Influencing without authority #2
Movie characters we’ve noticed influence without authority
Welcome to our second newsletter issue. This week we are focusing on movie characters who influenced without authority. We can learn something from each of these characters and begin to apply them in our role today. Adapt the techniques to suit your own communication style.
Katniss Everdeen - The Hunger Games Series
Katniss (Jennifer Lawrence) was the underdog from the wrong District. She had to go into a battle where there was only one winner. She defied all odds and got out alive with her friend also from the same region. She also approached problems from many angles and thought outside the box. Katniss used her popularity to help her survive by getting sent resources critical for survival during the battle. She becomes the symbol of rebellion and unifies the different districts.
Key takeaway: Having a single goal or person that unifies people can help with the desired outcome.
Ferris Buller - Ferris Buller’s Day Off
Ferris decides to skip school by faking illness. He manages to persuade his friend Cameron and girlfriend Sloane to take the day off school also. Ferris does so by calling Cameron many times to convince him to come out and also get him to get Sloane off school too.
Key takeaway: Ferris is persistent and has good intentions for the three of them. Getting the "no" out of the way early helps and then you can try to persuade someone to come around to your side.
Egon Spengler - Ghostbusters
Egon is the voice of reason in the team and he's the brains behind the Ghostbusters' equipment. He's awkward so he often relies on his other teammate Peter to rally the team.
Key takeaway: By being a subject matter expert you can weigh in on things. Egon brings scientific qualities and expertise to convince naysayers.
Princess Leia - Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi
As a General of the Rebellion, Leia plays a major role in bringing peace and prosperity back to the Galaxy.
Wicket and his fellow Ewoks' planet were invaded by the Empire. The Empire's soldiers in typical fashion, set up the Death Star’s shield generator on their planet. The planet Endor is being shaped in the Empire's own image. The Empire does not care how Wicket and the Ewoks feel. Their modus operandi is to take what they want, without permission or acceptance.
Princess Leia has a much different perspective on this. She prioritises kindness by sharing her food, talking with compassion, and embracing Wicket and Ewok culture. While the Rebellion is in urgent need of aid, she does hurry Wicket and lets him show where he is from and Ewoks are about. His language, manner of dress, and behaviour are different. Instead of Leia asserting her values and beliefs, she listens to him, gets to know his culture. She changes her clothing to reflect the customs and heritage of the Ewoks.
Key takeaway: Influencing with kindness or thoughtfulness - if you want to do this pay attention, observe people and be completely focused. During meetings or interactions make a mental note of things.
Nelson Mandela - Invictus
Invictus tells the story of Nelson Mandela’s (played by Morgan Freeman) first year as President of South Africa. Mandela saw the 1995 Rugby World Cup as an opportunity to unify and inspire the nation. With the World Cup a few months away, the prospects of South Africa's team, the Springboks, looked bleak. Mandela invites the Springbok captain Francois Pienaar (Matt Damon) to meet him in Pretoria. He was reliant on others like Pienaar to achieve that aim. He forges a close alliance with the Springbok captain to help bring it to fruition.
Key takeaways: Inspiring a shared vision is not always about rousing speeches to large groups. It can be about inspiring someone on an individual basis.
Juror 8 - 12 Angry Men
12 Angry Men explores consensus-building among a group of jurors, all with different beliefs and motivations. Juror 8 compels the jury to change their decision from guilty to not guilty. The movie also explores the power one person has to elicit change.
Key takeaway: Understanding people’s motivations will help you understand why they may block a project or support your idea. People think about what’s in it for them first.
Job posts
We have curated some roles which seem interesting:
Grab, Lead Product Designer, Digibank, Singapore (More jobs here)
Facebook, Product Designer, London, UK
Deliveroo, Senior Product Designer, London, UK
Google, UX Designer, Google Health, London, UK
Stripe, Product Manager, Singapore
Atlassian, Senior Product Manager, Sydney, Australia
Events
Conference: Mind the Product - Americas , Virtual Edition, July 14-15 (US timezone)
Get set for two days of invaluable product insight, some of the biggest names in product, countless opportunities to network with your peers, and the chance for us all to contribute to our incredible community.
Conference: ProductCon, Jun 24 (US timezone)
Bringing together the best collection of product leaders from top technology companies to share tactics and best practices on how to build the next generation of software products. Plus the tickets are free.
Conference: UX Fest, whole of June (EMEA timezone)