Monthly Archives: April 2018

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Quotes And Leadership Lessons From The Hurricane Heist

Sometimes you just want to go to a mindless movie. One where you can sit back, relax, and laugh with your wife. That’s what Pam and I thought when we saw the previews for The Hurricane Heist.

Cheesy. Fun. Stupid.

Maggie Grace and the leadership lessons from the hurricane heist

When you have a movie based on the idea of a group of criminals robbing the U.S. Treasury during a category 5 hurricane, what more can you expect? The Hurricane Heist is exactly that.

And while it provides all of those things while being extremely cheesy, you can also take away leadership lessons from The Hurricane Heist. Let’s take a look at those leadership lessons in today’s article.

Caution: Spoilers for The Hurricane Heist below

Quotes And Leadership Lessons From The Hurricane Heist

1. Sometimes you’ve got to carry the ones you lead:

As The Hurricane Heist opens, you see a father with his two sons frantically driving his truck to escape Hurricane Andrew. Unfortunately, his truck goes off the road and gets stuck.  Read more...

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When Courage Isn’t Sexy

There is a kind of courage authors use as their clay for the molding of a love story. It’s the same fabric directors use to weave together a cape for their hero. A courage that wins the girl, saves the world, and lives to tell the tale.

The “sexy” kind of courage.

Logo for Catalyst

Image courtesy of Catalyst

Then, there’s the courage that’s not nearly as attractive. It’s less of a leap into the CEO’s chair and more of a step into the whisper of God. It’s the courage of owning up to a poor decision that hurt an employee. The courage of stepping onto the road of reconciliation with a family member. A courage that may not be sexy, but surely is good.

We may be slower to speak of this side of courage, but it’s the courage effective leaders must practice often.  Read more...

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Contextual Leadership: Why Leaders Must Adapt To Their Team

Speaking to Bill Simmons about the championship hangover the Golden State Warriors are experiencing, head coach Steve Kerr mused, “there’s a malaise that’s settled in. We just don’t have that same edge we’ve had the last couple of years. And I’m perfectly fine with that because it’s human nature [for motivation to wane after a championship] and we’ve got to pace ourselves and get to the end of the year.”

How basketball coaches and players adapt to increase performance

Photo by JC Gellidon

Kerr’s response made me rewind the segment and listen again, this time with increased attentiveness and vigor. In the age of scripted interview answers, his raw authenticity was shocking. Yet, it also speaks volumes about Kerr’s sharp understanding of team dynamics, and his acceptance of the new-age role of a coach. In days gone by, sports coaches took a more hard-line, militaristic approach to leading. Now, the elite coaches lead contextually, changing their ‘style’ based on the situation, and the needs of the team at that time.  Read more...

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Quotes And Leadership Lessons From Ready Player One

A Reel Leadership Article

Steven Spielberg brings Ernest Cline’s award-winning novel Ready Player One to the big screen. Any time a director tries to translate a New York Bestseller to film, they face an uphill battle. Fans of the book are looking for a faithful book to movie translation. Moviegoers are looking for a great story. Most of the time, neither group is satisfied.

Quotes And Leadership Lessons From Ready Player One

Having never read Ready Player One, I don’t know how faithful the movie adaptation is to the book. What I do know is that Ready Player One is a darn good movie. Visually, story-wise, and experientially. Moviegoers looking for a fantastic movie will not be disappointed.

What Is Ready Player One?

Ready Player One is the #1 New York Times bestselling book by Ernest Cline. Released in 2012, Ready Player One tells the story of teenager Wade Watts. Wade loves to play a virtual reality game known as OASIS (Ontologically Anthropocentric Sensory Immersive Simulation). Filled with pop culture references, the book was a smash hit.  Read more...