Acrophobia is the fear of heights. If you suffer from this condition, you may want to avoid the movie The Walk. This film is the true story of Philippe Petit, the man who on August 6, 1974 walked the distance between the Twin Towers on a high wire shortly after their construction.
Starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt, The Walk is a fascinating look into the thinking and behavior of artists. If you are a pastor or lead a team of creatives, I recommend you see this movie. It will provide an interesting case study for you to discuss in your staff meetings. Another benefit is the PG rating with only one unnecessary cuss word and a brief Gordon-Levitt backside shot.
The movie starts slow but builds toward an extended high-wire scene over New York City that is simply nerve-wracking. Check it out and let me know your thoughts.
The following are 28 Leadership Quotes And Lessons From The Walk:
- Great Artists Are Willing To Take Great Risks – Petit opens the movie by saying, “Why do you risk death? For me, this is life.”
- Great Artists Are Optimists – They see the world as it should be, not necessarily as it is. Petit adds, “I never say the word ‘death’. I use the opposite word ‘life’.”
- Great Artists Are Driven By A Dream – As a young boy, Petit saw wire walker Papa Rudy, played by Ben Kingsley, perform in his town. He was immediately bit by the wire walking and performance bug.
- Great Artists Use Pain As Inspiration – While in a dentist office for an unexpected toothache, Petit see a picture of the Twin Towers being constructed. This image provided him a goal and objective for the remainder of his life.
- Great Artists Continually Work On Their Craft – Malcolm Gladwell in his book Outliers introduced us to the 10,000 hour rule. The greatest practitioners of their craft have put in at least 10,000 preparing. Petit would be a testimony of this rule.
- The First Step Is The Hardest – On Petit’s initial walk on a high wire, he was gripped by fear on the first step. For many leaders and artists, fear often disappears on the second step.
- Great Artists Show Great Respect And Gratitude To Their Audience – Papa Rudy would later become a mentor for Petit. He told him, “The performer must have respect for and express gratitude to the audience.”
- Great Artists Show Great Respect To Other Artists – They are neither moody or hard to work with. While performing in Paris, Petit attracted a large audience at the expense of singer Annie, played by Charlotte Le Bon. He told her, “I would never invade the space of another artist.”
- Great Artists Have Great Dreams – Petit said, “My dream is to be the most glorious wire walker in history.”
- Great Artists Push The Boundaries Of Creativity – One of Petit’s team members said, “All artists are anarchists to some degree.”
- Great Artists Are Willing To Pay A Great Cost – Petit was willing to pay any amount of money to receive coaching from Papa Rudy. He told him, “I have money. I don’t care what it costs.”
- Great Artists Are Great Finishers – Papa Rudy told Petit, “Most walkers die in the final three steps. They think they have arrived. They get arrogant and die.”
- All Great Artists Experience Initial Failure – Petit fell into a lake in his first public wire walk.
- Great Artists Have Great Persistence – Success is getting right back up after being knocked down. Shortly after failing into a lake, Petit wire walked the towers of the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris.
- Great Artists Embrace Great Challenges – When told a wire walk between the Twin Towers was impossible, Petit said, “It’s impossible but I’ll do it.”
- Great Artists Must Have Great Transparency – Papa Rudy told Petit, “You cannot lie on stage. The audience will always know what is in your heart.”
- Great Artists Give Great Attention To The Details Of Their Craft – The mistake many people make is thinking artists are flighty. On a certain level, many are. However, great artists give great attention to the minutest details of their craft. Petit built models of buildings, continually went over contingency plans, did extensive recon, and personally checked all riggings.
- Great Artists Build A Great Team – Petit put together an unlikely group of “accomplices”. The key was each member passionately supported the cause.
- Great Artists Have Great Resilience – Annie told a team member, “He never gives up. He just needs our help.”
- Great Leaders Show Great Generosity – The team was suffering from tremendous stress as the Towers walk approached. Annie told Petit, “Your accomplices. You owe them a simple ‘Thank You.'”
- The Worst Leaders Put Their Teams In Great Danger – Petit did three things which put members of his team in danger. First, they could all go to jail. Also, a member of his team suffered from acrophobia. Petit made him hide on a beam in the tower’s 110-story shaft. In addition, Petit made him work on securing the wire while hanging off the building.
- Great Artists Are Fragile – When Petit’s costume blew off the roof of the South Tower, he melted down.
- Great Artists Have Great Focus – As he began to walk the wire between the Twin Towers, Petit reflected, “One foot on the building. One foot on the wire. The outside world disappears.”
- People Celebrate The Accomplishments Of Great Artists – As the crowd gathered on the streets below, they cheered wildly for Petit.
- There Is No Creativity Without Creation – Petit told the police who were waiting from the safety of the building for him to finish his wire walk, “My work is not finished. I still have three more steps to do.”
- Great Artists Are Inspired By Great Beauty – Petit said, “When I see a beautiful place to put my wire, I can’t resist.”
- Great Artists Can Be Very Difficult – But dealing with their idiosyncrasies is worth it. Petit told his team, “I can be difficult but you never gave up on me.”
- Great Artists Ultimately Create For The Benefit Of Others – Rather than a jail sentence, the city of New York ordered Petit do a low wire walk in Central Park for the city’s children. Which he gladly performed.
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