MAKING MY POINT
Silver Screen Gems
If the Bible doesn ’ t do it for you , you might consider these infamous quotes
By Roger Snow
Some can cite chapter and verse from the ( in the ) beginning of Genesis to the ( seventh and ) final sign of Revelation , not to mention every single psalm and beatitude in between . Others still have memorized each and every element on the periodic table , and there has to be , what , at least a dozen of them ? And then there are those among us — modern-major-generals , mostly — that know the kings of England and quote the fights historical , from Marathon to Waterloo , in order categorical .
But for every one of those , you ’ ll find a thousand of these : People who can lip-sync all three Godfather films and every episode of Seinfeld . Not that there ’ s anything wrong with that . Because many of life ’ s lessons lay outside the Good Book or the hard sciences or the high art of musical theater . The screen , be it big or small , has served its share of gospel truths over the years , quotes and quips that offer insight and direction to your own life and your own career .
You know , like these :
“ You ’ re gonna need a bigger boat .” — Chief Brody , Jaws
Yeppers , we ’ ve all had this feeling . Maybe not of coming near nose-to-nose with a Carcharodon carcharias — it ’ s a great white — but of realizing in the clap of an instant we are woefully outgunned . Could be a board meeting where the person speaking is a cross between Chris Rock and Steve Jobs … and you ’ re on deck . Could be a job interview where everyone else is an MBA from Penn State and you ’ re a GED from the state pen .
Or could be at a trade show in Las Vegas about 20 years ago when you wander into a competitor ’ s booth and realize your new slot isn ’ t as hot to trot as you had thought . True story . There ’ s only one way to deal with this situation , and that ’ s to avoid it altogether . Conduct your diligence ahead of time and learn exactly what you are getting yourself into before you get into it . Or step into it . As Charlie Sheen said in Wall Street — speaking of movies — quoting Sun Tzu : “ Every battle is won before it ’ s ever fought .”
“ Change calls the tune we dance to .” — Al Swearengen , Deadwood
Better you see your own weaknesses and shore them up before others crucify you for them .
As fans of this HBO show would know , it wasn ’ t easy finding a quote from this particular character that didn ’ t include a 10- letter word ending with – ucker ( think about it ). But this simple message , delivered stoically , calmly , matter-of-factly while pouring himself a coffee , rings louder than any daisy chain of polysyllabic vulgarities ever could .
Change simply does not care what you need or what you want . It does what it does when it wants to do it . You ? You ’ re just along for the ride . Look no further back than the last two years . Like , who saw this $#%@ coming ? But just because something can ’ t be predicted — pandemic , economic shutdown , supply-chain chaos — doesn ’ t mean it can ’ t be negotiated . See it early . Don ’ t wait for it to overwhelm you . React and attack .
“ I ’ m not bad . I ’ m just drawn that way .” — Jessica Rabbit , Who Framed Roger Rabbit
It ’ s hard not to judge a book by its cover . How else are you going to judge it , by actually reading it ? Well duh , who has time for that ? As author Malcolm Gladwell — he of the 10,000 hours fame and the Garfunkel hairdo infamy — pointed out in his best-seller , Blink : Humans are biologically conditioned to make impressions in an instant , and those impression are unlikely to change . And they tend to be right . Master the art of the first impression . Present yourself in a way that ’ s approachable , likeable , positive and enthusiastic .
“ You see a lot , Doctor . But are you strong enough to point that high-powered perception at yourself ?” — Clarice Starling , The Silence of the Lambs
This is for all the vampires out there . You know , the ones that cannot see their own reflections in the mirror . Of course , irony being what it is , it seems those folks least capable of identifying their own inadequacies are expert at finding them in others , no matter how microscopic .
If you take something as the North Star for your career , take this . Always look inward . Become the toughest critic of your flaws and your blind spots . Let ’ s be honest : pretty much everyone is talking a little smack behind your back . Better you see your own weaknesses and shore them up before others crucify you for them .
“ I am the one who knocks .” — Walter White , Breaking Bad
Yeah , well sometimes you ’ ve just gotta kick a little ass . Leadership indeed comes in many flavors , from democratic to autocratic to every cratic in between , but wishy-washy-cratic sure as hell ain ’ t on the menu .
Be decisive and be bold . And if you ’ re wrong ? Brush it off and jump back into the breech . People respect that . They want to be part of it . Yes , even in crisis . Nobody , or at least nobody you ’ d choose for your team , wants to curl up in the fetal position and hope whatever menace they ’ re facing passes them by . Rather , they want steer directly into it and duke it out .
And as true leaders , you can ’ t be afraid to get your hands a little dirty — or a little bloody — along the way .
Roger Snow is a senior vice president with Scientific Games . The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of Scientific Games Corporation or its affiliates .
31 Global Gaming Business FEBRUARY 2022