19 Leadership Quotes And Lessons From The Disappointing Kevin Costner Movie Draft Day

I was so excited to see the new Kevin Costner movie Draft Day.  You see, I am HUGE Draftnik.  One of the three items on my bucket list is to be in a NFL war room on draft day.  This is why I am sad to write this post.

In 10 days we will be celebrating Easter and the resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  Jesus is my king, my best friend, my comfort, my security, my provider, my Savior, my assurance of Heaven and much, much more.  He is everything to me.  As a Christian, I am especially using this season to have an increased focus on the cross where He shed His blood for my sins.

With that as my personal belief, I do not know how many G.D.s you can put in a movie and keep it rated PG-13 but the film’s producers went to the limit.  They even threw in a F-bomb for good measure.  While some say this movie accurately reflects NFL culture, I felt extremely uncomfortable and could not enjoy the movie.

Sadly, I cannot recommend this film to any Christian leader.  Go see God’s Not Dead or Captain America 2: The Winter Soldier instead.

However, to add value to you as a leader, the following are 19 Leadership Quotes And Lessons From Draft Day.  Beware – SPOILERS ahead:

1. Leaders Must Deal With Real Life Issues – On the busiest day of a general manager’s year, Sonny Weaver Jr., played by Kevin Costner, had to deal with his father’s will being read, his mother, ex-wife, and girlfriend being pregnant.
2. Leaders Must Endure Criticism – If you are getting kicked in the rear, it usually means you are out front.  Weaver faced criticism from social media, talk radio, the team’s players, head coach and owner.
3. Leaders Bring Perspective – “They’ll be a lot of ups and downs.  Keep a sense of humor.” – Weaver advising potential draftees.
4. Leaders Who Last Enjoy The Moment – “Enjoy today.  You only get drafted once.” – Additional advice from Weaver
5. Leaders Embrace Reality – “You play where you play.  That’s how it works.” – This was the advice one of the potential draftees received from his father.
6. Poor Leaders Favor Style Over Substance – Wanting the team to make a splash on draft day, the team’s owner told Weaver, “People pay to get wet.”
7. When Leaders Panic They Make Poor Decisions – Weaver traded three first round picks to get the top pick in the draft after the owner implied he would be fired if he did not make a splash.  Later, the general manager of the Seattle Seahawks made an equally poor decision when they feared not getting a franchise quarterback.
8. Leaders Must Be Willing To Stand Alone – Weaver’s mother even criticized him for the initial trade.  She said, “You sold a cow for magic beans.”
9. Leaders Must Embrace Social Media – “You’re on Twitter,” Weaver asks his mother.  She replies, “You’re not.”
10. Leaders Must Process Large Volumes Of Information – Between scouting reports, background checks, salary cap implications, countless advice from inside the organization and faulty information from outside, much goes into deciding which talent to acquire.
11. Women Bring A Unique Skill-Set To Leadership – Team salary cap specialist and Weaver’s girlfriend Ali, played by Jennifer Garner, was my favorite character in the film.  She was calm when others were not.  She compassionately protected interns but was also tough with the head coach.  She said, “I wasn’t born into this game.  I had to fight my way in.”
12. Leaders Do Not Confuse Activity With Accomplishment – Results matter.  Referring to the Super Bowl ring, Ali noted, “How is it the most macho thing in this sport is a piece of jewelry?”
13. Leaders Are Incessant Teambuilders – Great leaders are teambuilders but they want to select those who will make up the squad.  Weaver said, “I just want the team I want.”
14. Great Leaders Change Culture – “No one can stop a ticking clock.  But the great ones can slow it down.”
15. Character Counts – The draft’s top player dropped five slots over concerns about his character.
16. Leaders Know What They Can Control And What They Cannot – Leaders must make the best decisions with the information they have.  They must then live with the results.  Ali reminds Weaver,”There’s no such thing as a sure thing.”
17. Leaders Change What Needs Changing – Weaver turned in the team’s first pick in private rather than with traditional team involvement.  He advised those in the war room, “New tradition.  When the team starts winning we will go back to that.”
18. Leaders Pay A Higher Price Than Anyone Else – Ali told Weaver, “Sometimes the correct path is a tortured one.”
19. Approval Comes With A Twin Brother Named Results – Weaver was criticized throughout the entire movie – except the last 10 minutes when he made a second trade which landed him two of the draft’s top six selections.  Everybody loves a winner.

These are my thoughts on the movie.  What are yours?

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