M. Night Shyamalan Has A Theory About Why Critics Hate His Movies

Arts & Culture, Film & TV

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Universal Pictures

The worst thing that ever happened to M. Night Shyamalan’s was the August 5, 2002 cover of Newsweek magazine. The filmmaker was red hot coming off the surprise box office success of “The Sixth Sense” and a solid double of a hit in “Unbreakable,” and about to pack theaters once again with his blockbuster sci-fi/horror opus “Signs.” He was the toast of Hollywood, seemingly on the cusp of becoming a smash-crafting industry unto himself. It was a lot for one guy to deal with before the then prominent publication got completely carried away and declared the then 32-year-old director “The Next Steven Spielberg.” Afterwards? It dogged him like a curse.

Shyamalan didn’t handle this particularly well. Leaving aside how you feel about M. Night’s movies, he followed up the mild disappointment of “The Village” with the strangely hostile “Lady in the Water,” in which the filmmaker plays a supporting character whose writing possesses the power to transform the world. It’s a zany movie that likely would’ve flopped even if he hadn’t burdened its theatrical release by giving journalist Michael Bamberger unfettered access to his soul via the making-of book “The Man Who Heard Voices.” It felt like Shyamalan had completely bought into that Newsweek headline, and in turn believed himself infallible.
The best that can be said about “The Village,” “Lady in the Water,” and even the much-ridiculed “The Happening” is that they are personal visions. Disney, Warner Bros., and 20th Century Fox allowed Shyamalan to make these movies on his terms, and he delivered summer entertainments that felt wholly unlike anything else at the multiplexes.

You may very well be a fan of these movies, and that’s terrific! I am, to varying degrees, not, but I’m always open to hearing why they’re misunderstood masterpieces. I’m not sure I want to hear this from Shyamalan (because he’s already made his case with each finished film), but the writer-director is unafraid to speak his mind so let’s hear him out.

Were critics simply not hip to the jazz of Shyamalan’s most disappointing movies?

Warner Bros

In an interview with The Atlantic’s David Sims, Shyamalan acknowledged the failure of “hired gun” efforts like “The Last Airbender” (no hyperbole, one of the worst movies I’ve ever seen) and the Will Smith sci-fi flick “After Earth.” If Shyamalan thinks he regained his footing creatively with “The Visit” and “Split,” I will happily agree with him. They’re two of his best films.

Where I’ll part company with Shyamalan in the assessment of his movies is the notion that “The Village” and “Lady in the Water” are “jazz” that’s too narratively/thematically different for critics to grasp. This is hogwash. He brought up Russian filmmaker Mikhail Kalatozov to Sims as an aesthetic influence on his films, and I can totally see it in “The Sixth Sense,” “Signs,” and especially “Unbreakable” (though I thought M. Night’s superhero riff, with its long takes and clever camera placement, owed more of a stylistic debt to Andrei Tarkovsky). “The Village” and “Lady in the Water,” however, are nowhere near as assured visually as those films (the respective cinematography by Roger Deakins and Christopher Doyle be damned); Shyamalan was losing his fastball on those movies, and seemed to have lost the strike zone entirely with the clumsily directed “The Happening” (though /Film’s Chris Evangelista feels it’s a B-movie classic).

Aside from the aesthetic disconnect, though, there is something else eating at Shyamalan.

Shyamalan just wants the benefit of the doubt

Warner Bros

Shyamalan wraps up his defense of those movies with the following observation:

“I am an immigrant, at the end of the day, and I’m telling stories not about immigrants. Sometimes it feels like it would be easier to swallow if I was making movies about Indian mathematicians or something like that. Then I would get the benefit of the doubt.”

I understand his frustration. It must suck to pour your heart and soul into a movie, and fail to connect with the critics as well as a mainstream audience (“The Village” earned a Cinemascore of C, while “Lady in the Water” drew a B-). But I don’t think I’ve ever gone into an M. Night Shyamalan film thinking about his cultural background, just as I don’t think about Spielberg’s or Martin Scorsese’s upbringing unless they address it within the fabric of the movie (as the former did with “The Fabelmans”). I’d like to think this is true of most critics and people in general.
Ultimately, we don’t matter — at least, not yet. Shyamalan’s movies are bold auteurist undertakings in that he’s able to shoot movies on decent-sized budgets that divide audiences. I haven’t been wild about all of them, but it is heartening to see that his visual craftsmanship is still superb after rebounding from those “one for them” efforts. My favorite director on the planet is Brian De Palma, and he’s every bit as divisive as Shyamalan. Artistically, we need dividers — and if they get to tick off a sizable portion of viewers on a studio budget, even better. There may come a time when those budgets are harder to come by, but Shyamalan, who signed a first-look deal in 2023 with WB, clearly isn’t there yet.

Shyamalan is critic-proof. At this point, if we still bother him this much, he should just do what the many of the nation’s newspapers have done and cut us out of his life completely.

The production of Taiwan Semiconductor chips in the United States exceeded the figures in Taiwan

Technology

AK&M 25 October 2024 14:46

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC) has achieved high performance at the first facility built in Arizona (USA), which surpasses the performance of similar plants in Taiwan by 4%. This is reported in a TSMC press release.

The high performance of TSMC at the Phoenix manufacturing complex is the result of measures taken by the American government to restore chip production in the United States.

TSMC, the main partner of Nvidia Corp. and Apple Inc., a chip manufacturer, expects to receive $6.6 billion in government grants and $5 billion in loans plus 25% tax breaks for the construction of three manufacturing facilities in Arizona in accordance with the Chips and Science Act, adopted in 2022.

TSMC originally planned to launch the first plant in Arizona at full capacity in 2024, but postponed this deadline to 2025 due to labor problems. At the same time, the launch of the second production has been postponed from 2026 to 2027 or 2028. The Phoenix complex is designed for the construction of six production facilities.

The other two chip manufacturers on which the Biden administration’s technology strategy is based are Intel Corp. and Samsung Electronics Co., have faced difficulties in recent months. In particular, Intel, which should become the largest beneficiary of the Chips and Science Act, is under serious financial pressure and is forced to postpone global projects and consider selling assets.

TSMC is a Taiwanese chip manufacturer and developer of advanced technologies, manufacturing processes, design tools and standard architectures. Major clients of the company are HiSilicon, MediaTek, Huawei, Realtek, AMD, NVIDIA, Qualcomm, ARM Holdings, Altera, Xilinx, Apple, Broadcom, Conexant, Marvell, Intel. The company’s headquarters are located in Hsinchu (Taiwan).

Chinese car manufacturer WeRide has raised $440.5 million in a stock offering in the United States

Technology

AK&M 25 October 2024 15:15

WeRide Inc., a Chinese self-driving car company, has raised $440.5 million in an IPO and private equity offering in the United States. This is reported in the WeRide press release.

WeRide sold 6.5 million American Depositary shares (ADS) at a price of $15.5 per share for $120 million in the IPO. In particular, the manufacturer of automotive components Robert Bosch GmbH acquired ADS for $ 100 million. In addition, a group of investors bought shares of the company for $320.5 million, and Alliance Ventures, the Renault Nissan Mitsubishi Alliance venture fund as a sponsor of WeRide, for $97 million.

Morgan Stanley, JPMorgan Chase & Co. and China International Capital Corp. They act as bookrunners and IPO managers.

The sale of shares completes the WeRide listing process in the United States, which was postponed in mid-August to finalize documentation for the American regulator.

The IPO and placement of shares represents a rare case of a large listing of a Chinese company in the United States and is related to the proposal of the US administration to ban the import and sale of Chinese and Russian-made hardware and software for vehicles that can maintain external communication via Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, cellular or satellite systems. 

WeRide has established strategic partnerships with equipment manufacturers and first-tier suppliers, including Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance, Yutong Group, GAC Group, Bosch, etc. The fleet of the robotaxi company uses Nissan Motor Co cars.

WeRide is an international company developing self-driving technologies. WeRide has received permission to test unmanned vehicles in China, the United States, the United Arab Emirates and Singapore. The headquarters is located in Guangzhou (China).

Read also in our telegram channel “Mergers and acquisitions. AK&M».

Chinese car manufacturer WeRide has raised $440.5 million in a stock offering in the United States

Technology

AK&M 25 October 2024 15:15

WeRide Inc., a Chinese self-driving car company, has raised $440.5 million in an IPO and private equity offering in the United States. This is reported in the WeRide press release.

WeRide sold 6.5 million American Depositary shares (ADS) at a price of $15.5 per share for $120 million in the IPO. In particular, the manufacturer of automotive components Robert Bosch GmbH acquired ADS for $ 100 million. In addition, a group of investors bought shares of the company for $320.5 million, and Alliance Ventures, the Renault Nissan Mitsubishi Alliance venture fund as a sponsor of WeRide, for $97 million.

Morgan Stanley, JPMorgan Chase & Co. and China International Capital Corp. They act as bookrunners and IPO managers.

The sale of shares completes the WeRide listing process in the United States, which was postponed in mid-August to finalize documentation for the American regulator.

The IPO and placement of shares represents a rare case of a large listing of a Chinese company in the United States and is related to the proposal of the US administration to ban the import and sale of Chinese and Russian-made hardware and software for vehicles that can maintain external communication via Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, cellular or satellite systems. 

WeRide has established strategic partnerships with equipment manufacturers and first-tier suppliers, including Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance, Yutong Group, GAC Group, Bosch, etc. The fleet of the robotaxi company uses Nissan Motor Co cars.

WeRide is an international company developing self-driving technologies. WeRide has received permission to test unmanned vehicles in China, the United States, the United Arab Emirates and Singapore. The headquarters is located in Guangzhou (China).

Read also in our telegram channel “Mergers and acquisitions. AK&M».

LSUS professor is hosting a book signing for her third book

Arts & Culture, Books

A local professor will be hosting a book signing at the Shreveport Observatory on Nov. 2, in honor of her third book release of “Look Up Sealy.”“Look Up Sealy” is part of a series that features the main character Stuart — a young boy, and his dog Sealy, who accompanies his human friend on various adventures.LSUS education professor Cay Evans developed her book series while working out with her personal trainer, Stuart Burgess.“The real Stuart is a funny person who tells these ridiculously hilarious stories, and I morph them into books,” Evans said. “One day when we’re working out and walking, he’s talking about the stars and all kinds of crazy science facts and information.”She continued by saying, “Those stories turned into a book about how Stuart and Sealy look up at the stars, and about how God named the stars and knows us by our names. It explores the nature of talking about the universe and God and something bigger than ourselves.”When Evans learned about the Shreveport-Bossier Astronomical Society, Inc., she thought about a book signing at the Shreveport Observatory. She got in contact with the president, Cran Lucas who created a book signing during the group’s Star Party.Lucas, a biochemistry professor at LSUS, said he thought the combination of the events would widen interest for both Evans and the astronomical society.Lucas said, “Our goal with the star parties is to share our love of astronomy with the public.”If you would like to attend the Star Party/signing it starts at 7 p.m. on Nov. 2, at the Shreveport Observatory located eight miles south of Shreveport on Hwy. 175.More:From events to winners: Here’s what you missed at Prize Fest in downtown ShreveportMakenzie Boucher is a reporter with the Shreveport Times. Contact her at [email protected].

Bruno Burger, Senior Scientist at Fraunhofer ISE — Early Solar Energy, Energy Charts, Renewable Energy in Germany, Future of Solar, Battery Storage, Hydrogen, Policy Needs, and Data Transparency

Science and Health

In this interview, Prof. Dr. Bruno Burger, Senior Scientist at Fraunhofer-Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE, discusses his pioneering work in solar energy and the development of the Energy Charts platform. Prof. Dr. Burger shares insights on the challenges of providing real-time energy data, the growing influence of renewable energy in Germany, and the future roles of battery storage and hydrogen. He also touches on policy needs and how transparent data can reshape public and governmental views on renewables. Dive into this conversation to uncover key insights into the future of solar energy.

How Startups & Enterprises Harness AI-Powered Data Insights To Drive Business Growth

Business News

SUMMARY
Inc42, in collaboration with Confluent, recently hosted a roundtable on How Startups & Enterprises Harness AI-Powered Data Insights To Drive Business Growth, bringing together 12 technology leaders from diverse sectors
The roundtable focussed on key trends in data analytics that could impact business dynamics, job roles and data monetisation
Speakers looked at the shift from a human-centric approach to AI-driven data insights and the importance of a data strategy roadmap

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Many Indian companies now use artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) to manage and analyse their data assets, deriving valuable insights for business success. In fact, big data analytics has emerged as a game-changer across industry segments and organisations of all sizes, as data-driven decisions lead to timely innovations, higher efficiency and better customer experience. When backed by cutting-edge AI/ML tools, such data analyses enable both startups and enterprise-scale businesses to develop robust operational frameworks and forward-thinking strategies.  
Consider this. According to Data Streaming in APAC: Powering the Future of Business report by Confluent, nearly half of Asia Pacific organisations (48%) are actively democratising the use of AI/ML across their operations, while an additional 43% are considering doing so. More interestingly, 77% of startups invest in AI/ML and other advanced technologies to realise their full potential, per a SAP India-Dun & Bradstreet study. In essence, harnessing big data and the power of AI will result in improved business models and a fast-evolving industrial landscape, optimising value delivery and sustainable growth.      

To explore the transformative power of real-time data insights, Inc42, in collaboration with the data streaming platform Confluent, recently organised a roundtable in Bengaluru as part of its ongoing knowledge series titled Executive Boardroom: Harnessing Data For Growth. The first roundtable brought together 12 technology leaders from diverse industries such as insurance, ecommerce, automotive, software development, artificial intelligence and more. Their discussions centred around the theme – How Startups & Enterprises Harness AI-Powered Data Insights To Drive Business Growth. 
Sameer Dhanrajani, Founding Partner MIRAI Ventures & CEO, 3AI, moderated the session. Among the participants were:

Subhash Choudhary, cofounder & CTO, Dukaan
Harish Rama Rao, senior VP (product engineering), Acko
Vivek Pandey, CTO, Simpl
Ankur Sharma, cofounder & chief product officer, Instamojo
Chandra Sekhar Reddivari, technical architect & head of AI, Vymo
Anoop Kumar Mishra, senior director (data & AI), Ace Turtle
Naveen Budda, cofounder, KarmaLifeAI
Ananthakrishnan Gopal, cofounder & CTO, DaveAI
Ramakrishna R, cofounder & CTO, CureSkin
Alok Dubey, chief architect, Embitel
Kishore Gopalakrishna, cofounder & CEO, StarTree
Sheshanth Bhambore, regional sales director (digital natives), Confluent

Rule-Based Data Analysis Vs AI-Driven Insights: Why Timeframe Matters
During the session, the speakers underlined the critical importance of real-time data insights and the growing complexity of navigating the information explosion. With cloud computing on the rise, easy access to massive data sets and AI-driven data analyses are taking centre stage. However, differentiating between a human-centric and an AI-driven approach is crucial for analysing data insights and making data-driven decisions. 

Alok Dubey from Embitel compared these two to understand their suitability and advantages better. “We mostly see two aspects of data analysis. First, how soon do I want the data to be analysed? That is the fundamental question. If you are in an ecommerce or quick commerce business, you need to analyse certain data sets/patterns quickly. It is often rule-based analysis [uses a set of rules to classify data under predefined categories]. But adding ML tools or AI engines on top of it will not add any value,” he explained. 
“Then there is another aspect for deriving AI/ML insights. It requires bigger datasets to be generated over a longer period, and it will take time to analyse the data. If we are willing to spend that time, it will churn out something meaningful.”
How The Flywheel Effect Drives Business Performance 
A well-crafted data strategy roadmap – a plan that details how organisations can manage, analyse and execute real-time data-driven insights – is also essential to achieve business goals. Understandably, this will require resources to build the data infrastructure and an implementation timeline before businesses can optimise data usage for decision-making on all fronts.      
StarTree’s Kishore Gopalakrishna further detailed how data could drive business performance and enhance consumer experience.

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“Take, for instance, Uber Eats, DoorDash or Zomato. Their customers choose restaurants based on the data provided [what’s on offer, reviews and more], while the companies get access to primary user data. But businesses today have moved beyond that; they want to use new datasets well. That’s when the experience part comes in and your end users start generating more data. Think of data as a flywheel that can influence your customers and churn out data so that you can build more products and refine them based on data insights,” he said.
This ‘flywheel effect’ is becoming crucial for businesses looking to innovate products. It also creates a feedback loop, resulting in a better user experience.
Sheshanth Bhambore from Confluent shed light on another strategic component – converting raw data into coveted products using AI-driven analysis.
“We are in the business of keeping this data available to every user, every data scientist, every decision-maker, so that they know what data is flowing, how much data is flowing [volume], if datasets are integrating and what the outcomes will be. We also evaluate our analytics and operations to simplify things for our customers.”
Access to vast consumer data also allows Confluent to extract deeper insights and equip businesses to build products based on the use cases popping up during the data-to-insights journey.
Emerging Job Roles In The Data Analytics Continuum
As AI-GenAI continues to evolve and gain traction across industries, new job roles are emerging to replace routine tasks and traditional functions. Experts think this will transform work as we know it and open many new opportunities. 

Ankur Sharma, cofounder and CPO at Instamojo, is particularly enthusiastic about the talent he prospects in the data analytics continuum.
“I also think a new and probably a very specialised role is likely to emerge – the role of a person [I call him the interviewer] who can ask the right questions at the end of it all [to ascertain value]. Yes, we have very powerful AI assistants and loads of data at our fingertips. But unless we know how to ask the right questions, sharp and insightful queries, it will be a classic case of ‘garbage in garbage out’. The value of the data will always hinge on the questions we pose.”        
He said that the emerging talent pool is evolving in sync with the rapid technological shift. But more new roles will arise, especially those like the ‘interviewer’, who can ask GenAI the right kind of questions.
Overcoming The Challenges Of Data Analytics
As companies increasingly navigate the complex journey, there are challenges galore. Naveen Budda of KarmaLifeAI mentioned the challenges one would face in monetising the data. Although data remains a critical asset and a powerful growth driver, leveraging its value from every aspect can contribute to business bottom lines.
Sharma of Instamojo also cited poor documentation as a major barrier. According to him, the sheer volume of data generated is difficult to manage and segregate based on metadata.
In spite of these challenges, the benefits of data processing, analytics and insights are obvious. Both startups and enterprises across the country have incorporated AI-powered data analytics into their core strategies for growth-oriented decision-making and long-term success. It is perhaps the most cohesive way to quickly capture market trends, changes in consumer behaviour, technology shifts and all other challenges plaguing business growth.   

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Mastering Leadership: Six Experience-Based Qualities To Align With A Changing Business World

Business News

In today’s fast-paced world, effective leadership requires much more than traditional managerial skills. The dynamic nature of modern organizations, combined with the increasing complexity of global challenges, calls for a new type of leader – one who can navigate uncertainty, connect deeply with others, and foster a culture of trust and collaboration. Over the course of 20 years of coaching top executives globally, encapsulated in what we call the Six Leadership Landmarks we attempt to move beyond traditional leadership models, emphasizing vulnerability, self-awareness, and connection with others. Through this framework, leaders can not only guide their teams more effectively but also inspire transformation within themselves and their organizations.

The Origin of Coaching: A Lesson from Sports

Coaching as a concept stems from the world of sports. The term “coach” originates from the medieval Hungarian town of Kocs. It was first used by an Oxford University academic in the 1860s to describe someone who helps athletes move in the same direction, ensuring that they achieve their goals as a team. This sports analogy holds true in business and leadership today. Just as athletes need guidance, feedback, and trust to succeed, so too do leaders and their teams. Our approach to leadership coaching draws heavily on this idea, helping individuals and organizations align their actions and values.

A Leadership Model for the Future

The six leadership landmarks we’ve developed over the years are awareness, adaptability, trust, vulnerability, kindness, and a shared vision. Crucially, they are grounded in real-world experiences, from a recent exchange with worldly-wise restaurant waitresses in Bordeaux exemplifying trust and collaboration, to the coaching of top CEOs over the past 20 years. At the heart of this approach we embrace vulnerability, foster trust, and stay adaptable. These principles guide our organizations toward a more sustainable and human-centered future.

Awareness As Wholeness
Within this framework is an awareness which goes beyond simply being alert to one’s surroundings; it embodies a holistic understanding of oneself and others. One of our trainees, let’s call him Arthur, was an executive whose vulnerability was a quick temper that strained both his professional and personal relationships. By focusing on personality types and introspection, Arthur gained deep insights into his natural modes of interaction, enabling him to change how he engaged with people. This shift not only improved his workplace interactions but also had a profound impact on his family life, illustrating our belief that “awareness is wholeness”. Arthur’s transformation is a testament to how self-awareness can reshape a leader’s approach, fostering empathy and understanding both in the office and at home. The emphasis on holistic awareness helps leaders better detect when and how to act, making their decisions more thoughtful and impactful. Awareness is foundational to leadership – once leaders understands themselves, they are better equipped to manage others effectively. These leaders need to regularly ask: “Do we truly understand the emotional dynamics of our team? Are we aware of how external market conditions impact our decisions?” One of the most common reflections from executives is that they wish they had practiced greater mindfulness earlier in their careers, as it could have saved them from misunderstandings and reactive decision-making.
Agility: Navigating The Complex And Uncertain
Agility comes hand in hand with awareness. The business environment today is volatile, uncertain, and ambiguous. A leader’s ability to pivot quickly while maintaining a clear strategic vision is invaluable. Agility isn’t just about changing directions at the drop of a hat; it’s about fostering a mindset that embraces change as an opportunity for growth. In our training sessions, we’ve often seen leaders wrestle with the fear of the unknown. In discussions, they express how critical it is to let go of rigid planning and instead adopt a more fluid approach. When we embrace agility, we encourage our teams to experiment, learn, and adapt, which ultimately leads to greater innovation and resilience.

Eco-Friendliness: A Moral And Strategic Imperative
In recent years, eco-friendliness has evolved from being a CSR initiative to a leadership imperative. As we become more aware of global environmental challenges, it is essential for leaders to integrate sustainable practices into their businesses. This quality isn’t just about reducing a company’s carbon footprint; it’s about fostering a broader consciousness of how our decisions impact the world around us. In our interviews with top executives, we hear a recurring theme: eco-friendliness is no longer a choice; it’s a necessity. Leaders today are expected to be stewards of the environment, guiding their organizations toward more sustainable practices that resonate with both employees and customers. By embracing eco-friendliness, leaders inspire teams to think long-term and act in ways that benefit the planet and future generations.

Elevating The Team Through High Standards
Another key leadership quality is maintaining high standards. In our class discussions, this topic often sparks lively debate. We’ve noticed that the most successful leaders never compromise on quality, whether it’s in delivering products, managing teams, or setting personal goals. High standards push organizations beyond mediocrity, fostering an environment of excellence and continual improvement. But maintaining high standards is not without its challenges. Leaders often grapple with balancing high expectations with the need to support and develop their teams. The goal isn’t to overwhelm people but to create a culture where excellence is celebrated and where individuals feel empowered to reach their full potential.

Kindness: A Strength, Not A Weakness
One of the most underestimated leadership qualities is kindness, also known as compassion and understanding. In today’s competitive world, kindness is often seen as an unnecessary soft skill, but we’ve found it to be a profound strength. Kindness in leadership fosters trust, loyalty, and collaboration. It encourages open communication and a sense of belonging within teams. In interviews we conducted, leaders express how difficult it can be to consistently lead with kindness, especially when facing pressure to deliver results. Yet, it’s in these challenging moments that kindness can make the most significant impact. A leader who shows empathy and support, particularly during tough times, creates a culture of trust that fuels long-term success.
Co-Visionary Thinking: Building a Shared Future
Last of our qualities, co-visionary thinking. This involves creating a shared vision with the team, rather than dictating one from above. We often ask leaders: “Are we fostering an inclusive environment where everyone contributes to the broader vision?” By encouraging collaboration, leaders empower their teams to take ownership of the company’s direction, leading to more innovative solutions and a stronger collective buy-in. This collaborative approach not only strengthens team cohesion but also ensures that the organization’s goals are in sync with the values of its people. A co-visionary leader fosters creativity and drives sustainable growth by making everyone part of the journey.
Applying The Six Leadership Qualities: How Urgent Is It?
The need for a new kind of leadership has never been more critical. By continuing on the same path without adapting to the changing world we face numerous risks, particularly when it comes to sustainability – both of our planet and our well-being. We see this clearly in industries like healthcare, where many professionals dedicate themselves to others but neglect their own health. The key takeaway is that we must care for ourselves as leaders and individuals. If we wait too long to react, it may be too late. One of the most common risks business leaders face is knowing that change is necessary but struggling to implement it. During one of our courses, one participant asked: “Have you ever met people who just don’t understand what they need to change, or who try but cannot?”
We addressed this query with a nuanced perspective. People who are unaware of their need to change often don’t seek out coaching. Most leaders seek training because they sense the need for transformation, even if they’re unsure of what exactly needs to change. But it’s also true that sometimes, despite knowing what must be done, personal or psychological barriers can prevent action. This is where our interdisciplinary approach, which blends coaching with psychology, can be particularly powerful in helping individuals unlock their potential and overcome internal obstacles.
Leadership Across Cultures: A Universal Need for Connection
As leadership becomes more global, the question of cultural nuances in coaching inevitably arises. A participant from Ho Chi Minh City asked: “What cultural differences could impact your advice on leadership?” Our experience coaching individuals from all over the world—China, Brazil, the U.S., and beyond—has shown that while cultural differences exist, they are secondary to the universal need for trust and connection. No matter where we’re from, we all experience fear, doubt, and vulnerability. These common human experiences create a foundation upon which leadership can be built, regardless of culture. While it’s essential to adjust our leadership approach to the local context, the fundamental principles of trust and vulnerability are universal.
Building Trust and Vulnerability: The Cornerstones of Leadership
Ultimately, leadership is about building trust. Two fundamental pillars underlie this process: doing what we say and saying what we do, and showing vulnerability. Leaders who are honest about their limitations and who create environments where their teams can do the same foster stronger, more resilient organizations. Our years of experience coaching have shown that trust and vulnerability are essential for effective leadership. By embracing these qualities, leaders can create a positive cycle where vulnerability builds trust, and trust fosters even greater openness. This creates a work environment where people feel safe to share their challenges and collaborate on solutions.
Applying The Six Qualities To Real Leadership Challenges
One of the recurring themes in our coaching work is that leaders often feel vulnerable. Whether it’s uncertainty about making the right decisions, fear of failure, or simply managing the weight of responsibility, vulnerability is a common experience. These six leadership qualities – awareness, agility, eco-friendliness, high standards, kindness, and co-visionary thinking – serve as anchors in moments of uncertainty. We’ve seen leaders transform their approach when they embrace these qualities. For example, one executive described how embracing awareness and kindness helped him rebuild trust after a major team conflict. Another leader shared how agility and co-visionary thinking allowed her to navigate her company through a difficult market transition, emerging stronger and more united.

Marc Beretta is Affiliate Professor at HEC Paris, and Academic Director of the Edenred and CIEL programs at HEC Paris Executive Education.
Daniel Brown is Head of Research Communication at HEC Paris.