‘Trust me, kid’: leadership style and how we train directors to talk to actors

Abstract

This article considers some of the most relevant literature in business organisational studies and sports performance studies to see how we might apply work in these areas when training directors. While the protocols and practices are very different, business leaders and sports performance coaches are (like theatre directors) looking to manage creativity and teamwork, hoping to find inspired creative solutions to complex problems, and attempting to nurture the best possible performance from every team member. And while the success or failure of any performance will be judged against distinct criteria, the journey toward that success or failure will be determined largely by the ways in which a creative collaboration is led. Looking very specifically at the ways in which the communication between director and actor is determined by a specific leadership style, this article considers implied leadership styles that may be intuited in some contemporary books in theatre directing. Finally, a consideration of the theory of ‘motivational interviewing’ from a sports performance point of view suggests some possible ways forward.