Hollywood Lessons in Leadership™ is a development programme based on original research into the nature of leadership as symbolised in film, TV drama and mythical stories. It includes shared wisdom from our exclusive interviews with successful business leaders, including:
- The late Sir John Harvey Jones
- Sir George Mathewson, Chairman, The Royal Bank of Scotland
- Dr Michael Thambynayagam, M.D. Schlumberger
- Dr Patrick Cross, M.D. BBC World Ltd
- Jerry McDonald, President Avon UK
Understanding the stages of the journey, together with the characters who populate the world of adventure, will prepare you to face the challenges that await you on your leadership odyssey.
Lesson #1- The Leaders’ Journey (see post)
Successful organisations know that the most effective way to develop leadership talent is to provide opportunities to lead. However, these leadership opportunities need to be skilfully managed and supported. This module enables individuals to navigate their leadership transitions with confidence and ease.
- Discover Hollywood Lessons in Leadership™
- Discover the characters who populate every leadership adventure
- Identify the stages of leadership transition within your organisation
- Establish a powerful, three-tiered action plan for speedy transition into each new role
Lesson #2 -The Call to Adventure (see post)
The call to leadership comes in many guises. It is often followed by a period of apprehension. Consider, however, that if you’ve never felt confronted by the leadership challenge you may not have fully understood it.
- Hear the call to leadership when it heralds
- Understand the nature of leadership reluctance and turn it to your advantage
- Recognise reluctance in others and help them to address it
- Understand what drives your decisions to lead – are these drivers sustainable?
- Make authentic choices about your leadership challenges
- Know when to decline the call
- Discover if there is a call waiting
Lesson #3 – Merlin to Miss Moneypenny (see post)
For thousands of years great leaders have understood the importance of having, and being, a great mentor. It is the most familiar yet most misunderstood of all leadership functions.
- Choose the right mentor for the right situation
- Understand the five key functions of the mentor
- Discover the four pitfalls to avoid
- Learn the key elements of a mentoring contract
- Learn how to structure a mentoring meeting
- Learn how to conclude a mentoring relationship
- Become a memorable mentor to others
Lesson #4 – Del Boy to Die Hard (see post)
This module helps you to discover your unique leadership persona and the impact it has on others. Learn how to adapt your style to the demands of your current role and expand your repertoire to accommodate different leadership challenges.
- Discover your innate leadership persona
- Understand your strengths and potential de-railers
- Appreciate the impact your style has on others
- Become aware of the dark side of Toxic Leadership
Lesson #5 – Sex and the City (see post)
Successful women in business know the importance of understanding their unique leadership style and the impact it has on others. We use the characters in the popular TV series ‘Sex and the City’ to describe the four universal leadership personalities that prevail in today’s organisations.
- Meet the four universal leadership personalities
- Discover your innate leadership orientation Vs your adapted leadership style
- Understand your drivers and blind-spots
- Learn how to be authentic and comfortable in your own skin
Lesson #6 – Shaken not stirred – a creative approach to corporate values
(see post)
A key task for the business leader is to create a culture which supports the aims and values of the business. This requires a balance of design and discipline similar to that employed by the ‘creative types’ who produce TV drama and feature films. Discover the secrets of these creative disciplines to embed the core values of your organisation.
- Discover the existing cultural identity of your organisation
- Learn the four creative disciplines for designing a successful culture
- Identify five quick-win actions for immediate business results
- Identify five key practices that inhibit business growth in your organisation
Lesson #7 – Walk tall – Leadership Stature and Influencing Skills
Whether you simply want people to do what you need them to do without complaining, or you wish to inspire others with your vision of a better future, this module will provide you with a variety of techniques to increase your leadership stature and ability to influence others.
Assess your leadership stature rating- Identify your preferred influencing style
- Identify four essentials of leadership equity – what are you trading on as a leader?
- Discover ten ways to increase your credibility
- Learn eleven strategies for influencing others
Lesson #8 – Seize the Sword – peak performance for yourself and your team
Have you noticed that peak performers don’t limp past the finish line gasping for air? They sail past with confidence and ease. They make success look effortless. This module teaches you the secret of sustainable peak performance.
- Effort Vs Struggle – let’s ask Socrates
- Stop tolerating mediocrity
- Get to the source of persistent energy drainers
- Eliminate procrastination once and forever
- Create sustainable momentum to complete tasks and achieve your goals
- Discover fifteen ways to raise the game for yourself or your team
Lesson #9 – Make my day – triumph in the face of conflict
Every successful leader experiences occasional conflict and setbacks. One could even argue that if you haven’t experienced trials or obstacles you may not be playing a big enough game. It’s how we deal with set-backs that defines us as a great leader.
- Understand the true nature of antagonistic forces
- Discover three strategies for overcoming obstacles
- Choose your Alamo – know when to deal decisively with genuinely antagonistic forces
- Understand how you respond to success & failure
- Confront the Impostor Monster – the enemy within
- Recover from setbacks quickly, completely, and responsibly
Lesson #10 – Fans & Followers
In the past leadership studies focused mainly on the attributes of the leader or the situations within which the leader had to operate. We turn this on its head and look at leadership from the perspective of the followers. This novel approach provides a fascinating insight into the nature of followership, and enables leaders to adapt their approach accordingly.
- Understand the nature of followership
- Discover the hidden contract between followers and leaders
- Discover your appreciation profile – are you a critic or a luvvy?
- Understand praise – the power and the pitfalls
- Learn how to build genuine goodwill even from people you don’t particularly like
- Discover the stages of the team journey and five levels of accountability
A Framework for learning
The most effective way to learn about leadership is to do it. Every experience of leadership provides opportunities to learn and grow. However, to get the most from these opportunities the experiences need to be reflected on with insight and intelligence.
Hollywood Lessons in Leadership™ provides a framework within which to examine and reflect on your experiences to optimise and embed the learning.
We can deliver this material in a variety of ways:
-
90 minute skill shots
-
one or two day workshops
-
comprehensive leadership development programmes
-
coaching programmes
-
team development programmes
-
peer directed learning sets or a learning community
Oberon Consultants Ltd 