When the hit men from the other family show up they see that there must be full blown security on the Don based on the two guys out front with weapons, and they move along. Neither Michael nor the baker are carrying a weapon, but they fake it.
He teaches the baker how to make it look like he's got a gun in his jacket. Michael trashes the flowers and brings the baker outside to stand on the steps of the hospital with him. While waiting for the security to show up, the local baker stops by to visit Corleone with some flowers. Michael realizes that a hit is about to go down on his father and calls the family for back up. His son, Michael, shows up only to realize that that all of his father's security has been eliminated.
Great leaders are good at getting what they want by stepping into the shoes of the other party to determine what they will be looking for, and then they formulate the offer around that.įake It: There is one scene where Don Corleone is in the hospital recovering from multiple gunshot wounds. They make their strongest and best offer first with the assumption that the other party will take it because it's that good. They are not about haggling or meeting in the middle. When followers go after something they want, they tend to low ball or make a weak offer in the belief that the other side will negotiate.
Strong relationships coupled with a healthy network results in a powerful business.Īn Offer They Can't Refuse: There are many differences between those who lead and those who follow, and one that stands out in both the movie and in real life is this great leaders negotiate differently. Building and connecting the network both inside and outside of the business is the name of the game for great leaders. The movie focuses entirely on The Godfather's ability to manage the hundreds of relationships he has built over his lifetime. Great leaders are in the business of building relationships and the byproduct of their amazing network is a successful real estate, widget, or olive oil business. Relationship Business: Awesome leaders are not really in the business of real estate, selling widgets, or producing olive oil. Great leaders realize that they can't do it all, but have amassed a team that will ensure the job gets done. At a minimum, his consigliere, Tom, or his son, Sonny were always at his side and once he granted a favor to someone, The Godfather would immediately assign the task of fulfilling the favor to one of his team members. For this reason, he never sits alone when taking a request for help from someone. The Godfather demonstrates an awesome ability to delegate, and to do it immediately. As the empire grows it is essential to figure out a way to make sure that promises continue to be fulfilled so that those who follow continue to have respect and faith in the leader. Leaders, on the other hand, make things happen. Let's face it, most people talk a good game, but never follow through. Here are the 8 leadership lessons I learned from the Don:ĭelegate Immediately: Great leaders climb to their positions because they are typically really good at getting things done. When you strip the story of the bloodshed and drama you are left with something entrepreneurs like me savor pure unadulterated lessons on how to lead an empire. Having read the book and watched the movie, I was enthralled with the lessons to the extent that I wrote down leadership lessons throughout the story. Love him or hate him, there is one thing that is certain, The Godfather was an amazing leader.