Remembering Bacall: Leadership Lessons From a Class Act
“You know you don’t have to act with me, Steve. You don’t have to say anything and you don’t have to do anything. Not a thing. Oh, maybe just whistle …”
– Lauren Bacall as ‘Slim’ Browning, in “To Have and Have Not”’ 1944
That was Lauren Bacall’s first role and the one that made her a star. Did you know, she was so unnerved and shaken by the presence of Humphrey Bogart that she couldn’t deliver those lines without trembling? The only way she could steady herself was to keep her head down and look up at him with her eyes. Ironically, that’s what earned her ‘the look’ and sultry reputation she became known for during her early years in Hollywood.
Theatre and movies have given us our fair share of grand dames, matriarchs and legends. Bacall, who died last month was certainly one of them – and a classy one to boot. She would have turned 90 tomorrow.
Old-timers like me, were introduced to her in television broadcasts of her early movies with her future husband Humphrey Bogart. Her ‘story’ bespoke the magic of Hollywood’s ‘Golden Age,’ when agents still discovered talent sitting at drugstore counters, or on magazine covers, as it was in Bacall’s case. While attending The American Academy of Dramatic Arts, she earned money by being an usher and a model.
Both on and off screen, (or on and off stage), she was a class act. Her work and her philosophy on life reflected not only the love of her craft, but her determination to stretch herself and grow. Each role she assumed personally and professionally was a learning experience that fueled her confidence, commitment, motivation, determination and belief in herself. These qualities spell the best of what leadership stands for.
So what is Lauren Bacall’s legacy to leadership? Here are 8 quotes culled from her two autobiographies, and interviews.
- “Imagination is the highest kite one can fly.” Don’t be afraid to dream. It opens the door to possibilities.
- “Legends are all to do with the past and nothing to do with the present.” When you define yourself by past successes, you blind yourself to today’s opportunities.
- “You can’t start worrying about what’s going to happen. You get spastic enough worrying about what’s happening now.” Don’t let fear of the unknown impede today’s growth and achievement. The only way to increase your odds or future success, is to take care of the here and now.
- “I am not a has-been. I am a will be.” You’ve come a long way. Let the past reinforce your confidence and determination to succeed. Look back only to see how far you’ve come.
- “Here is a test to find out whether your mission in life is complete. If you’re alive, it isn’t.” There’s always more to do, more to learn, more to achieve. Never lose your curiosity and sense of wonder.
- “You don’t always win your battles, but it’s good to know you fought.” Sometimes the greatest wins are what you learn from failing.
- “To fly as fast as thought, you must begin by knowing that you have already arrived.” Don’t wait until you’re ‘ready.’ If you’re here, you’re ready.
- “I have a contribution to make. I am not just take up space in this life. I can add something to the lives I touch. I don’t like everything I know about myself, and I’ll never be satisfied, but nobody’s perfect. I’m not sure where the next years will take me – what they will hold – but I’m open to suggestions.” I hope this provides inspiration and motivation for all of us. If we take this to heart, and act on it, we can only succeed.
Remember, your goals may be the same as other businesses like yours. Maybe some of your ideas and dreams are too. But don’t let that dissuade you from trying. No one can do it the way you can.
“It’s not an old movie if you haven’t seen it.”
– Lauren Bacall