The 1984 film Gremlins was a smash hit. Gremlins was the fourth-highest-grossing movie of the year. It also went on to create a long-lasting franchise. The third film in the series is in development and on track to come out in the next couple of years. And… you may not know this, but Gremlins, along with Indiana Jones And The Temple Of Doom, created a need for the PG-13 rating to be added to the film rating system.
When inept inventor Randall Peltzer (Hoyt Axton) purchases an exotic pet for his son, Billy (Zach Galligan), he’s given three simple rules for the creature by the Grandfather (Keye Luke) who sold it. Those rules:
- Don’t expose them to bright light (especially sunlight, which kills them)
- Don’t get them wet (which causes them to multiply)
- Don’t feed them after midnight (which transforms them into mischievous Gremlins)
As we all know, the characters in movies can’t follow the rules. Something has to happen. And it does in Gremlins.
Young Billy accidentally gets the Mogwai Gizmo wet. He multiples. One of those duplicates, Spike, destroys the power cord to his clock. Billy thinks it is before midnight as he gives the Mogwai a late-night snack.
Bad move, Billy. Bad move.
The cute and cuddly Mogwai transform into devilish little creatures that terrorize the quaint little town.
As the Gremlins run rampant on the town, let’s take a look at the leadership lessons in Steven Spielberg’s classic Gremlins.
Quotes And Leadership Lessons From Gremlins
1. Everyone has a story to tell:
Gremlins opens with Rand telling a story. He shares who he is: a crazy inventor with lots of ideas. He also tells us that he has a story to tell.
That story? The story of how Gremlins took over his town and his son saved them.
Think about everyone on your team. Have you ever wondered about their story? Who are they? What do they bring to the table? What’s happened/happening in their lives?
That’s their story. Their story is important.
Allow your team members to tell you their story.
2. Rand:
I make the illogical logical.
Rand was led into a store run by a Chinese Grandfather by an unnamed Chinese boy (John Louie). While looking around the store for a Christmas present (Is Gremlins a Christmas movie, just like Die Hard?!?) for his son, he begins to show Grandfather one of his inventions.
The invention was the Bathroom Buddy. It was a small, portable combination of various bathroom tools you might use. There was a toothbrush, toothpaste, comb, nail clippers, mirror, razor, etc, the user could have at their disposal in a pinch.
Rand tells Grandfather that he makes the illogical logical.
I love how Rand worded what he did. He didn’t say he was an inventor. No, he knew there was something better. He helped make the illogical logical.
I believe that’s what leaders should do. They should help their team members understand processes, ideas, and vision in a logical way.
Leaders don’t have to be wordy, preachy, or know-it-all. No, they help make things simple for their team members.
How are you making things logical or simple for your team?
3. Billy:
You know, it’s funny. The new ones aren’t like Gizmo.
Young Pete (Corey Feldman) dropped a Christmas tree off to Billy’s mom, Lynn (Frances Lee McCain). He was dressed as a cute little tree. After dropping the tree off, he begins to talk to Billy.
Billy shows Pete Gizmo. Pete accidentally knocks over a glass containing water and gets Gizmo wet.
No! That’s rule number 2 broken!!!
Gizmo begins to screech as balls of fur pop off of him. These balls of fur are the progeny of Gizmo. They’re new Mogwai. And they’re more mischievous than their predecessor.
Billy watches him. He observes they behave differently than Gizmo, even though they descended from him.
Leaders are supposed to be multipliers. They are leaders who create new leaders.
We can get frustrated when we look at the leaders who have risen up from our ranks. They’re different than us. That can be frustrating at first glance.
However, understand you can’t create clones of yourself. You’re going to produce new leaders who have new ideas and different approaches to situations.
Embrace the difference.
4. Great leaders know how to persuade those they lead:
Mr. Futterman (Dick Miller) left the local tavern, Dorry’s Tavern, where Kate (Phoebe Cates) bartended. He was drunk as a coot. He was stumbling around and fumbling to get into his tractor.
Kate sees him trying to drive his tractor intoxicated. She knew she couldn’t let him be in that kind of dangerous position.
Kate gently approaches Mr. Futterman. She explains to him the situation. Then she suggests that he walk home. He agreed, and there was no danger to society at large.
Whew!
Kate was a persuasion expert. She understands what needs to be said, how to say it, and what to do afterward. That’s leadership!
When you see a situation, do you step in and provide an alternative solution? Do you try to persuade the person about to misbehave?
Great leaders do that. They know how to talk people down from the ledge, encourage them to do something positive, and avoid danger.
Be a persuasive leader.
5. Kate:
He just wants someone to listen.
Billy tells Kate that she handled Mr. Futterman well. Kate responded that she was used to handling Mr. Futteman.
What was Kate’s secret? She understood that people want someone to listen to them. So she listened.
Guess what? While it’s true in the movies that people want someone to listen to them, it’s also true in real life.
The people on your team are longing to be heard. They’re longing for someone to listen to them.
YOU can be that listening ear they desire. You can offer up a chair, a drink, and a moment to share.
Give your people your ear.
6. You can do what you think is right and still be wrong:
Billy believed he followed the rules Grandfather set out for the Mogwai. He had looked at his alarm clock before feeding. The time showed it was before midnight.
What he didn’t know was that the clock had been tampered with. One of the Mogwai had destroyed the power cord, so the clock was stuck.
When Billy fed the Mogwai, they began to transform.
He did what he was told. He did what he thought was right. His actions were still wrong.
When dealing with difficult situations in the office, we are given what we believe to be the facts. The facts are given to us by others and our own interactions.
The problem with that? The facts can be misinterpreted, misrepresented, or falsified. What does that lead to? Leaders being wrong.
If this happens to you, don’t hide from it. Own the fact that you made a decision you thought was right that turned out to be wrong. Then, do everything you can do to fix it.
7. Leaders take care of their people and themselves:
At one point, Gizmo hurt himself. Billy took Gizmo to the bathroom. There, he bandaged Gizmo’s wounds. Billy took care of Gizmo.
Later in the film, Billy learns that one of the Gremlins killed his teacher, Roy Hanson (Glynn Turman). When Billy finds Mr. Hanson, the Gremlin is still in the classroom. The Gremlin searches out Billy, scratches his hand, and leaves Billy injured. Billy goes and bandages up his damaged hand.
Leaders care for their people. They tend to their wounds. But they also tend to the wounds inflicted upon themselves.
You can’t take care of only your people. That leaves you hurting and injured. You also can’t be so focused on your wounds that you neglect your people.
Find a balance between caring for others and yourself.
8. Bad leaders lead people down the wrong path:
The new Mogwai had a leader. His name was Spike. He was a Gremlin with a white mohawk.
Spike was quite the troublemaker. He encouraged the other Mogwai to become mischievous.
He led them down a destructive path.
Leaders wield extreme power over the people they influence. Leaders can lead people down the straight and narrow path or they can encourage them to be unethical, destructive, or abusive.
Check yourself as you’re leading. What path are you leading your people down?
9. Terror and anxiety will decrease your effectiveness:
Mrs. Deagle (Polly Holliday) was an abusive character in the film. She threatened anybody and everybody. She even threatened Billy’s dog!
You could say Mrs. Deagle got her comeuppance in the film when the Gremlins showed up at her house.
She heard carolers at her front door. When she went to chase them off, she saw they weren’t little children. They were hideous green monsters!
Mrs. Deagle became terrified. She ran back into her house and began fumbling with her locks. Her terror wouldn’t allow her to latch the chains to keep her house secure. It took multiple attempts to lock the door.
I’m not saying leaders won’t be scared or anxious. There are times when you will find yourself facing the unknown, and it is scary!
However, you can’t lead from a place of terror or anxiety. Both of these will reduce your effectiveness. They’ll also pollute your team members’ attitudes.
10. Grandfather:
To hear, one only has to listen.
Grandfather appears at the Peltzer’s home. He’s there to take Gizmo back.
Billy is shocked when he sees Grandfather talking to Gizmo. More than that, Grandfather understands Gizmo and is able to communicate with him!
How does Grandfather do this? He tells Billy that hearing is as simple as listening.
Gremlins is a movie all about listening. Did you know that?
Leadership is also all about listening. To hear and understand others, listen.
Be willing to hear what they have to say. Ask clarifying questions. Dig deeper.
When you listen, you will hear.
