Gran Turismo is not going to win any Academy Awards but it definitely has significant value for leaders. If you are not familiar with this true story, Gran Turismo is based on Jann Mardenborough’s journey from being a gamer to professional race car driver.
9 Leadership Quotes And Lessons From Gran Turismo
The following are 9 Leadership Quotes And Lessons From Gran Turismo The Movie:
Desperation Is A Leader’s Friend
The film’s three main characters (Nissan marketing executive Danny Moore played by Orlando Bloom, crew chief and former driver Jack Salter played by David Harbour, and Mardenborough played by Archie Madekwe) were each out of options. At the risk of being laughed out of their industries, they were desperate enough to push all their chips into the middle of the table.
There will come a time in every leader’s life and career when they will be out of options but believe in something so deeply they are willing to take significant risks.
For more on the value of desperation in a leader’s life, read 10 Reasons Why Desperation Can Be Your Best Friend.
Ordinary People Can Still Do Extraordinary Things
Jann Mardenborough had a HUGE dream, incredible work ethic, unshakable belief in his abilities, and a massive amount of resilience. As a result, these qualities propelled him from being a gamer in his bedroom to racing the world’s most famous tracks.
If you have similar qualities, who says the same type of thing can’t happen for you?
Every New Level Has A New Devil
But be aware, experienced leaders know that each promotion does not bring increased levels of ease. It brings greater amounts of responsibility, pressure, headaches, challenges, and potential failure. These are just some of the costs of leadership.
Salter told the collection of new drivers, “If you miss a line in the game you reset. If you miss it on the track you could die.” That is certainly raising the stakes.
Leaders Must Be Decisive
Few things are as frustrating as an indecisive leader. Indecisiveness causes leaders to have their competency questioned and the organization’s mission and vision to stall. On the other hand, Salter displayed incredible decisiveness throughout the movie.
When it came time to cut prospective drivers, he said, “There’s a cap and a shirt. That car will take you home.” No lack of clarity. When it came time to train Mardenborough, he emphatically said, “Passing is the art of conviction.”
Decisiveness was required both on the track and with personnel.
“The difference between winning and losing is a millionth of a second.”
Successful leaders make a big deal about little things. This is because they know victory is in the details. I wrote about this earlier this week with the article Favor Isn’t Always Fair. 6 Advantages For Leaders Who Pay Great Attention To Small Details.
Expectations Debt
Expectations Debt is what happens when you have done a really good job and that is now your new baseline for performance. For example, let’s say you have just had a record-breaking year in sales. You exceeded all expectations set before you. “Great job” is what you hear. And then you learn this best year of your career is now the expectation. You now have Expectations Debt.
The opposite is also true.
If there are no expectations for you, it should be easier to hit your goals. Salter told Mardenborough, “Good news. No one thinks we can do this. So low expectations. You got this.”
Smart leaders learn to manage expectations by making them realistic.
Continual Improvement and Marginal Gains
As a coach, you want people on your team who respond to your instruction and just get incrementally better every day. The compounded affects of their marginal gains will be realized sooner or later.
Salter encouraged Mardenborough by telling him,”You look for continual improvement… You’ve got instincts. That can’t be taught.”
Failure Does Not Have To Define You
Failure is a constant in a leader’s life. Risk is always involved. But successful leaders learn from their failures. They never waste a crisis. Failure creates the best opportunities for learning.
After a devastating crash, Salter comforted Mardenborough by telling him, “A crash does not define who you are. How you respond will.” He then shared the story of his own catastrophic crash.
For a deeper dive into the subject of failure, read Leaders Never Waste A Crisis.
The Value Of Repetition
Mardenborough’s confidence to race in the 24 Hours of Le Mans came from his extensive preparation. He advised Salter, “I know this track. I’ve raced it a thousand times.” He had put in his 10,000 hours.
If you are not confident in your leadership assignments, it is likely because you are not prepared. Put in the time and hard work preparation requires.
Conclusion
Gran Turismo is a solid movie. At this point I would wait for it to come out on a streaming service. There is some language but so sexual or inappropriate items.
But if you have a couple of hours and just want to enjoy yourself, check it out. Just don’t have any Expectations Debt. Keep the expectations low and have a good time.
My latest eBook is available for download. The Top 65 Leadership Quotes Of 2022 Part 1 is a resource every leader should have. Great quotes bring clarity and put into words who we intuitively feel as leaders. They give us wisdom and insights which advance the mission and vision of our organizations. This eBook includes thoughts and insights from leaders like Warren Buffett, Nick Saban, James Clear, Dawn Staley, Jurgen Klopp, Jerry Seinfeld, and even Ted Lasso. This resource will take you about 10 minutes to read but a lifetime to apply. You will want to stop and ponder the implications of each quote. Click HERE or on the image provided for immediate download!