John Wayne was the epitome of the all American, macho man, patriot, cowboy and hard-working success story that America loves. A legend in his own lifetime there is much to be learned from the career of America's most beloved actor. The following are 10 Lessons in Leadership that can be learned from the Duke.

1. By Andrew Wood

2. THE EPITOME OF THE
ALL-AMERICAN
John Wayne was the epitome of the all American,
macho man, patriot, cowboy and hard-working
success story that America loves. A legend in his own
lifetime there is much to be learned from the career of
America's most beloved actor.
The following are 10 Lessons in Leadership that can
be learned from the Duke.

3. #1 Confidence is Gained Through
Practice and Small Successes
Confidence is the bedrock of leadership success yet amazingly as
a young man John Wayne was struck by stage fright and lack of
confidence in his abilities. As a high-school senior, he won an
essay contest and got to read the essay in front of the whole
school, but despite major rehearsals, he managed just one line,
froze, bowed, and exited the stage. As a young actor, he thought
himself clumsy and could frequently be heard off camera behind
a prop berating himself for his poor performance and lack of
talent.
Both go to prove that confidence, like any leadership skill, can
be learned.

4. #2 Lead from the Front
John Wayne started out in the movie business working
on the props before he became a movie icon. Yet when
he did become a star, he never stopped helping out:
holding scissors for a hairdresser making last-minute
corrections on an extra, putting his back behind a
wagon that was stuck in the sand, helping with lights,
painting, or packing up at the end of the day.
The Duke was never one to escape to his star trailer;
he preferred hanging out and helping on the set.

5. #3 Get Career Advice and
Mentorship from the Best
In Wyatt's Earp's later years, the legendary lawman, who
survived the gunfight at the OK Corral, lived in Los Angeles. He
was fascinated with movies and was a technical advisor on
several silent cowboy films. There he befriended a young
actor named Marion Morrison and regaled the young
thespian with tales of the Old West. Enthralled, the young
man used to fetch Wyatt cups of coffee. Later the actor who
had gone from bad B movies to a king of the box office and
changed his name to John Wayne claimed his portrayals of
cowboys and western lawmen were based on these
conversations with Earp.

6. Continued…
Wayne also drew heavily from actor-turned-legendary-stuntman
Yakima Canutt. In fact, much of the characterization associated
with Wayne—the drawling, hesitant speech and the hip-rolling
walk—were pure Canutt. Said Wayne, "I spent weeks studying
the way Yakima Canutt walked and talked. He was a real
cowhand and a world champion rodeo rider."
John Ford, the greatest movie maker of his time was such a
close personal friend he called him pappy.
He was invaluable to many aspects of Wayne's career and the
director on most of his best performances.

8. #4 Treat People Right
“I won't be wronged. I won't be insulted. I won't be laid a hand on. I don't do
these things to other people, and I require the same from them.” —John
Wayne, as an aging gunfighter in The Shootist.
After shooting the movie True Grit, John Wayne was in a studio photo shoot at
Paramount that featured all the top stars who were on the lot that day, including
Clint Eastwood, Barbara Streisand, and Goldie Hawn. Wayne noticed his young co-
star Kim Darby sitting on the curb down the street and watching from afar. He
marched straight down there, picked her up, and placed her down right in front of
everyone before instructing the photographer to start the shoot over. "How
wonderful was that?" she mused over forty years later. "He was such a gentleman."
The hundreds of other actors who worked with him all said the same. He treated
everyone on set—extras, grips, and prop men—as if they were a star just like
him.

9. #5 Learn Your Craft Inside and Out
Unlike most actors especially of that era, Wayne studied
all aspects of the movie business. From the building of
sets, lighting, camera angles, scripts, directing and
producing. This gave him unusual insights into his own
performance and helping others improve theirs. He had
a great eye for detail and would often suggest changes
on the set.
This thorough knowledge of the business eventfully
lead to him directing and producing his own movies
something rarely done by actors at that time.

10. #6 Play to Your Audience
Once a star Wayne knew exactly what his
audience wanted to see and rarely took
any risks that would put their expectations
in jeopardy. Nor did he try to do movies
where the dialogue did not fit his unique
style. He knew what his audience wanted
and he knew his own weaknesses.
Thus, he played only to his strengths
working with scripts and writers he knew
would allow him to be his best.

11. #7 Be an Excellent Communicator
Cowboys don't talk too much so when they do their
simple words have more impact.
Upon running into a young Michael Caine in the
lobby of the Beverly Hills Hotel, in the mid-sixties,
John Wayne said, "You just did that movie…?”
"Alfie," said Caine.
"Yeah," said Wayne. "I liked it; you're gonna be a big
star, kid, but let me give you some advice." Putting
his arm around the young man as he walked with
him, he said, "Talk low, talk slow, and don't say too
f$%#ing much!” Sage advice he followed his whole
career!

12. #8 Stand for Something
Wayne was a staunch Republican and zealous
anti-communist a stance that left no one
unsure of his views but one that did not always
sit well with the left-leaning Hollywood set. Nor
it seems did it sit well with movie buff Joseph
Stalin. Stalin outraged at the anti-communist
sentiments Wayne expressed reportedly,
ordered a hit on the movie star, dispatching two
KGB assassins in 1951. Fortunately, the FBI
was wise to the plot and intercepted the two hit
men. As evidence that Stalin was responsible,
we have the word of Stalin's successor,
Premier Nikita Khrushchev. When Khrushchev,
a huge fan, met John Wayne in 1958, he
apologized for the incident, telling him, "That
was the decision of Stalin in his last mad years.
I rescinded the order.”
Stand for something or fall for anything!

13. #9 Protect Your Personal Brand
Vigorously
While filing his last move The Shootist
in 1976, the script called for Wayne
shoot the bad guy in the back. His
response was classic Wayne, "I've
made over 250 pictures and have
never shot a guy in the back. I'm not
about to start now, Change it!”
Protect your brand and image at all
costs!

14. #10 Never Give Up on Your
Dreams
John Wayne was in 80 different B movies before
finally getting a starring role in Stagecoach, which
launched him to immortality. He was in some terrible
movies and, by his own admission, a very bad actor.
This was back in the days when Republic Pictures
made a movie in six days, on a budget of $28,000 and
for which he was paid just $450. Yet he never let that
deter him from gaining the experience he needed to
master his craft and match his acting skills with his
natural good looks and easy manner.
Never, ever give up on your dreams!

15. Andrew Wood is the co-author of Cowboy
Wisdom- Classic Lessons in Leadership
and Life. Despite being born in Oxford,
England, Wood always had a love of
everything Western and studied the
biographies of all the West’s famous
characters.
Partnering with world-renowned horse
trainer and former rodeo cowboy, Pat Parelli
the two mix their experience of building
multi-million dollar companies with classic
lessons from famous Western movies. The
result is a thought-provoking, insightful and
entertaining look into the leadership and life
skills that matter.
Order Now
www.classiccowboywisdom.com