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Inspirational Leadership: Henry V and the Muse of Fire--Timeless Insights from Shakespeare's Greatest Leader
With unique practical insight and understanding gained from working with the real-life managers and leaders of such corporations as Shell, PriceWaterhouseCoopers and Raytheon, Olivier successfully combines ancient wisdom with modern business experience.
- GenresBusinessNonfiction
248 pages, Paperback
First published May 1, 2001
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September 20, 2016
In theaters, either for the plays or the movies, we get in touch with the stories, images and emotional experiences. We learn to balance our thinking and feeling, between motives, actions and impacts. The function of Art is to do so by growing our appreciation, insights and wisdom.
Shakespeare was a great master of this kind of Art. He wanted his audience to reflect and learn while enjoying the plays.
This book is about his 400-year-old famous play "Henry V" (including Prologue, 5 Acts with 23 Scenes, Epilogue, plus a background introduction of Henry V's youth as a Prince Hal in another play of "Henry IV") and the learning from the author's "mythodrama workshops on leadership" (an art-based learning, using dramas to give participants the experience of balancing their thoughts and emotions in an organizational leadership context).
The author is not nobody, he is the son of Laurence Olivier, the Henry V in the movie of "Henry V" during the important time of World War II. The movie raised British spirit before the Normandy Landing. Also, the author is the director of many Shakespeare's plays at Globe Theater in London. With his study and understanding of the play, and his experiences of helping in organizational development and executives on leadership issues, the book is full of stories, images, poetry and the most important, reflections on leadership's requirements to deal with power and responsibilities.
The author said that the book is an attempt to communicate lessons in leadership from the way Shakespeare told the story of Henry V.
The book was difficult for me to start as the ancient literature intimidated me. All those unfamiliar words of thou, thy, thee, hath, shalt, wilt, dost, doth, couldst, wouldst, etc. But the ancient lines with touches from Shakespeare's insights on the truth of human experiences are repeated (yes! quite a lot!) and explained clearly to me. I have learned a lot of metaphors: the King (Henry V) is the leader, the nation the organization, the nobles a senior management team, France a big project to achieve, Agincourt the target to get... And many more like "leaving the tavern", "the angel of consideration", "inner traitor", "warrior", "good king", "medicine woman", "great mother", "dark night", "inner battle", "private truth", "facing the shadow", "eating the leek", "exchanging the glove", "take off the crown", "nurturing the garden", etc.
The real-life case studies drawn from the author's play productions and mythodrama workshops, as well as occasionally the modern poems from various poets help to enrich the book. It has been a time-consuming but fantastic book to read.
I followed the book to embarks a great journey with Henry V, from A to Z, through the below tasks:
Act 1
- assessing the past and now for the direction of the future
- turning away his former self
- finding a vision (a bigger picture, a desired future, beyond profit to community at large)
- inner alignment
- preparing the ground for mission
- explaining the vision to inspire others
- demonstrating commitment
- seeking out support
- building consent
Act 2
- shifting leadership styles (good king, great mother, warrior, medicine woman) for inclusivity and diversity
- identifying and dealing with different kinds of disagreers (naysayers, critics and traitors)
- practicing political intelligence
- allocating appropriate resources
- making tactical decisions
Act 3
- overcoming barriers
- delegating
- changing tactics
- managing dilemmas
- making hard decisions
Act 4
- acting the royal face
- inspiring troops
- managing the fear
- surviving the dark night
- unloading burdens
- killing the prisoners
- teaching others to learn
- building a positive cycle of trust
- being modesty in victory
Act 5
- taking armour off
- making peace
- building relationship
- uniting the opposite
- nurturing a battlefield into a garden
Having read this book, I got to know Henry V's story in details (this made me happy!). I also got an overall insight and understanding of leadership requirement (this is my main gain). An element of it is the street smartness on the political intelligence..., an eye opener to me!
I would recommend to anyone, who is attending high level leadership in an organization or a community to read.
P.S. There are some notes I took from the book, that I would like to share too below:
- The leaders are both inspired and inspiring.
- Appropriate reflection is the nourishment that feeds our future.
- Take time to tell the story of the past, not "what" but "why and how".
- Keep an eye on the bigger picture, remind people of the past to motivate efforts for the future. Vision is seeing what life could be like while dealing with life as it is.
- If, deep down, you lack the conviction that you have something to offer, you will probably fail.
- "Ambition" has a root came from a Greek word meaning "wingspan", the space between wingtips... how far we can stretch our wings to fly high and not crash to the ground.
- Don't ask "What's in it for me", but "Is this the right thing for us to do?". Go beyond the self and ego and have a sense of service.
- Tack across the desired path, rather than being attached to it. The sense of purpose alignment happens when the right thing (outside) is linked to the right feeling (inside).
- Unless we do something about it, we are not leaders but dreamers. Whatever you can do, or dream you can, begin it! Boldness has genius, power and magic in it!
- Vision + Action = Mission. A vision is more internally driven, a mission more externally. If the vision is being achieved you feel it; if the mission is being achieved you can measure it. In the end, vision always deal with life's qualities, not quantities.
- By improving the quality, the quantity takes care of itself... Like focusing on internal behavior not external activity. Don't confuse the vision with the target. Rekindle the flame of the vision behind the target.
- The fundamental ability of inspirational leaders is to change the energy in those around them.
- Ensure that one of the first three responses to your idea is a positive, supportive voice.
- Raise your vision like a flag up a flagpole. When people see clearly what it is and who is raising it, they can decide if they want to support it. If they never see clearly or sense that the person raising it does not quite believe in it, they will back off.
- When we move into higher positions of leadership, we need to access all 4 characters of leadership: static masculine (Good King), static feminine (Great Mother), dynamic masculine (Warrior) and dynamic feminine (Medicine Woman). Learn a new character and stop being dominated by an old one.
- Awareness is the beginning of changing the old pattern. Then it take motivation to follow it through.
- Everyone is in a house with four rooms: a physical, an emotional, a mental and a spiritual. Most of us tend to live in one room most of the time, but unless we go into every room every day, even if only to keep it aired, we are not a complete person.
- Recognize that what sustains the critics is the fear of failure.
- See the desired result first, then think what energy you need to achieve it, then imagine yourself doing it, then do it.
- In any big project, you will never get, nor do you actually ever need, 100% buy in. The cowardly old friends and habitual critics eventually need to be ignored.
- Motivate smarter not harder.
- There are times to treat barriers as obstacles to be overcome, and times to treat them as signs to find another way.
- Managers solve problems; leaders manage dilemmas (short term or long term; individual or community; truth or loyalty; justice or mercy).
- Rehearse the visible leadership; Sometimes an effective leader needs to be an effective actor.
- The consultant plans, strategies and advises new ways of "doing"; the mentor initiates and facilitates new ways of "being".
- Better to have a few inspired brothers than a load of resentful followers.
- Make a blessing out of complaints.
- Sometimes you have to trick people into the learning they need, and a lecture is never as powerful as an experience.
- An inspired leader is in a line of service. He would not ask others to make sacrifices for a mission he would not be willing to make sacrifices for himself.
- If I act as if I trust others, it will not make any difference to those who are untrustworthy, but I will harness the discretionary efforts of the trustworthy.
- The more secure we are, and the less driven by ego, the more we will surrender credit to others, to the universe, to destiny or whatever else makes sense to us.
- Work is like life - a process that requires us to make the most of it everyday and to concentrate on the journey not the destination.
- At work, sometimes we got reduced from our potential as a human "being", become a human "doing".
- We do need to survive the struggles, but it's not the only thing we need energy for. We need to spend our energy in taking care of the people at work, maintaining the process, neutering the skills and making work even enjoyable.
- Finding an appropriate balance between going out into the world and exploring the world within.
- Connect with and integrate the learning we are offered by the other or opposite. Risk moving from unconscious competences to conscious challenges. Only a person who risks... is free. Be willing to risk a change of approach and embrace our less familiar characters.
- Be less afraid, more accessible.
- One of the most practical ways to court the lease favorite character is to engage in an activity related to it. We can court the Warrior through determined and energetic activity; the Good King through order and structure; the Medicine Woman through spontaneity and creativity; and the Great Mother through relaxation and nurturing. (See photo)
- We cannot know what the implications of our actions will be long-term or if we will make a lasting difference, but what we can do is to live our lives as greatly as possible by doing our best to make the world a better place.
Shakespeare was a great master of this kind of Art. He wanted his audience to reflect and learn while enjoying the plays.
This book is about his 400-year-old famous play "Henry V" (including Prologue, 5 Acts with 23 Scenes, Epilogue, plus a background introduction of Henry V's youth as a Prince Hal in another play of "Henry IV") and the learning from the author's "mythodrama workshops on leadership" (an art-based learning, using dramas to give participants the experience of balancing their thoughts and emotions in an organizational leadership context).
The author is not nobody, he is the son of Laurence Olivier, the Henry V in the movie of "Henry V" during the important time of World War II. The movie raised British spirit before the Normandy Landing. Also, the author is the director of many Shakespeare's plays at Globe Theater in London. With his study and understanding of the play, and his experiences of helping in organizational development and executives on leadership issues, the book is full of stories, images, poetry and the most important, reflections on leadership's requirements to deal with power and responsibilities.
The author said that the book is an attempt to communicate lessons in leadership from the way Shakespeare told the story of Henry V.
The book was difficult for me to start as the ancient literature intimidated me. All those unfamiliar words of thou, thy, thee, hath, shalt, wilt, dost, doth, couldst, wouldst, etc. But the ancient lines with touches from Shakespeare's insights on the truth of human experiences are repeated (yes! quite a lot!) and explained clearly to me. I have learned a lot of metaphors: the King (Henry V) is the leader, the nation the organization, the nobles a senior management team, France a big project to achieve, Agincourt the target to get... And many more like "leaving the tavern", "the angel of consideration", "inner traitor", "warrior", "good king", "medicine woman", "great mother", "dark night", "inner battle", "private truth", "facing the shadow", "eating the leek", "exchanging the glove", "take off the crown", "nurturing the garden", etc.
The real-life case studies drawn from the author's play productions and mythodrama workshops, as well as occasionally the modern poems from various poets help to enrich the book. It has been a time-consuming but fantastic book to read.
I followed the book to embarks a great journey with Henry V, from A to Z, through the below tasks:
Act 1
- assessing the past and now for the direction of the future
- turning away his former self
- finding a vision (a bigger picture, a desired future, beyond profit to community at large)
- inner alignment
- preparing the ground for mission
- explaining the vision to inspire others
- demonstrating commitment
- seeking out support
- building consent
Act 2
- shifting leadership styles (good king, great mother, warrior, medicine woman) for inclusivity and diversity
- identifying and dealing with different kinds of disagreers (naysayers, critics and traitors)
- practicing political intelligence
- allocating appropriate resources
- making tactical decisions
Act 3
- overcoming barriers
- delegating
- changing tactics
- managing dilemmas
- making hard decisions
Act 4
- acting the royal face
- inspiring troops
- managing the fear
- surviving the dark night
- unloading burdens
- killing the prisoners
- teaching others to learn
- building a positive cycle of trust
- being modesty in victory
Act 5
- taking armour off
- making peace
- building relationship
- uniting the opposite
- nurturing a battlefield into a garden
Having read this book, I got to know Henry V's story in details (this made me happy!). I also got an overall insight and understanding of leadership requirement (this is my main gain). An element of it is the street smartness on the political intelligence..., an eye opener to me!
I would recommend to anyone, who is attending high level leadership in an organization or a community to read.
P.S. There are some notes I took from the book, that I would like to share too below:
- The leaders are both inspired and inspiring.
- Appropriate reflection is the nourishment that feeds our future.
- Take time to tell the story of the past, not "what" but "why and how".
- Keep an eye on the bigger picture, remind people of the past to motivate efforts for the future. Vision is seeing what life could be like while dealing with life as it is.
- If, deep down, you lack the conviction that you have something to offer, you will probably fail.
- "Ambition" has a root came from a Greek word meaning "wingspan", the space between wingtips... how far we can stretch our wings to fly high and not crash to the ground.
- Don't ask "What's in it for me", but "Is this the right thing for us to do?". Go beyond the self and ego and have a sense of service.
- Tack across the desired path, rather than being attached to it. The sense of purpose alignment happens when the right thing (outside) is linked to the right feeling (inside).
- Unless we do something about it, we are not leaders but dreamers. Whatever you can do, or dream you can, begin it! Boldness has genius, power and magic in it!
- Vision + Action = Mission. A vision is more internally driven, a mission more externally. If the vision is being achieved you feel it; if the mission is being achieved you can measure it. In the end, vision always deal with life's qualities, not quantities.
- By improving the quality, the quantity takes care of itself... Like focusing on internal behavior not external activity. Don't confuse the vision with the target. Rekindle the flame of the vision behind the target.
- The fundamental ability of inspirational leaders is to change the energy in those around them.
- Ensure that one of the first three responses to your idea is a positive, supportive voice.
- Raise your vision like a flag up a flagpole. When people see clearly what it is and who is raising it, they can decide if they want to support it. If they never see clearly or sense that the person raising it does not quite believe in it, they will back off.
- When we move into higher positions of leadership, we need to access all 4 characters of leadership: static masculine (Good King), static feminine (Great Mother), dynamic masculine (Warrior) and dynamic feminine (Medicine Woman). Learn a new character and stop being dominated by an old one.
- Awareness is the beginning of changing the old pattern. Then it take motivation to follow it through.
- Everyone is in a house with four rooms: a physical, an emotional, a mental and a spiritual. Most of us tend to live in one room most of the time, but unless we go into every room every day, even if only to keep it aired, we are not a complete person.
- Recognize that what sustains the critics is the fear of failure.
- See the desired result first, then think what energy you need to achieve it, then imagine yourself doing it, then do it.
- In any big project, you will never get, nor do you actually ever need, 100% buy in. The cowardly old friends and habitual critics eventually need to be ignored.
- Motivate smarter not harder.
- There are times to treat barriers as obstacles to be overcome, and times to treat them as signs to find another way.
- Managers solve problems; leaders manage dilemmas (short term or long term; individual or community; truth or loyalty; justice or mercy).
- Rehearse the visible leadership; Sometimes an effective leader needs to be an effective actor.
- The consultant plans, strategies and advises new ways of "doing"; the mentor initiates and facilitates new ways of "being".
- Better to have a few inspired brothers than a load of resentful followers.
- Make a blessing out of complaints.
- Sometimes you have to trick people into the learning they need, and a lecture is never as powerful as an experience.
- An inspired leader is in a line of service. He would not ask others to make sacrifices for a mission he would not be willing to make sacrifices for himself.
- If I act as if I trust others, it will not make any difference to those who are untrustworthy, but I will harness the discretionary efforts of the trustworthy.
- The more secure we are, and the less driven by ego, the more we will surrender credit to others, to the universe, to destiny or whatever else makes sense to us.
- Work is like life - a process that requires us to make the most of it everyday and to concentrate on the journey not the destination.
- At work, sometimes we got reduced from our potential as a human "being", become a human "doing".
- We do need to survive the struggles, but it's not the only thing we need energy for. We need to spend our energy in taking care of the people at work, maintaining the process, neutering the skills and making work even enjoyable.
- Finding an appropriate balance between going out into the world and exploring the world within.
- Connect with and integrate the learning we are offered by the other or opposite. Risk moving from unconscious competences to conscious challenges. Only a person who risks... is free. Be willing to risk a change of approach and embrace our less familiar characters.
- Be less afraid, more accessible.
- One of the most practical ways to court the lease favorite character is to engage in an activity related to it. We can court the Warrior through determined and energetic activity; the Good King through order and structure; the Medicine Woman through spontaneity and creativity; and the Great Mother through relaxation and nurturing. (See photo)
- We cannot know what the implications of our actions will be long-term or if we will make a lasting difference, but what we can do is to live our lives as greatly as possible by doing our best to make the world a better place.
September 25, 2022
The hardback edition of this book was given to me by my father and signed by the author. It has some good leadership tips and examples I gleaned from it, which led me to reflect on I not only lead my writing group but how I interact with other people.
However it did not convince me everything that Henry V choose to do in the play made him a good person, or that all of the advice was especially ethical. It did add to my intellectual toolbox of navigating the world and interacting with others, especially in a leadership position. Which I guess is the main outcome of the book. The introduction by now more even known and successful actor Mark Rylance was good.
There are many interesting and diverse ideas here, regardless of how I feel about some of them, and it uses the source text of Shakespeare's work well. So I think the book mostly achieves its main goals. Maybe not of fire, but that's my musings of the book.
However it did not convince me everything that Henry V choose to do in the play made him a good person, or that all of the advice was especially ethical. It did add to my intellectual toolbox of navigating the world and interacting with others, especially in a leadership position. Which I guess is the main outcome of the book. The introduction by now more even known and successful actor Mark Rylance was good.
There are many interesting and diverse ideas here, regardless of how I feel about some of them, and it uses the source text of Shakespeare's work well. So I think the book mostly achieves its main goals. Maybe not of fire, but that's my musings of the book.
May 9, 2023
Many know the magic of Shakespeare exists, and that it’s important, relevant, etc etc. But few appreciate the lessons of such literature to a deeper level. This book helps with that in one specific goal: to share the experience of the author’s Mythodrama leadership training program to bring Henry V to the forefront of your mind as you grapple with leadership yourself. Even if you are not currently a manager, executive, etc. it helps to understand the larger picture of what your superiors face on a daily basis.
I personally found this book helpful for keeping your own morale, and the morale of those around you. Working in the nonprofit museum world is to face insurmountable odds all the time. I will keep all of these lessons close for my battles at hand.
Natural leaders may find some of the advice redundant, but there is still much to learn if you’re open to it (the entire point of the gardener-leader). If nothing else, the book is a good literary analysis of Henry V.
I personally found this book helpful for keeping your own morale, and the morale of those around you. Working in the nonprofit museum world is to face insurmountable odds all the time. I will keep all of these lessons close for my battles at hand.
Natural leaders may find some of the advice redundant, but there is still much to learn if you’re open to it (the entire point of the gardener-leader). If nothing else, the book is a good literary analysis of Henry V.
August 5, 2012
It's a really unique book for anyone interested in personal growth, theater practice, arts entrepreneurship, Shakespeare, business, or psychology. This is the kind of book I should re-read in 2 years, because I'll get even more out of it then.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews