12 Famous Movie Lines with Priceless Advice for Business Leaders

These 12 famous movie lines will probably evoke memories, but these memorable movie quotes can also inspire your business leadership with their uncanny insights.

Motivational Quotes for the Workplace:
What 12 Famous Movie Lines Can Teach Business Leaders

“Play it again, Sam,” is oft-quoted but was never actually uttered by the actors of the movie Casa Blanca. Nevertheless, we are going to play these twelve famous movie lines again, because they have some great applications for business leaders.

Are we having fun yet?

“Smile. It enhances your face value.”
Steel Magnolias: Dolly Parton as Truvy Jones

What’s your contingency plan?

“Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose. Sometimes it rains.”
Bull Durham: Kevin Costner as Crash Davis explaining baseball to love interest Annie Savoy, played by Susan Sarandon.

Do your customers or employees know where they can get help when something goes wrong?

“Houston? We have a problem.”
Commander Jim Lovell, played by Tom Hanks, soliciting help from NASA’s ground staff during the 1974 television film about Apollo 13. (Incidentally, this phrase is actually a mis-quote of the actual phrase uttered by the Apollo 13 space crew, which was, “Ahhhh, Houston? We’ve had a problem here.”)

When was the last time you ploughed a new road?

“Roads? Where we’re going, we don’t need roads.”
Back to the Future: Christopher Lloyd as Professor Emmett Brown, speaking to Marty McFly (Matthew J. Fox)

Got staying power?

“Just keep swimming.”
Finding Nemo: Dory, trying to cheer up Nemo’s dad.

If you don’t believe, why should anyone else?

“I think the question we should be asking is, do you believe in this thing, or not?”
Brad Pitt as Oakland A’s General Manager Billy Beane, questioning whether sidekick Peter Brand (played by Jonah Hill) believes in the unorthodox system he’s asking the team to adopt.

How many hats are you wearing?

“I am a businessman. I am anything I need to be at any time.”
Big Night: Ian Holm as Pascal, owners of a competing restaurant.

Do your employees know you have their back?

“No one, and I mean no one, comes into our house and pushes us around.”
Rudy: Chelcie Ross as Dan Devine, in a speech to the team before the final game of the season.

Do you have measurable goals?

“Only one thing counts in this world: Get them to sign on the line which is dotted.”
Glengarry Glen Ross: Alec Baldwin as Blake in one of the most-quoted speeches in business-movie history (“always be closing”).

Are you protecting – and pursuing – your dream?

“You got a dream you gotta protect it. People can’t do something themselves, they wanna tell you can’t do it.”
Pursuit of Happyness: Will Smith as Gardner, speaking to his son.

Are you limiting your own potential?

“The question isn’t ‘what are we going to do,’ the question is, ‘what aren’t we going to do?’”
Ferris Buehler’s Day Off: Title lead Matthew Broderick to his reluctant friend, Cameron, played by Alan Ruck.

Are you ready to adapt to changes in your industry or the marketplace?

“Toto, I’ve a feeling we’re not in Kansas anymore.”
The Wizard of Oz: Judy Garland as Dorothy, speaking to her dog.

Source: forbes.com, Best Business Quotes From The Silver Screen, washingtonpost.com in The best business wisdom hidden in classic movie quotes and businessinsider.com in 15 Famous Movie Quotes Everyone Gets Wrong

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