Martin Scorseses lengthy epic film, The Irishman, tells the story of truck driver Frank Sheeran, played by Robert De Niro, and his life as a mid-level enforcer for Russell Buffolino, played by Joe Pesci, and his Pennsylvania crime family. As Sheeran climbs the ranks to become a top hit man for the mob, he also goes to work for Jimmy Hoffa — the iconic and powerful president of the Teamsters union who was tied to organized crime. Sheeran is a ruthless assassin whose commitments to the values of the union, which he represented, are frequently overshadowed by his loyalty to the mobsters who gave him his start and sponsored his ruthless career development. John and I watched the movie last week (neither of us fell asleep!) and reflected on how someone like Frank Sheeran had such a long career. Unlike most of the mobsters he worked with, Frank managed to die in a retirement home rather than with a bullet in his head. Here are six career longevity lessons from The Irishman..
Find a sponsor
Sheeran has two sponsors – Russell Bufalino and Jimmy Hoffa. Sheeran credits their support and career guidance for just about everything he accomplished in life. Finding a mentor or sponsor – particularly one within your organization or sector – is key in helping a rapid climb up the ladder. Sponsors can open doors to new opportunities, teach you important skills/approaches that can make you better at your job and introduce you to important new connections that can make a longer term impact on your career. You can’t pick these people out of thin air. A true and robust mentor/mentee relationships takes years to build and plenty of nurturing. Most importantly of all, for most successful mentorship relationships, you have to like each other. Just like Rus and Frank – you can force it or formalize it.
Show confidence
For better or worse, faking it until you make it is one way to project confidence at work. Frank applies this tactic that’s often used by folks starting a new role (like when he confidently shares his expertise in meat procurement or when he takes on a new gig that requires him to weigh in on strategic union issues by blowing up taxi cabs). Frank also shows confidence with humility, like when acknowledges to Russell Buffolino that he doesn’t know much about fixing trucks – Frank’s humility and inquisitiveness seems to endear him to Russ, which spurs on their relationship. Sometimes asking for help is the greatest way to showcase confidence. Don’t be afraid to own what you don’t know – but make sure you also clearly articulate when you do know something.
Be on time
One of the things that drives Jimmy Hoffa nuts in the Irishman is people’s lack of punctuality. He interprets as an extreme sign of disrespect – the offending party prioritizing their own time above his. Punctuality can seem like a nice to have in the workplace, but in reality, it’s a need to have. Being late – even just 5 minutes – sends a powerful message and by some can be seen as incredibly disrespectful. Don’t fall into the trap. Get there on time or a few minutes early. Then put the smartphone down and be present. Give those you are meeting with the attention and consideration you’d expect from them yourself.
Be useful
“I heard you paint houses” is a phrase the Scorsese uses to introduce Sheeran. One of the reasons that Frank Sheeran has a long and successful (“successful”?) career is because he is consistently useful for his stakeholders. He loyally executes plans (and often people) for the Buffalino crime family and, towards the end of the film, is useful as a peacemaker between Jimmy Hoffa and his mafia partners. He plays the role of diplomat, brokering peace between two powerful warlords. And when this particular kind of usefulness goes out of style, well, Frank goes back to what has been a staple of his career – he paint’s Jimmy’s house. It’s a bit of a weird transition to make, but Barack Obama has consistently lauded his mom because she taught him that people should strive to be useful (for the record, the other key value is to “be kind”, but that’s a topic for a different article…).
Knowledge is power
Russell Buffolino knows so much about everything throughout the film. It’s kind of creepy. He’s booking plane trips when folks are expecting car rides, probably masterminded JFK’s assassination, and wisely defers to his lifelong partner (a knowledgeable mafia heiress in her own right). What makes Russell’s use of knowledge different from Jimmy’s ham-fisted, often-reckless wielding of information is that the mafia kingpin is very co-operative – he seeks to grow the whole enterprise for everyone wherever possible, as opposed to striving for win/loss competition between rivals or partners alike. He also clearly works collaboratively with the other bosses around the US. As a cautionary tale, when you know a lot and can’t demonstrate trust among your colleagues then they will either stop sharing things with you (99% of workplaces) or call Frank to paint your house (mob or mob adjacent workplaces).
Keep your mouth shut
One of the things young gangsters learn (see Henry Hill in Goodfellas as well) is to keep their mouth shut. In the gangster context, it involves not saying anything to law enforcement. Indeed, even decades after Hoffa’s death, Sheeran continues to stonewall the FBI, refusing to say anything bad about anyone – even after all his mob compatriots have passed away or been murdered. Within a professional setting, I think a better interpretation of this rule is to keep your insults/gossip/complaints to yourself. Don’t walk around complaining about things if you can avoid it. Staying positive and professional will build your standing long term, even if it doesn’t allow you to easily “join the crowd” when folks are standing around gossiping.