I have a confession to make, I love movies. I think it is something about being able to take time away from the fast pace and stress in the everyday world and just escape for an hour or two (and gotta love movie popcorn!)

I recently attended the Sydney Film Festival and watched the premier of Indiana Jones and the Dial of Death.  This is the final movie instalment with Harrison Ford in the lead role.  It has plenty of plot twists, action and suspense and brought back memories of the ‘old school’ classic movie.

It also got me thinking about why leaders should lead like Indiana Jones.  I think today many leaders are becoming overwhelmed with too much information, too many options and not enough certainty.  What I am noticing is that many leaders have become complacent and are waiting too long to take action.

Here are a few things that Indiana Jones would do to lead the way forward:

Driven to Lead to Make a Difference. In all of the movies Indiana Jones is not one to sit back and let others take charge.  He actively steps up and takes action on the things that he believes in.  I believe leaders have ‘windows of time’ that require them to step up and make a difference to others, or they get left behind.

Trust His People.  In all of the films Indiana Jones has colleagues that he needs to count on to achieve his goals. This requires him to trust his people, regardless of where it may take him.  Too often leaders do not trust their people and try to do everything themselves.

Is Afraid, but Takes Action Anyway.  For anyone who has seen one of the movies, you know that Indiana Jones hates snakes!  The writers find a way to put some snakes into each movie to show his vulnerability (after 25 years he still has a fear of them!)  I think that leaders are the same.  Many have fears and this often stops them from sharing a great idea, holding a person accountable or taking bold action that could make a massive difference.

So the next time you face some challenges as a leader, remember to ask yourself, ‘What would Indiana Jones do?’ This will give you a few practical things to help you overcome your next adventure (especially if you like the classic movies!).

If you would like to discuss how I can work with you to take your business and people to the next level, reach out.  I would love to share some ideas or even reminisce about some great movies!