At the start of It’s a Wonderful Life, the angels observe George Bailey as he considers jumping off the Bedford Falls bridge. ‘Is he sick?’ asks Clarence, his trainee guardian angel. ‘Worse,’ replies Joseph, his boss. ‘He’s discouraged.’ We all need to feel appreciated, whether at home or at work.… Read More »Seven extraordinary examples of recognition
Think for a moment about the decisions you make. Do you go by your gut instinct, the unconscious part of your thinking? Or do you let your rational, conscious mind take over? The answer, for most of us, is a little of both. And often we’re not even aware of it. One… Read More »The Star Trek guide to making better decisions
As a leader, teacher or educator, much of your success will depend on your ability to communicate in a way that really resonates with your audience. That’s not an easy task. In our age of internet, social media and smartphones, we’re assailed by thousands of messages a day. Only by… Read More »Make your messages sticky: lessons from Freedom Writers
Despite being over 60 years old, Twelve O’Clock High is apparently still required viewing at U.S. service academies and training schools. While many movies have valuable leadership lessons, few are about the very nature of leadership itself. Twelve O’Clock High is different. It’s a movie that reveals both the power and… Read More »Is Twelve O’Clock High the definitive leadership movie?
With the cinematic release of Star Trek Into Darkness, it seems a good time to recall the conversation from JJ Abrams’ 2009 Star Trek which turns the life of the delinquent young James T Kirk. Captain Pike’s short chat with a beaten-up Kirk following a bar brawl, shown below, is… Read More »The leadership conversation that ignites a Star Trek icon
Change is at the heart of leadership. And making a compelling case for change is essential. But what if people are happy with how things are, and don’t see the need for change? That’s the situation faced by British politician William Wilberforce and his abolitionist colleagues in the late 1700s,… Read More »Leading change: lessons from the abolition of slavery
Leading any group can be hard. But imagine that group is riven with gang rivalry and hate, with an ever-present threat of physical violence. And that you’ve woefully underestimated the challenge. That’s the situation facing Erin Gruwell (played by Hilary Swank) in her first teaching job at the newly-integrated Woodrow… Read More »How Erin Gruwell can help you lead a difficult team
The issue of gay marriage has once again brought gay rights back to the top of the political agenda. But Gus Van Sant’s brilliant Milk reminds us just how far society has come on gay rights in the last 30 years – and the struggle and sacrifice of some of those… Read More »Five ways how Harvey Milk can improve your leadership