The Fifth Element

I wrote a while ago about meeting the amazing Richard Olivier at an event in Ireland. Richard is Sir Laurence Olivier's son and has used his experience as a theatre director to create the leadership training company Olivier Mythodrama.

Well, this week Richard very kindly invited me on one of their courses 'Leadership Presence: Developing Personal Impact and Peak Performance'.

10 of us took part, most of them top executives from big corporates and government organisations, many of whom had flown in from far flung places - Beijing, Johannesburg, Finland, Northern Ireland - and the event was made all the more special as it was held at Sir Laurence Olivier's family home near Brighton, crammed full of the most fascinating memorabilia not just from his life in the theatre but also the memorabilia of his wife, the actress Joan Plowright.

The course was run by Richard's business partner, the charismatic and profound Nicholas Janni, and was all about understanding your personal impact and ways to improve it. But there was also a strong spiritual element, which was that leadership is also about creating positive change in the world.

One of the most powerful exercises at the end of day 1 was to write a poem about something we felt strongly about and bring it next day to present to the group.

We didn't end day 1 until after dinner at 9.30pm and everyone was exhausted, so I went to bed and sent a message of intent for my poem to be delivered to me. Here's what I woke up with at 5.30am next morning; it is called The Fifth Element:

Our World.
Creaking at the seams.
Splintered
Strained
Uneasy
Drained.
Much to few
Unfairness reigns.

Cities burn
Markets churn
Mothers crying
Anger rising.
When will we learn?

In love with the tangible
We hold tight and cower
Door shut to the place of infinite grace
Closed off from true power.

Open your mind
Think of a time
When happiness reigned.
Great beauty above
Soft motherly love
Know we must change.

Let go and fall
With faith and grace
Into the space
Of delicious infinity
Where nothing is necessary
And once again
Be whole.

I have to tell you it was difficult for me to actually read my poem to the group such was the emotion it carried for me, and similarly everyone else's poems were incredibly powerful and poignant.

We started the course by making a 2 minute speech to the group, and we ended by making another 2 minute speech. The transition every single participant had made during those two days was simply phenomenal.

I have to say it was one of the most powerful courses I have ever attended in my life.

If you can't attend the course you may want to get hold of the book written by Richard and Nicholas Peak 'Performance Presentations: How to Present with Passion and Purpose' which contains much of the magic.

Drama in Ireland

I have just flown back from Ireland's IMI National Management conference where I was speaking to around 300 CEOs and senior management from Ireland's top companies about Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Enabling Enterprise in business...

And what a fantastic event it was. Held at the stunning new Ritz Carlton in County Wicklow I met some amazing people and also sat through some brilliant speakers; Dan Pink talking about how to give your organisation new 'right brain' thinking, Tony Keohane CEO of Tesco Ireland talking about their initiatives to achieve sustainability and young entrepreneur Colum O'Sullivan talking about how he created the charming Cully & Sully fresh food brand.

But the best speaker of all was Laurence Olivier's son Richard who presented a one hour session on leadership through an exploration of Shakespeare's Henry V. How to take leadership of a highly brittle, tense and suspicious organisation (Britain in the 15th century), creating your vision, overcoming obstacles (invasion of France), living through the 'Dark Night of the Soul' (being surrounded by 40,000 French troops with only 8,000 able fighting men and knowing you are potentially sending them to their death), and motivating your troops to achieve victory in the face of absolute adversity (the Battle of Agincourt 1415.)

Brilliantly executed, hugely insightful and completely relevant - even in the 21st century. If you are planning an event and want an amazingly inspirational and entertaining speaker, I suggest you contact him!