everyone Takes The Journey With The Leader – After repairing their life boats while stranded on an island, three crewman elected to remain there rather than journey back out to sea.
20. Successful Leaders Take Only Calculated Risks – Upon arriving back into Nantucket several years later, the ship’s owners said to both Pollard and Chase, “In any business, the probability of success must be greater than the risk.”
21. Leaders Must Have Courage – “The courage to go where one does not want to go.”

What other lessons did you take from this movie?

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