Over the weekend, I re-watched the 2020 fantasy/action flick – The Old Guard on Netflix. The movie’s plot is around a group of centuries old warriors with regenerative healing abilities, who use their vast experience to help people. It is a story which speaks to sacrifice, love, purpose, mission, betrayal among other themes. Although I had watched it last year, I got glued to my set from start to end.
While reflecting on it once again, a few lessons along the lines of leadership and life in general were key takeaways. Without giving much of the story away and spoiling it for those of you yet to watch it, let me share with you some lessons I took away.
- We are all leaving footprints and impressions behind by way of our actions either online and offline and others are watching. The truth of the matter is that unless you live in a bubble your life will come under scrutiny at some point, no matter how you try to remain under the radar or operate in silence. In the movie, the four (4) immortals never knew James Copley had been studying them and had gathered so much information and intel about their activities and missions during the last 50 years.
- Leaders always see the future and prepare for it, but great leaders always have growth or succession plans in place. After the team members all have visions or dreams of another young immortal, Andy the Oldest of the immortals sets off to recruit this new immortal by name Nile, who has yet to realise her potential and must be guided to harness it.
- Leaders always lay the rule and get team members to understand when to act or react. Their rules might be restrictive at times but sometimes it is only meant to protect and preserve. After the team is attacked at their Paris hideout, Andy goes out to face off with the military operatives and tells Nile (the recruit) to stay behind and wait for her signal. An impatient Nile seeks to join the fray, but an injured Booker insist she must wait for Andy’s signal. The signal finally comes and they realise that Andy has fully taken care of the threat at hand.
- Leaders never encourage the recurrence of betrayal. They make an example of those who do not put the team first. The team had come to realise that Booker betrayed them and caused their eventual capture. Nile pleads for him, but she came to realise that Andy’s leadership is characterised by making tough decisions. Booker was summarily punished, and this involved being ostracised for a century (Yes. He was thrown out of the team for 100 years).
- The past always has an uncanny way of creeping up on us at some point. Quynh, another immortal, whom Andy made the team aware was drowned years back resurfaces at end of the movie in Booker’s apartment. She introduces herself to a shattered and drunken Booker and your guess is as good as mine. She is ready to rope him in for what others are speculating is a revenge mission against Andy.
- There is always the opportunity and potential to convert/turn folks on the opposite side to our side (who will support the cause). At the end of the movie, we see James Copley being roped and recruited to help the Immortals. Once he understood the Purpose, he was ready to Play his Part.
- Teams have their issues but what makes great teams is their ability to forge ahead and ensure that no member is left behind. Even when Andy seemed to have been losing her immortality and susceptible to injuries, the rest of the team rallied to make sure they all got out. A repentant Booker admitted to have betrayed the team and wanted to be left behind but the rest of the team never left him during their breakout and together fought for a breakthrough.
- Sometimes, the world and people need to know the truth no matter how awkward it seems. After their capture, Nicolo and Joe are hauled away in a van and it is at this point in the movie we realise the two immortals (who fought against each other during the Crusades) are a couple and in a romantic relationship. Joe even in the face of an uncertain end and the threat to keep quiet passionately tells their captors that Nicolo isn’t his boyfriend but more to him than they can dream. In that instance, this incurable romantic shares publicly what they share privately.
- One day, after the conquest and all that life and living it presents, we will all find out that we are all dying albeit slowly and nothing lives forever. Andy is the badass boss of the immortals. She had lived for centuries and at a point she notes that she was worshiped as a god. Fast forward to her encounter with the military operatives and she is wounded in battle. In that instance, she realised that unlike the situation where any mortal wounds inflicted on them quickly heals, this one isn’t healing. At this point, it dawns on her that she is now susceptible to death like mortals do. Realising this, her actions from then are somewhat rash but a naïve Nile makes her believe in their mission and purpose once again.
- Be careful of who you believe and the assignments you pick up. At the early parts of the movie, Andy and the rest of her team of Immortals thought they had picked up a rescue mission only to walk into a trap and had to fight their way out of it.
- Others will always be interested in who you are and what makes you unique. They will come after you and sometimes when they do, be ready for the fight of your life or a cause. Andy had come to realise that their uniqueness as immortals always predisposed them to attacks and even after centuries of living it was no different. They soon realised that they were the subject of an attack and capture by an consortium to monitize their abilities.
Have you watched the movie? Let’s get interactive. Share in the comment section any lessons or takeaways from it.
GhPRguy 