Sully not only shows the importance of psychological safety in a crisis, it’s also a great illustration of how cognitive biases can negatively affect our thinking. The movie recounts the real-life ‘Miracle on the Hudson’. After losing both engines from a bird strike 90 seconds after departing LaGuardia airport in… Read More »Why Sully is a great illustration of cognitive biases
At the end of Darkest Hour, Winston Churchill’s famous ‘We shall fight on the beaches’ speech wins Parliament’s support for continuing the fight against Hitler, and defeats Lord Halifax’s plan to sue for peace. A surprised aide turns to Halifax and asks what just happened. “He mobilised the English language,” Halifax replies despondently, “and… Read More »How Churchill mobilised the English language for battle
The Founder tells the story of McDonalds: its origins as an innovative Californian fast-food restaurant and its transformation to global phenomenon and the world’s sixth largest employer. It’s the story of Ray Kroc, the milkshake machine salesman who persuaded the McDonalds brothers, Dick and Mac, to franchise their restaurant concept before… Read More »The magic of McDonalds: five lessons from The Founder
Even great leaders have very human failings. In Darkest Hour, Gary Oldman’s Winston Churchill is irascible, insensitive and stubborn. But cometh the hour, cometh the man. In the early months of World War Two, the British Army faced annihilation as it was driven back to the beaches of Dunkirk in France. England stood… Read More »How Churchill led Britain through its Darkest Hour
We all have people in our organisations who don’t receive the recognition they may deserve. The ones who work away in the background, not getting the limelight – yet just as important in determining whether a project or organisation succeeds or fails. The movie Hidden Figures is a great example. It spotlights… Read More »Uncovering the leadership lessons in Hidden Figures
Decision making is a pretty crucial skill. It can also be fiendishly difficult. Our brains, after all, are amazing in their complexity. But they can also trip us into foolish behaviour. What do we do when faced with a difficult decision? In 1772, Benjamin Franklin recommended a process of comparing… Read More »How 12 Angry Men can improve your decision making
Some 2300 years ago in Ancient Greece, Aristotle wrote his three pillars for public speaking. Surprisingly, they’re just as relevant today as they were then. So relevant in fact, that in Gravitas, Caroline Goyder uses them to define that mystical quality of influence and how to get it. Gravitas, says… Read More »Martin Luther King and the secret of gravitas
In Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom, with pressure growing for his release from prison, Nelson Mandela is taken to a secret meeting with four government officials charged with finding a way out of their current political situation. Once the introductions are over, Mandela chooses a seat and invites the others… Read More »An influencing trick from Mandela you may be ignoring