WonderTour

At points in each of our lives we have our own dark nights where we feel trapped in the proverbial pit without the ability to escape.  In The Dark Knight Rises, each of the characters must climb from the physical, mental, and spiritual pits they find themselves in starting with Bruce.  

Alfred, as the magnanimous mentor, leads by example.  Alfred makes a personal sacrifice (his relationship with Bruce) in order to help Bruce's façade of hope give way to something real.  Along the way Alfred and Bruce teach us that to climb out of the pit we must let the truth have its day, let go of the past, and make the climb without the rope (let go of the safety net).

As much as we would all love to be Aragorn, Legolas, or Gandalf in LOTR, if we are being honest with ourselves, we are probably more like Bilbo.  We love to find a comfortable spot and make a life for ourselves in it for as long as the world will allow.  Enter the Unexpected Journey.  Like Bilbo, we all need a journey to draw us into the discomfort that's required for growth.

Even then, starting out on a journey does not immediately give us a strong hope and belief.  We can get a dose of hope through a Gandalf-like mentor but that will only carry us to our first real conflict in the world outside our hobbit hole.  How might we embrace the discomfort of the journey, taking advantage of each encounter with trolls or goblins to develop a deep sense of hope and belief?

We all wish we could lead like Gandalf, but how could we ever become that magnanimous and how do we contribute to a better world when there aren't orcs and dragons to fight?  

Gandalf's style of servant leadership is perfectly encapsulated in this quote, "Saruman believes it is only great power that can hold evil in check, but that is not what I have found. It is the small everyday deeds of ordinary folk that keep the darkness at bay. Small acts of kindness and love. Why Bilbo Baggins? Perhaps because I am afraid, and he gives me courage".

Join Brian and Drew as we unpack the mindsets and tactics that Gandalf deploys to become better leaders for the good of others.

Regardless of who you are, we at WonderTour believe that you are a leader.  Whether you run your own business, lead a team of problem solvers, serve as mother or father to a family, or are just growing up with big aspirations of making an impact in the world.  One of the reasons we need everyone to be leaders is because change is inevitable and good leadership is required to navigate the waters of uncertainty and come out better on the other side.  

In The Nightmare Before Christmas, Jack Skellington attempts to instigate a monumental shift in his culture from celebrating Halloween to celebrating Christmas, but its Sally, not Jack, who humbly navigates the murky water of change.  Sally embodies a true servant leader as she simultaneously supports Jack and the celebration of Christmas, while trying to steer the team towards a growth mindset that acknowledges that don't actually know much about Christmas.  How might we learn from Sally how to navigate change in our lives and businesses?