One of the most frequent questions I’m asked is for examples of great female leaders in movies. And while there are plenty of male leaders in movies, female leaders are generally harder to come by. In the first of two posts, here are three great examples, each exhibiting different leadership… Read More »Great female leaders in movies: part one
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?
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
Watching Steven Spielberg’s Lincoln, it’s striking how little America seems to have changed politically in 150 years. Two diametrically opposed ideologies still lie separated by a narrow middle ground. Similarly, it’s distinctive how relevant Abraham Lincoln’s leadership is for our contemporary world. Here are five lessons from Lincoln’s struggle to… Read More »Lead like Lincoln: leadership lessons from honest Abe
With Olympic fever gripping the UK, it seems a good time to revisit Miracle, the 2004 film that depicts one of the great Olympic underdog stories. I was only 11 during the 1980 Winter Olympics, but can still clearly recall the elation of the US ice hockey team following their… Read More »Seven Olympic leadership lessons from Miracle
While Coach Carter received little attention on its original UK release, it’s full of powerful leadership lessons. The story of Ken Carter, who returns to coach basketball at his former school, is based on true events. Rather than simply improving the team’s results, Carter truly believes he can improve his students’ lives.… Read More »Four powerful leadership lessons from Coach Carter