Appearances can be deceptive

The Dressmaker is not quite the film you were expecting from the trailer... Whilst we live in an age of where trailers give almost everything away, this is one of the exceptions. This is an uplifting, quirky film that will delight you and make you smile. It will also shock you and prick you with sadness.

As so many Australian films can do (Walkabout, The Shout, Priscilla.. or Strictly Ballroom, to name just a few of my favourites), the narrative comes at curving you like, er, a boomerang. The acting is plain and convincing, but at times done with such a flourish that it takes your breath away. Great direction, great sets, great cinematography and of course, great costumes. Go see this.

The core of the narrative pivots upon uncovering that which has been hidden and the consequences of doing so. And the consequences are as rich and varied as they are explosive and unpredictable. If this film does anything, it shows what can happen when you ask questions without knowing the answers...

But this indeed is what leaders must do. In order to achieve more, push the limits of what is possible, it is the job of leaders to ask good questions. Indeed, I could argue that the most profound thing any leader can do is to ask exactly the right question at the right time.

How good are you at framing, timing and asking questions?

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This is Blog 131 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.