At its simplest level the movie is a tale of self-obsession, but at a more fundamental level it gives great insight into the influence of internal dialogue on our actions.

So, what has all this to do with Leadership?  Leaders carry significant responsibility:

• Creating a vision for the business;
• Motivating, inspiring and developing  teams to achieve that vision;
• Delivering successful business outcomes

and have a wide sphere of influence.

So, since self-talk has a way of becoming a self-fulfilling prophecy, how can that inner-voice work for you, rather than against you?  The ability to monitor and manage your inner-voice is a key aspect of leadership and personal development.   I am not talking here about developing a Pollyanna type approach, simply an ability to increase the accuracy and logic of your self-talk.   Inner conversations have a powerful impact on emotional well-being and motivation.  By becoming aware of exactly what you are saying to yourself about yourself can help you understand why you react the way you do to events and people in your life.

When is it a good idea to challenge your inner voice?

• When what is happening to you doesn’t sit comfortably with what you expected or predicted.  Did you fall into the trap of jumping to conclusions?
• When you sense in yourself a pattern of negative behaviour towards others or when you hold yourself personally responsible for events that aren’t entirely under your control.
• When you are going through a stressful situation or some form of personal transition.  Perhaps you exaggerate the importance of your problems or issues?
• When you hear yourself using the “should” word often.
• When you dwell on the negatives and discount the positives.

Our inner-voice is at its most destructive when we are under pressure or feeling down, and of course, at these times it is hard to be objective, and separate the facts from our perception of them.  Given the span of leadership influence, it is an essential part of the leadership toolkit to be able to stand back and gain perspective.

What can help?

• Putting yourself in someone else’s shoes.  How would they think about this?
• Identify the facts of the situation.
• List your assumptions and reality check them.

Sometimes it is difficult to stand back and gain perspective alone, this is where a supportive colleague, mentor, or personal coach can help. 

To quote from William Ernest Henley’s poem Invictus,

“ It matters not how strait the gate,

How charged with punishments the scroll,

I am the master of my fate,

I am the captain of my soul”