Monthly Archives: January 2018

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Quotes And Leadership Lessons From Darkest Hour: The Movie

A Reel Leadership Article

Hollywood once again takes you back to the 1940’s… Adolf Hitler has risen to power. The European nations are in turmoil. And Dunkirk is in danger.

Darkest Hours tells the story of Winston Churchill (Gary Oldman) as he tries to navigate the political quagmire of parliament and his political enemies. Over a number of days, we see Churchill’s struggle as he has to make tough decision after tough decision.

gary oldman as winston churchill darkest hour

This biographical war drama is ripe with leadership lessons, so let’s get into leadership lessons from Darkest Hour.

Caution: Spoilers for Darkest Hour below

Quotes And Leadership Lessons From Darkest Hour

1. Ineffective leaders will eventually get replaced:

Parliament had lost faith in their current Prime Minister, Neville Chamberlain (Ronald Pickup), and demanded his resignation. They felt he was not strong enough to protect the national security of Britain.  Read more...

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The Case For Reading Fiction Books In The New Year

Epic stories that span the length of time. Space operas telling the story of a battle never won. Fantasy lands brought to life in vivid color through the minds of J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, and other fiction writers.

There’s a magic behind fiction books. One that draws readers into a story deeper than themselves. One that helps readers to remember and understand the story better than any non-fiction book will ever do.

Why leaders should read fiction books

I still remember the stories I read as a child. Peter Cottontail, the various Star Wars novels, the Tortoise and the Hare. These novels and fables told a story that engaged my imagination and helped me live in another world.

They also did something else. According to research, reading fiction books transforms the readers. Not only do they get taken to far away worlds, readers become something new.  Read more...

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Let Me Introduce You To Some Awesome Influencers

Meet these exceptional people

Meeting new people is one of the greatest joys of mine as a leader. Because of my position, I’ve met youth leaders, business leaders, leaders in the online space, pastors, and so many others.

Each new meeting brings me a new understanding of leadership. Each leader brings something new to the table. And I love it.

Let me introduce you to these awesome influencers

Image by Evan Rummel

I love learning from a variety of leaders. Young, old, seasoned, green behind the ears… These leaders are inspirational and engaging.

Today, I want to introduce you to a few of the new leaders I’ve met. Come along now, you’re going to meet some great people today.

Let Me Introduce You To Some Awesome Influencers

Chad Allen: http://www.chadrallen.com/

Chad Allen is the editorial director at Baker Books in Grand Rapids, Mi (not too far from my hometown). Not only is he the editorial director, Chad also helps writers get their books into the world.  Read more...

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Quotes And Leadership Lessons From Jumanji: Welcome To The Jungle

A Reel Leadership Article

My thought going into Jumanji: Welcome To The Jungle was “Do we really need another remake of a film?” The 1995 Jumanji starred Robin Williams as Alan Parrish (who gets a nod in the new Jumanji). Williams character was sucked into the world of Jumanji much like the characters in the new movie.

Jumanji: Welcome To The Jungle tells the story of four students: Spencer (Alex Wolff), Bethany (Madison Iseman), Fridge (Ser’Darius Blain), and Martha (Morgan Turner) as they follow the same path as Alan Parrish. While in detention, these four characters discover an old video game system with a Jumanji cartridge already inserted into the console.

Leadership lessons from Jumanji: Welcome To The Jungle

They turn on the system, choose their avatars, and are suddenly transported into the video game. Welcome to the jungle, gang!  Read more...