As an audience, we were in for a real treat at the recent Boston Book Festival. Richard Olivier, son of Sir Laurence Olivier, not just told, but showed us that what worked 400 years ago also has great power in today’s business climate. So are we now talking about beheading our enemies? No, although that certainly is found within the drama of Henry V, the play Olivier used to illustrate his points.
Of the many leadership qualities touched upon, one of the most compelling was that even a reigning monarch has to put an intention out to win the hearts and minds of the troops. Henry V accomplished this by “turning the ‘I’ into a ‘we’ ”.
He started by sharing a clear and imaginable vision with all those that would play a part in co-creating it. In “talking the talk” in the modern conference room, the sharing works best when it is done by addressing any negatives as points where the collective intelligence of a team can be employed to devise strategies to transform them into wins, “All things are ready if our minds be so.”
In “walking the walk”, leaders that take the time to interpersonally and positively connect with their teams, just by doing so are communicating that the human beings on those teams are the resource in which the leader places their faith. The leader’s trust is communicated by never mentioning the possibility of defeat—focusing all imagination on what success looks like, setting thought and action to be in that forward direction.
What can you learn about leadership from your favorite Shakespearean work? We would love to hear your thoughts and ideas.