This past week I saw the fifth installment of Sylvester Stallone’s Rambo franchise, Rambo: Last Blood. In this movie, Rambo has finally found some sense of peace as an Arizona rancher. He even has an extended family. When his niece Gabrielle is captured by Mexican sex traffickers, Rambo’s destructive military tendencies reemerge.
What follows is an incredible level blood, gore and violence. Hardcore Rambo fans will enjoy this movie – especially the last 20 minutes. But be prepared, it’s violent and graphic.
The following are 13 Leadership Lessons From Rambo: Last Blood. All quotes are from Rambo.
- We Are More Forgiving Of Those We Love – I don’t go to R-rated movies and HATE GDs and F-bombs. But I have a 37 year relationship with John Rambo. Therefore, I made a concession and went to this movie.
- Great Leaders Relentlessly Prepare – Rambo, as you would expect, had accumulated countless guns, knives, machetes, and explosives. These were stored in a series of tunnels on his property which he had dug himself.
- Great Communicators Use Brevity – Referring to Gabrielle’s father, Rambo said, “He’s not a good man. It’s that simple.”
- A Man Leads At Home First – “It’s never good for a man to throw his family away.”
- Successful Leaders Can Manage Their Emotions And Behavior – “I’ve not changed. I just try to keep a lid on it.”
- Stay Under Your Parents’ Umbrella Of Protection – Rambo and Gabrielle’s mother told her she was not allowed to go to Mexico. Her mother told her it was dangerous and did not trust her friend there. Gabrielle lied to her mother and went anyway. Once there, she was drugged and sex trafficked.
- There Are Things Leaders Cannot Control – “I can’t control what’s out there.”
- There Is No Telling The Damage We Are All Capable Of – “I know how black a man’s heart can be.”
- Death Is Coming For All Of Us And There Is Nothing We Can Do To Stop It – “Death is coming and there’s nothing they can do to stop it.”
- Great Leaders Have An Elite Skill Set – Rambo’s ability to plan and execute military operations is unparalleled in cinematic history. His use of weapons, particularly the bow and arrow, and combat skills are at an elite level to say the least.
- Success Flows From Hard Work – What gets lost in these movies is Rambo’s work ethic. The effort he puts in to building tunnels, making knives, digging ditches, planning, and practicing is once again, at an elite level.
- Great Leaders Execute – The sex traffickers made a fatal mistake invading Rambo’s property. Rambo executed his plan of revenge with graphic detail.
- “I’ve lived in a world of death. I tried to come home, but I never really arrived. A part of my mind and soul got lost along the way, but my heart was still here where I was born, where I would defend to the end the only family I’ve ever known, the only home I’ve ever known. All the ones I’ve loved are now ghosts. But I will fight to keep their memory alive forever.”
My book Timeless: 10 Enduring Practices Of Apex Leaders is available for purchase. If you have ever wanted to become the leader God created you to be, this book is for you! By combining leadership lessons from biblical heroes like Jesus, Daniel and Joseph, along with modern day leaders like Bill Gates, Nick Saban, Kobe Bryant and multiple pastors, Timeless will equip and inspire you. This book is not to be read alone. Discussion questions are included in each chapter allowing you to develop those in your circle of influence. Click HERE or on the image provided and order your copies TODAY.