The beloved children’s book Harold And The Purple Crayon was recently brought to life in a live-action version that extends the original tale into something special. I was hooked when I heard Zachary Levi was attached to play the live-action Harold. I knew I had to see the film. Levi is one of my top 10 actors.
So, what happens in Harold And The Purple Crayon? The film starts with the simplistic, childish drawings from the book. It then transitions into a brief animated scene featuring Moose (Lil Rel Howery) and Porcupine (Tanya Reynolds). They hear the voice of the Narrator (Alfred Molina) and decide to find a way to the real world.
As Harold and Moose make their way into the real world, they have to find a way to adapt to their new surroundings together. Poor Porcupine is separated from the group and has to navigate this new life independently.
There’s a lot to glean from this film. It’s a laugh-fest packed with important lessons. We’re going to examine those lessons in today’s Reel Leadership article.
Quotes And Leadership Lessons From Harold And The Purple Crayon
1. We can get in over our heads:
The Narrator shares how Harold’s purple crayon allowed him to go on his adventures. He could create whatever he could conceive of.
Harold’s imagination sometimes led him into trouble. He’d get in over his head.
Uh oh… Trouble awaits!
Our leader imaginations can get us in over our heads. It’s our purple crayon. We can imagine increased sales, more church attendees, or our staff crushing their unrealistic goals.
But our purple crayon won’t bring our imagination to life. It’s just that: our imagination.
We have to be cautious of what we imagine. We have to temper it with reality.
Otherwise, our imagination can get us in over our heads.
2. Harold:
Why did you draw me?
The Narrator tells Harold that he has drawn him. The knowledge sent Harold on a mission.
Why was he drawn? Who was the creator? What did it mean for Harold?
Whether you believe in God or not, the desire to know why we were created is often strong in people. We wonder why we’re born. Why did someone want to have us? Or why we’re in our current position.
The question we should ask ourselves is, “Why am I here?” It’s similar to Harold’s question and one we need to answer.
I believe we’re all put here for a reason(s). One of those is to impact the lives of others. We can positively impact those we are in community with, lead, and our family.
Find your purpose.
3. Beware of those who would hold you back:
Harold knew he had to find the answer to why he was drawn. To do this, Harold drew a door to the real world with his purple crayon. When he opened the door, he could see the real world.
Now, what about his friends: Moose and Porcupine? Porcupine was gung-ho. She wanted to go through the door and experience something new. Moose, on the other hand, was hesitant. He wanted to stay where he was.
Harold made his choice. He was going to go to a new place. He was going to find his father, the old man. So was Porcupine.
Until Moose stepped on her.
He prevented Porcupine from going through the door. She was trapped, at least for now, in their normal world.
There will be people in your organization who can’t think past their current reality. They will see what’s there and nothing more. The ability to see new possibilities and the excitement that comes with it doesn’t exist.
Be cautious of these people. You can keep them in your life, but you can’t let them hold you back.
4. Not everyone is a leader worth following:
Harold saw an old man (Danny Vinson) on a bench. He was excited. He had found the old man.
What did Harold do? He ran to the man and tried to talk to him. Moose followed along.
Harold discovered something. He wasn’t the old man Harold was looking for.
We see so many influencers and people claiming to be leaders online, it can be overwhelming. It can also be hard to tell who’s the real deal and who’s putting on a show.
As you add new leaders to follow, vet them. Make sure they’re who they say they are, doing what they say they do, and have made an impact.
If they don’t pass the sniff test, it may be a sign they’re not a leader or someone worth following.
5. Mel:
When people need help, we help.
Mel (Benjamin Bottani) is Terry’s (Zooey Deschanel) son. This mother/son duo meets Harold and Moose when Terri runs Harold and Moose off the road while fumbling with her phone. Harold and Moose are shaken but not hurt. Terry is shaken from the incident as she almost killed the pair.
Harold shares they don’t have a place to stay that night. Terry was hesitant to allow strangers to stay in her home. But then Mel speaks up.
Mel tells his mother that his father used to say, “When people need help, we help.” This changed Terry’s mind, and she allowed Harold and Moose to spend the night in their garage.
I believe this is a quote all leaders should adopt. It should become our mantra.
There are people out there who need help. We can provide the help. Why aren’t we?
Be leaders who help others.
6. Porcupine:
Wow, this is real power.
In the real world, Porcupine has to track down Harold and Moose. She was left behind in the story world, unable to turn the doorknob.
When she entered the real world, like Moose, she gained human form, which meant she now had opposable thumbs. She had never had the ability to turn doorknobs. Now she did and it was a fantastic experience.
Porcupine’s new thumbs were a new tool for her. They allowed her to do things she could never do before. We can provide our team members with tools in a similar fashion.
Seek out what your team needs. Give them the tools they need to do their job. Sometimes, it’s a simple matter that will change their whole world.
7. Great leaders share their influence:
Mel had an imaginary dragon-lizard. He could see it when no one else could. The imaginary pet frustrated Terry.
Harold and Moose also frustrated Terry. The two encouraged Mel’s imagination beyond what Terry thought was appropriate. This led to Terry telling them they had to go.
Before Harold left, he broke his purple crayon in two. He gave the other half to Mel, thus sharing his gift (or influence).
It’s our responsibility as leaders to share our influence. John Maxwell said one of the main goals of a leader is to influence. It goes beyond that to actually sharing our influence.
How can you share your influence with others?
- Introduce employees to people who are outside of their circle of influence.
- Put a good word with an organization that may be interested in hiring them.
- Give yourself space to help teach and train them.
Sharing your influence will take your organization and people to the next level. Find ways to share it!
8. Know what motivates others:
The film’s antagonist, Library Gary (Jemaine Clement), has a crush on Terry. Everyone around him knows this. Even the love interest of his fictional character looks like her.
Harold told Gary that he was looking for help in finding his father. Gary scoffed at this. He was a librarian, not ancestory.com.
Then, Harold told Gary he had spent the night at Terry’s. Gary became more upset. He wasn’t going to help him.
That’s when Mel saved the day. Mel told Gary that Terry had said Gary could find anything. Mel’s words triggered something within Gary to motivate him to get the job done.
What motivates you? Is it the unrequited love of a special person? Making your children proud? An extra week off?
You know what motivates you. Now, find out what motivates those you lead. They’ll probably be something similar.
Once you discover their motivations, you can help them get work done by rewarding them with things that align with their motivation.
9. Bad leaders are envious:
Gary discovers who Harold’s father is… It’s the author, Crockett Johnson. He had created Harold in the children’s book Harold And The Purple Crayon.
That’s when he sees it. The purple crayon.
Harold is outside the library. He’s drawing a plane to write Terry’s phone number in the sky. It all clicks.
It’s also the point where Gary becomes more envious of Harold. He now wants what Harold has.
We must be careful about looking to other leaders, seeing what they have, and desiring it for ourselves. We must watch our motives to make sure they’re true.
Be cautious if you find yourself lusting after what others have. It’ll lead to your ruin.
10. Mel:
You believed in me.
Gary obtained Harold’s purple crayon. He used the crayon to draw a dungeon wall and chained Harold to it. When Mel came to help Harold, Gary also chained Mel to the wall.
Harold begins to have a pity party. He felt defeated.
Mel tries to cheer him up. He shares what Harold had done for him. Harold believed in him.
Believing in others is powerful. It may be the most powerful motivating tool you have as a leader.
Let your people know you believe in them. Tell them you know they can get the job done.
The more you do, the more they know you have their back.
