Actor-turned-director Olivia Wilde has been promoting her directorial debut film, Booksmart. In one recent interview she reflected:
“I was battling with my insecurity over whether I had earned the right to call myself a Director. How could I possibly direct a movie without going to film school?”
But then she realized that her 17-year career spent on sets has been her film school:
“I spent a significant amount of time shadowing people and asking them questions like Martin Scorsese, Ron Howard, John Favreau, Spike Jonze – people I love and admire. I got the opportunity to watch some of the most incredible directors at work and see them struggle with challenges.
”There really is no better opportunity to learn than watching directors deal with anxiety, stress, chaos, and the unpredictable nature of putting a film together. I absorbed their skills just by watching them move through that.”
Brilliant!
Instead of waiting for a degree or special training, Olivia Wilde sought the knowledge and wisdom of other directors as she developed her own directing skills and style. She asked questions. She shadowed. She intentionally observed. That’s Organic Mentoring!
How can you use Organic Mentoring to grow, develop, and thrive?
- Look for people whose work you love and admire
- Ask them questions
- Request to shadow them
- Observe them dealing with anxiety, stress, chaos, and the unpredictable nature of projects, policies, and people
- And stop waiting for permission to chase a challenge!
If your organization offers any type of Organized Mentoring Program, leverage it to do what Wilde did without one – connect, inquire, shadow, observe, and absorb.
In one of her interviews, Wilde described a particular directing technique that she admittedly “stole” from Martin Scorsese.
But it wasn’t stealing. Scorsese inspired and influenced Wilde’s success – that’s quintessential mentoring!
