Change at Christmas

Christmas with the Coopers (as this film is known in the UK, in the USA it is Love the Coopers... why?) is surprisingly better than I was expecting. I should have been expecting good things by looking at the cast list of course, but the trailer gave an impression of jolly Xmas romp, stuffed with good gags and a few bon mots.

Instead, this film dished up a rich mix of insights into family dilemmas, and secrets and sibling rivalries etc that will make you reflect on your own family and its foibles. There is the enormously touching relationship between Bucky & Ruby and the sparring between Joe and Eleanor is delightful. A film worth seeing but maybe you can wait until it appears on ITV2 along with other traditional Christmas romances...

At various points the narrative hinges on people being able to change, often from long held positions. I was reminded of the Serenity Prayer: God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, The courage to change the things I can, And the wisdom to know the difference. Often these words are used to guide people in changing something in their environment, but they can equally apply to ourselves: our habits, our opinions, our approaches etc.

Good leaders are always asking themselves these questions: what needs to change in me so that I can lead people better? What do I not need to change? Am I running away from things that need to change in me?

When did you last ask yourself those sort of questions?

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This is Blog 134 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.