Red for danger

I didn't realise just how scary Crimson Peak was going to be... and I don't usually do 'scary'! But this is a superb film with the most sumptuous sets, costumes, special effects and indeed acting. Guillermo del Toro has done it again. He has managed to conjure up and absolutely unforgettable film that will have your skin prickling and your eyes widening.

The narrative unfolds like a puzzle box: you keep wondering what the next reveal will be. There is mystery, gore and brutality alongside tenderness, love and hopelessness. Like the house at the centre of the film, this will draw you towards a second or even third showing to uncover the layers within. Go knowing what kind of film this is, but do go and see it!

A theme running through this movie is risk taking: how far will you go in order to get what you want while risking all, including your own life? And this means taking a risk when fear is engulfing your body and mind, telling you to stop and hold back.

While hopefully not in life threatening circumstances, all leaders can feel the fear of taking a risk. Arguably, business only expands when people take risks, albeit calculated ones. But how do we handle the fear, a strong emotion that makes us want to stop and retreat? Good leaders know what makes them feel fearful and they have strategies to manage that fear.

How good are you at managing your fear?

_____________________

This is Blog 123 in my 2014/2015 series of blogs about leadership ideas to be found in the movies of our time. You can read here as why I began doing this (with an update at the end of 2014). Please subscribe to this blog if you want to read more. Thanks. Click the label 'film' to see all the others.