Quotes And Leadership Lessons From Free Solo

A Reel Leadership Article

On June 3rd, 2017, Alex Honnold did the impossible. Alex free-soloed the 3,000 foot El Capitan in Yosemite National Park. Free-soloing is the climbing of a rock-face without the use of any safety equipment. Alex had no harness, no safety net, nothing to catch him if he were to fall.

Such a feat seems nigh-impossible. To climb 3,000 feet into the air without safety equipment makes my mind hurt. It may make yours as well.

Alex Honnold free solo El Capitan

Photo: Free Solo

Having a passion for ice climbing, Free Solo caught my attention because of the high-risk behavior and the excitement of someone doing the impossible. Knowing there are people out there who are willing to risk life and limb to do what no other person is willing to do fascinates me.

Leadership Lessons And Quotes From Die Hard

A Reel Leadership Christmas Throwback Article

I usually start the Christmas season off by watching my favorite Christmas movie on Black Friday or that Saturday. This year, I postponed it but was able to get around to watching what I consider to be one of the best Christmas movies out there.

If you haven’t guessed, my favorite Christmas movie is Die Hard. Die Hard is the film adaption of the Roderick Thorp novel Nothing Lasts Forever. Die Hard tells the story of the New York cop John McClane (Bruce Willis). John flies to Las Angeles to attend a Christmas party with his estranged wife Holly Gennaro McClane (Bonnie Bedelia) in the extravagant Nakatomi Plaza.

Leadership lessons in Die Hard

Things quickly go from good to bad to worse as John and Holly’s conversation becomes unproductive and terrorists storm the Plaza.

Die Hard is filled with action and violence. There’s a lot of foul language (it’s bad but the movie is SOOOO good). And plenty of leadership lessons in Die Hard.