Leadership lessons from pop culture
The BIG Takeaway™
newsletter
June 13, 2022

​What leaders can learn from TV, sports and movies this week

Hello current and aspiring leaders!

Hockey. Hoops. Tennis. Softball. Movies. New TV shows. The pop culture extravaganza of 2022 continues. Here are some highlights from last week.
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  • One: Inflation went even higher; we need an "Americathon."
    This 1979 film is so bad it's good. America is broke, there's no more gas and the president auctions the White House. Sounds like a prediction for 2023. Best line: "We could sell Cleveland but nobody's buyin'."

  • Two: The Rolling Stones performed in Liverpool on June 9.
    Who needs flaxseed or whole grains? The fact that 78-year-old Mick Jagger is on tour with 78-year-old bandmate Keith Richards makes me think a steady dose of amphetamines, heroin, drinking, riots, sleep depravation, acid, cocaine, guns, car crashes and smoking while in your 20s and 30s is the key to longevity. 

  • Three: “Jurassic World: Dominion” raked in the bucks despite awful reviews.
    I guess when you make $250 million in a weekend who cares what other people think. My idea for the next one? Add a few Marvel characters. If you say you don't want to see Iron Man fighting a T-rex you are lying.

  • Speaking of the "Jurassic Park" franchise, this week I am going to focus on storytelling.
    To do this I will use a clip from the original film from 1993 that features the brilliance of director Steven Spielberg.

    Side note: Dinosaurs always makes me think of this classic Far Side cartoon.

Let's go.

Rich Trombetta
@trombettarich
June 13, 2022
This week's BIG Takeaway:
People remember stories more than data
Video: YouTube
The brilliance of Steven Spielberg 
How he created the story needed to tell the story

The context: Steven Spielberg's 1993 "Jurassic Park" tells the story about how a scientist used DNA to create live dinosaurs.

  • The scientist builds Jurassic Park, a soon-to-be tourist attraction where people can see and interact with the dinosaurs. 

  • The idea of hatching dinosaurs could seem far fetched; to explain how it was done Spielberg created a movie within the movie.

  • The two-minute clip above is the glue of the film; without it would be difficult for audience members to connect the dots.

What we can learn: Stanford University research shows that "stories are remembered up to 22 times more than facts alone."
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  • ​Just because you say or show something does not mean someone will hear or remember it.

  • As a leader stories are a way to connect with people, especially when you are setting a vision or discussing change.

  • Stories can inspire, motivate and help people quickly understand your message.

My take: Think like Steven Spielberg when you need to communicate information.

  • Try this game called 'Half Life' where the goal is to keep refining and editing a story until you get to the most salient point.

  • Prepare and tell a three-minute story. Then do it in 90 seconds, 45 seconds, 20 seconds and then one sentence.

  • It sounds crazy but it works by eliminating all of the fluff. A three-minute story probably becomes one less than two minutes that is focused on the main point you want to stress just like Spielberg did with Mr. DNA.

    Side note: Need a video made or help from expert story tellers? Check out Viamark Video. They are cool people.

To summarize:
People remember stories more than data​​
Let's put this into action
Image: Pixels
👉​What you can do on your own: 
  • ONE: Try the game Half Life I shared above as you create your next presentation. Note: Work with someone so you can get feedback.
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  • TWO: Review these storytelling tips from Stanford and learn about the Pixar Pitch from bestselling author Daniel Pink.

  • THREE: Watch a TED Talk on storytelling.
📢​ What you can do with others:
Did you know we can design a custom class or program based on topics like the one above? Click the button to learn more.

Before we end here's our weekly grab bag of quick links
 😁 Smile: This dog video could be the foundation for an entire newsletter on problem solving.

📺 Watch: "After Jackie" on the History Channel premiers on June 18. "Jackie Robinson opened the door for other African Americans to join [Major League Baseball] and this documentary taps into key people and events in the aftermath."

🎓 Learn: Subscribe to this newsletter from bestselling author and thought leader Daniel Pink.
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🌷 Relax: Use your cursor, change colors and learn patience making a sand image. 
That's all for now

​Thanks for reading and please remember:
  • We archive our stories and put them here for the world to read so feel free to have a look.
  • If you have any ideas or feedback Contact me with your thoughts.
  • We can create custom newsletters​ and training sessions on the topics we write about.
Rich Trombetta
​@trombettarich

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