In The Grey tells the story of Sid (Henry Cavill) and Bronco (Jake Gyllenhaal). They are extraction specialists working for a woman named Rachel (Eiza González). Rachel deals in the grey with some very bad people.
When Rachel’s deal with Manny Salazar (Carlos Bardem) goes sideways, Sid and Bronco have to extract her from a remote island.
There’s a lot of action. I thought it lacked substance. However, we can still pull leadership lessons from In The Grey.
Let’s take a look at the ones I saw.
Quotes And Leadership Lessons From In The Grey
1. Rachel:
The man on the phone taught me everything I know.
The movie opens with a voiceover from Rachel. She’s talking about Braxton (Darrell D’Silva).
He’s like her. He deals in the grey. He tries to right wrongs that others can’t. Or maybe won’t.
However, he ends up dying shortly after we meet him in the film. This doesn’t change the fact that he was a teacher. He helped train Rachel in how to negotiate and close the deal.
I loved how Rachel paid tribute to her teacher. She understood what he meant to her and how much she learned from him.
Never forget the leaders who came before you. They taught you. They trained you. They helped you become the leader you are today.
2. Great leaders let their people know of known dangers:
Rachel confronts Bobby (Rosamund Pike) after Braxton’s murder. He had been reaching out to Salazar’s people and dealing with them. He never knew the true danger he was in.
Rachel was upset. Her mentor was dead. And it could have been because Bobby hadn’t given him a heads-up about the danger ahead of him.
I’ve seen many leaders withhold critical information from their team. The information could be:
- Impending closures or layoffs
- A data security breach at a sister company
- Potential changes in leadership
Great leaders don’t keep people in the dark. They give them the information they need to make informed choices.
Be a leader who informs rather than conceals.
3. Have a plan:
The whole film was about Rachel’s plan to get one billion dollars from Salazar’s operation. He owed a debt that was never paid. They would get it.
How? Rachel laid out the plan:
- Procedural and Practical
- Planning and Preparation
- Conference with the Enemy
Each step brought Rachel and her team closer to their final goal (which is revealed at the end of the film). Rachel played out each step to success.
What’s your plan for your organization’s success? Do you even have a plan?
If not, it’s time to make a plan for your organization.
If you do, make sure you follow the plan. Deviate when necessary.
4. Practice, practice, practice:
In The Grey shows the importance of practice. Rachel’s team had 3 different evacuation routes. The team practiced each one over and over again.
During one such run, they discovered dirt bikes or motorcycles could be a better means of transportation than a car.
Each practice unveiled something previously unseen. They learned and adapted.
Once organizations feel they have their tasks down pat, they stop practicing. They stop trying new things.
Never stop practicing. Never stop trying to see what improvements you can make.
The practice scenes made me think of the book Two Second Lean. The book was filled with practical ways to find two-second improvements.
Where can you practice within your organization to find simple things to improve?
Practice, practice, practice.
5. Leaders have to care about things that they may not like:
Rachel went after Salazar’s assets. She took away his means of transportation and business tools. Salazar was furious.
William Horowitz (Fisher Stevens) is Salazar’s lawyer. He begins to tell Salazar that Rachel has impounded his jet and boats. International laws were preventing him from getting them back.
What does Salazar say? He tells Horowitz he doesn’t care about international law. He only wants his stuff back.
So many of our day-to-day activities have us ignoring things we should care about. There may be minor laws or procedures we ignore or bypass.
We don’t care about them. They’re not important.
Until they are.
We need to care about every portion of our organization and the laws that govern it. If we fail to pay attention to them, we may find ourselves in a heap of trouble.
6. Bronco:
More of a challenge than a problem.
Rachel and Bronco go into a bar to get a drink. Salazar’s men follow them.
Rachel notices the men’s presence. She asks Bronco if there’s a problem.
To Bronco, this wasn’t a problem. The men presented a challenge. One he would overcome with his team’s help.
We often see situations as problems. Cash flow problems. Employee morale problems. Production problems.
What if we didn’t see these as problems but as a challenge?
I rarely like to solve a problem. I do like to solve a good challenge. Challenges offer us the opportunity to work through a situation.
Let’s start viewing situations as challenges instead of problems.
7. Leaders have to go into the lion’s den:
Horowitz rings up Rachel. He tells her Salazar wants to meet in person.
Uh oh. Or oh yeah?
This was Rachel’s call into the lion’s den. She would have to confront a corrupt man face-to-face.
The lion’s den can be scary. You have to face challenges head-on. You have to tell someone what’s really going on.
Don’t be afraid to go into the lion’s den. If you’ve done everything right, there’s nothing to fear.
8. Victory can be short-lived:
Rachel gets Horowitz and Salazar to agree to the billion-dollar payment. They’re not happy about it but they’re going to do it.
Her company receives the payment. All is good…
Until three months later.
Salazar sends Axel Olsson (Kristofer Hivju) after her. Axel kidnaps her and takes her to a secluded area. Her victory was short-lived.
We love to celebrate victories. We should celebrate victories. However, we have to be aware that our victories can be short-lived.
A new challenge may arise. Someone may quit at random with no notice. You may have a new competitor pop up.
Victory is never forever.
9. What’s your plan B?:
Bronco and Sid follow the rescue plan for Rachel. They’re at the step of breaking into a jail.
Everything’s going well. Until it doesn’t.
A couple of police officers walk in after Bronco and Sid had secured everyone. These officers pull their guns. The guys shoot and kill them.
Alarms go off. Other officers swarm the jail. They have to get out.
Thankfully, Plan B was in place. Andre Baker (Kojo Attah) was outside of the jail walls. He had what looked to be a life raft with him. It wasn’t. It was explosives.
Baker blows a hole in the wall. The duo escapes with Rachel.
Things will never go fully according to plan. You need to have a plan B, C, D, E, etc…
Knowing what to do if things go south will help you readjust your strategy. Be ready with additional plans.
10. Sometimes, your people can’t give you an answer:
As Sid, Bronco, and Rachel escape, they come to a place where they obtain a rocket launcher. They’re going to take down one of Salazar’s helicopters.
Sid asks Bronco for the range of the helicopter. Bronco tells Sid to wait. He doesn’t have a clear view.
Sid keeps asking. Bronco can’t give him a legitimate answer because he can’t get a lock on something he can’t see.
If your people tell you they don’t have an answer or that you need to wait for more information, be patient. There’s a reason behind it.
Your people aren’t lazy. They’re not trying to be coy. They’re trying to get you accurate information.
