Good Advice From Goodfellas: Positive Life Lessons From the Best Mob Movie (Leadership Every Day)

As depicted in the movie Goodfellas, fictional gangster Henry Hill is not the kind of person who would ever use the phrase “life hacks” — but if you know what to look for, the film is full of useful lessons that can help speed you through your personal journey, whether you’re an executive, teacher, sales professional, artist, or forklift operator. Director Martin Scorsese’s masterpiece is a symphony of memorable quotes, colorful characters, and hard-won advice. You don’t have to approve of the disruptive entrepreneurs’ industry to read the movie as a Stoic manifesto. The wiseguys of Goodfellas stage a series of teachable moments in their successes, failures, outbursts, and acts of generosity. On close examination, Goodfellas covers the same evergreen topics in your favorite business podcasts, motivational literature, and startup seminars. Hill walks us through this workplace drama the way a good mentor might. And what a colorful onboarding it is. The movie is brimming with lessons about success and how to cultivate it. How to make yourself indisepensible. The folly of multitasking. The value of stoicism. How to be a benevolent boss. How to shake off the herd mentality. Harmony. How to respond to verbal slights. Optics. Strategic thinking. Customer service. Etiquette. Moderation. Emotional intelligence. Virtue signaling. Accountability. The power of chosen family. Goal setting. Power ties and shiny shoes. Bootstrapping. This paradigm-breaking motivational manual also explores the backstory, creation, and ongoing legacy of the game-changing movie. Author D.X. Ferris is an award-winning writer whose distinctions include Ohio Society of Professional Journalists Best Reporter of the Year. His books document best practices in martial arts, parenting, and non-profit leadership. He has written for Rolling Stone, Alternative Press, and The A.V. Club.

As far back as I remember, I liked movies with narrators.