The play's the thing!
William drew on his broad experience as a poet and playwright to help develop Mythodrama with Richard Olivier. William’s writing includes the play ‘Bengal Lancer’ and two collections of poetry. He also leads programmes on personal impact and dynamic communication.
Q: What is Olivier Mythodrama?
A: Mythodrama is a new form of experiential learning, which combines great stories with psychological and organisational insights, poetry and creative exercises. It came to fruition when Richard Olivier was directing Henry V, the first production at Shakespeare’s Globe. He was invited to work with some business leaders around the leadership themes found in the play. To their surprise, the participants found it more valuable than any traditional business text or self-help book. This led Richard to find and unpick the leadership journeys embedded in Shakespeare’s body of work. For example, in Macbeth we can divine journeys encompassing ambition, inflation, tyranny, quiet leadership and stewardship. In The Tempest, key themes of dealing with change and weathering the storm resonate with an executive audience.
Mythodrama also draws on archetypal psychology, based on the works of Jung, Hillman and others. This work demonstrates that symbols, images and stories are central to understanding the human experience.
Q: How can the course help people become great leaders?
A: The starting point of the Mythodrama experience is that people get the call to leadership in their careers in the form of promotion but have had no time to rehearse for the challenge. Even the most experienced actor would never dream of tackling a new part without rehearsal. Mythodrama provides a safe framework to play out a part and prepare for it by extending the envelope of our experience. As we can see from Macbeth’s story, sometimes the very qualities that get us promoted can be those that ultimately derail us. Mythodrama helps guard against such eventualities.
It allows participants to experiment with different styles of leadership and enter areas outside their traditional comfort zone. For example, someone who conforms to the rational, calm ‘good king’ character type might find it difficult to enter the mindset of the ideas-focused, creative ‘medicine woman’ type.
Q: Why is imagination/creativity important in business?
A: The arts offer people a way of broadening their experience. Speaking personally, I passionately believe that studying the arts can help people become more fully rounded. By introducing business leaders to the humanities, we can maximise their power to lead effectively. The ultimate truth is that people follow people – not flags or logos. If we can create authentic leaders with integrity, people will follow. An understanding of the humanities is the foundation of that integrity.
What are the typical responses of participants on an Olivier Mythodrama course? Our participants have profound experiences on our courses. Many arrive with a sceptical mindset, particularly the more senior executives but on the whole, their outlook becomes rapidly transformed. For example, the Chief Constable of a major police service introduced himself by explaining that he wasn’t interested in ‘touchy feely stuff ’. By lunchtime, he had realised how valuable the course was and decided to stay for the duration. I have had CEOs and their senior teams change their companies’ strategic goals and mission as a result of exploring some alternative roles and characters. It can really have that impact at the most senior level.
Q: What are the typical responses of participants on an Olivier Mythodrama course?
A: Our participants have profound experiences on our courses. Many arrive with a sceptical mindset, particularly the more senior executives but on the whole, their outlook becomes rapidly transformed. For example, the Chief Constable of a major police service introduced himself by explaining that he wasn’t interested in ‘touchy feely stuff ’. By lunchtime, he had realised how valuable the course was and decided to stay for the duration. I have had CEOs and their senior teams change their companies’ strategic goals and mission as a result of exploring some alternative roles and characters. It can really have that impact at the most senior level.
Q: What will the courses at Roffey Park consist of?
A: We’re running a one-day course, the Four Faces of Leadership in September, followed by a three-day residential Macbeth course in November.
We’ve been working with Roffey Park for over five years and find it an excellent place to work with a style that is wholly complementary to our approach. Roffey Park’s appreciation of emotional intelligence and the human face of leadership helps give our courses both extra resonance and relevance.