10 Leadership Quotes And Lessons From The Movie Chronicle

If you as a leader were given unlimited power and control, how would you use it?  Would it be for self-serving reason or for revenge?  Would it be used for the good of others?  Does the answer depend on your background or how you have been treated?  Or is your character determined by someone else’s?  

Very rarely am I surprised by a movie but I found the teenage, special effects film Chronicle an incredible look into what young people are dealing with these days.  In addition to peer pressure, sex, popularity, self-image, and self-discovery, the three teenages featured must also deal with incredible telekinetic powers resulting from an encounter with some form of alien artifact discovered in a local cave.

Each teenager has a different temperment and social standing.  There is the popular athlete, his popular friend, and the friend’s shy, socially-inept geek cousin named Andrew played by Dane DeHaan. 

The following are the leadership lessons and quotes from Chronicle that all leaders can learn from:

1. Everyone Wants To Tell Their Story – This movie is a picture of our YouTube generation.  Because of his dysfunctional home life and inability to fit in at high school, Andrew purchases a video camera and begins recording and viewing every aspect of his life through a movie lens.
2. “Parties Are Where People Look For Widespread Validation.” – Matt, played by Alex Russell, makes this statement as they are going to your standard weekend party.  Whether it is high school parties or small groups at your local church, we are all seeking meaning and significance in our lives in the context of genuine community.
3. “Not On Living Things.  Not Angry.  Not In Public.” – As the three young men become more powerful, they attempt to institute a set of rules for behavior.  Leaders must build boundaries for those we serve.  Without boundaries, there is rudderless activity.  Whether it is our children or those in our churches and businesses, people perform better with clearly defined objectives and guidelines.
4. We All Are Searching For And Desiring Peace – In addition to being bullied at school, Andrew lived in a abusive home with a dying mother.  Once discovering the ability to fly, he wished to visit Tibet “because it was peaceful.”
5. Success Can Come In A Flash – After an incredible performance at the school talent show, the geeky Andrew quickly became the most popular person at school. 
6. Success Can Be Lost In A Flash - That same evening, Andrew once again became a laughing stock because of an embarrassing moment with a girl at a party. 
7. The Negative Effects Of Isolation – At its core, Chronicle is a film about the negative effects of isolation.  Andrew’s obsession with viewing life through a camera is because of his separation from society.  After the embarrassing incident, he goes into hiding.  As Steve, the school’s most popular teenager reaches out to him, catastrophic events occur.  When life’s struggles come, our natural default mode is isolation.  However, the healthy and productive solution is community and seeking out friendships.
8. The Role Of Fathers – It was uncomfortable to watch on two different occasions when Andrew’s alcoholic father physically abused him.  When he was not physically abusing him, he was constantly tearing him down.  You cannot watch the film without realizing the trajectory children take based upon how we as fathers treat them.  We must view our children as people made in the image of God who He wants to tell His amazing story through.
9. The Danger Of Hubris – Hubris is best defined as arrogance.  When we as leaders become arrogant, destruction is soon to follow.
10. “I am an Apex Predator.  Does the lion feel bad killing the gazelle?  Do people feel remorse when they kill a fly?” – As leaders, our thinking can easily become perverted.  Leaders should serve their people, not powerfully rule over them.  Andrew, who has the power and ability to do incredibly good, begins to view himself as the next stage of evolution.  The results are devastating.   

In conclusion, the final 20 minutes of Chronicle are the best I have seen since Courageous.  If you see the movie, let me know your thoughts.

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