Recruiting an outstanding team is a challenge for any leader. So imagine that challenge comes with intense time pressure, national media coverage and expectant fans and owners into the bargain. That’s the challenge facing Cleveland Browns general manager Sonny Weaver (Kevin Costner) in Draft Day. Even if you’re not an American… Read More »Character over talent, and other lessons from Draft Day
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
Ben Stiller’s sublime The Secret Life of Walter Mitty is awash with inspiring themes – not least the need to take a risk and have courage to break out of the ruts we all find ourselves in from time to time. Walter is the quintessential dreamer, a man who fulfils his… Read More »Walter Mitty and the power of purpose
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
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
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?
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
With the release of Steven Spielberg’s Lincoln, interest in the famous American President has never been higher. In Lead like Lincoln, I highlighted five key leadership lessons I personally took from the movie. Many other writers have identified additional lessons, both from the movie and the man himself. Mark Crowley’s… Read More »More leadership lessons from Lincoln