6 Life Lessons We’ve Learned from Golden Globes Nominees

It’s awards season, and you know what that means — the who’s who of Hollywood will soon be hitting the red carpet and a select few will transform from nominees to winners. From Fences to Manchester By The Sea, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend to Atlanta, there has been no shortage of amazing films and television shows this year.

However, in addition to engaging performances, this year’s biggest breakouts also inspired us in our professional and personal lives. We took away some insightful lessons about tenacity, the value of education and the unexpected surprises that taking a risk can bring.

Ahead of this weekend’s Golden Globe awards, here are six life lessons we gleaned from this year’s nominees. Follow these and you’ll be a winner, red carpet or not.

Life Lesson #1: You are never too senior to admit you need help

In Netflix’s binge-worthy Queen Elizabeth II chronicle The Crown, one of the best mini storylines for Elizabeth unfolded as the young queen hired a tutor to address the gaps in her education that became painfully obvious as she tried to navigate military decisions, heads of state and international politics. While the plot line was one of the fictional elements of the show — biographies suggest that she would’ve known a lot more history than she seems to in the series — it teaches viewers an important lesson in acknowledging and addressing your limitations. Even as queen, Elizabeth wasn’t too proud to gain more education and employ a tutor. Those of us in management could learn a thing or two from this monarch.

[Related: 7 Skills to Develop Now To Become An Awesome Manager]

Life Lesson #2: You have power over your destiny

Hidden Figures is the true story of three brilliant African-American women at NASA — Katherine Johnson (Taraji P. Henson), Dorothy Vaughan (Octavia Spencer) and Mary Jackson (Janelle Monáe) — who served as the brains behind the launch of astronaut John Glenn into space. “African-American women were living at the time where segregation was the letter of the law,” says lead actress and Oscar winner Octavia Spencer. “They were basically treated as second-class citizens, but they weren’t complaining. They knew that they had more to offer, and they basically rolled up their sleeves and they did the work to be a part of something greater than themselves.” Despite seemingly insurmountable odds, the women in Hidden Figures met challenges with solutions and tenacity. “I think what we can learn from them in light of the climate, that depending on which side of the coin you’re on politically, is no matter what’s going on, you have power,” Spencer explains. “The individual has power. But together we are many, and strong.”

Life Lesson #3: Being awkward is actually normal

In her hit show Insecure, Issa Rae spins off her wildly successful YouTube show “Awkward Black Girl” into an HBO cult-fave. Long story short: “Best friends must deal with their own real-life flaws as they attempt to navigate different worlds and cope with an endless series of uncomfortable everyday experiences.” From dating to office politics to dealing with annoying coworkers, Issa Rae embodies the common experience of Millennials trying to juggle the demands of adulting. Through her adventures (and mishaps), viewers are themselves allowed to be more vulnerable, more honest, more dark and, well, more awkward. And with millions of viewers hooked to Insecure, it’s comforting to know we’re not alone.

Life Lesson #4: There’s nothing wrong with the road less traveled

We’ve all felt the pressure to follow the conventional path in life: go to college, get a good job and keep climbing the corporate ladder until you can retire in comfort. But for many of us, that’s just not the right fit — including Earn, the main character of FX’s Atlanta. A Princeton dropout struggling to make ends meet at a dead-end airport job, Earn decides to ditch the rat race and become manager of his cousin Paper Boi’s up-and-coming rap career. While the end of season one doesn’t exactly see Earn living the lavish lifestyle he dreams of, something tells us he’ll get there in time. If you, like Earn, didn’t finish college or don’t have the typical 9-to-5, don’t beat yourself up or let others’ criticism get to you. With a little ingenuity and a lot of hard work, you can forge your own path.

[Related: So You’ve Hit A Career Plateau—Now What?]

Life Lesson #5: Take that crazy chance (even if you might fail)

Often referred to as the worst opera singer of all time, Florence Foster Jenkins may not be remembered for her singing talent, but there’s no doubt that she made her mark on the world. Played by Meryl Streep in the eponymous film, Jenkins, determined to make it as an opera singer, flubs show after show but her theatrics, personality and dedication manage to earn her somewhat of a cult following. She may not have achieved her original goal, but, as Meryl-as-Jenkins says, “People may say I can’t sing, but no one can ever say I didn’t sing.” Let Jenkins inspire you — take that big leap of faith you’ve been thinking about. It’s always possible that you’ll flop (although probably not as spectacularly as Florence), but even if you do, one failure greatly outweighs a lifetime of wondering what if.

[Related: 6 Steps To Find Your Voice In The Workplace]

Life Lesson #6: Do the right thing, even when it’s not popular

Hacksaw Ridge tells the story of Desmond Doss, an army medic in World War II and the first conscientious objector to win the Medal of Honor. Despite being surrounded by open fire in the field, Doss refuses to carry any sort of weapon with him due to his religious and moral convictions. Although it at first earns him scorn from his colleagues, they eventually admire him for his heroism as he dives into the line of fire to save his fellow soldiers, and commend his choices.  

You’ll of course need to pick your battles, but the time will come in your career when you need to make a tough choice that won’t be popular — whether that means firing a well-liked but underperforming employee or just sticking to a recommendation that conflicts with your coworkers. Hopefully, others will come around to it as they did with Doss, but even if not you can rest easy knowing that you did the right thing.

Source: Glass Door