After looking at Kate Winslet’s acting resume and listening to her talk in this prim and proper British accent it’s tempting to assume Kate is formally trained, was groomed to be an actress from an early age, and attended the most prestigious acting school the world has to offer. This couldn’t be further from the truth, Kate’s acting prowess was honed through on the job training. Nothing validates Kate’s commitment to learning on the job then the feat she pulled off during the filming of Avatar: The Way of Water.
James Cameron’s Avatar: The Way of Water was expected to be a record breaking movie. It is arguably one of the most anticipated sequels of all time with moviegoers anxiously waiting for this release ever since the original Avatar debuted in 2009. The original smashed box office records and the sequel is doing the same, recently surpassing 2 billion dollars in gross revenue. However, the broken record that caught everyone off guard was Kate’s 7 minute and 15 seconds breath hold. How did she do it? On the job training, of course!
She didn’t set out to break a record. In fact, it wasn’t even about holding her breath. It was about doing her job well. Kate approached this role no different than she has any of her previous roles. She was going to work. The work is always the same and requires the same level of commitment. There were never any delusions of grandeur; she was going to do whatever it took to nail the part. For this particular movie, she just so happened to be playing the role of a leader of a water-dwelling community. For the movie to reach the level of realism people are accustomed to in James Cameron films most of the scenes were shot underwater. Kate knew that in order for this to feel natural she would need to establish a minimal level of comfort of being underwater.
Free diving experts were brought in to train the actors and fill in as stunt doubles. In typical fashion Kate took full advantage of the opportunity to hone her craft by learning from the experts. Real experts that knew how to push her safely towards maximizing her full potential. The day she broke the record was the same as any other day of training. The primary aim of that day was to do a little better than her previous best and it just so happened that an opportunity to break a record presented itself.
This feat in and of itself is amazing, but when you take in account that Kate pulled this off nearly 30 years into an already illustrious career is unbelievable. Four years into her acting career Kate had already “arrived”! She co-starred in Titanic which is one of the highest grossing movies of all time. In this moment Kate made a decision that I believe led to her breaking the on set breath holding record. She decided to play the long game. She knew she still had a lot to learn despite her early success, so she decide to seek out smaller gigs so she could learn the craft.
Kate Winslet is a leader on screen and in real life. Her acting career is a wonderful case study on the impact a lifestyle committed to the humble pursuit of mastery can have on the lives of leaders who long to last. Next we’ll dive deeper into ways we grow our leadership through learning on the job.
STEP 1: FIND AN EXPERT
STEP 2: LEARN THE TOOLS
STEP 3: PROTECT THE INNER LIFE
STEP 1: FIND AN EXPERT
Every field has its experts. According to Merriam-Webster, an expert is one with the special skill or knowledge representing mastery of a particular subject. Throughout her career Kate has made finding the experts the number one priority when preparing for her roles. She often talks about how early in her acting days when first arriving on the set she would take note of what the veterans were doing. Studying their every move so she could learn, “how one should conduct themself on a film set.” Kate’s secret formula for achieving mastery was simply to watch, learn, make mistakes, and repeat.
As beginners we tend to overthink and complicate matters especially when it comes to our personal development. In our haste to get to the desired results we waste so many of the free growth opportunities being presented to us on a daily basis. Kate will often ask herself, “what can I get for free?” What are the gifts the experts in your life are trying to give you? This is a powerful “presencing” question. It forces us to slow down and become more observant. Experts are the standard bearers of their industry. By way of living, they are leading by example and so much can be gleaned by simply watching them work. From there we can then ask them questions. From there we can then ask them for help.
Who are the experts in your life? What gifts are they trying to give you if currently?
STEP 2: LEARN THE TOOLS
According to Cornell Law, tools of the trade are the items people need to pursue their occupation. These are instruments, tools, equipment, devices, technology, and machinery as would be usually used in the normal course and scope of a person's profession, trade, or occupation without the use of additional labor. Our potential in any endeavor will alway be limited by how adept we are with all the tools associated with that work.
In 2020, Kate starred in a movie titled Ammonite playing the role of Mary Anning an acclaimed English paleontologist from the 1840s. In preparation for the role Kate needed to familiarize herself with all those ancient fossil finding tools. This process turned out to be a truly immersive experience for Kate. It not only aided her in getting fully into character, but it transformed who was. Learning about these tools changed the way Kate viewed the world; she could no longer walk along the beach without being mindful of the explorational opportunities beneath her feet. Every step carries a bit more significance.
Learning the tools is not just about becoming good at whatever it is you’re hoping to do, it's about gaining a deeper appreciation for the significance of whatever it is you’re hoping to do. Significant work demands more from us. It pushes us to outputs we never thought possible.
What are the tools of the trade you’re pursuing? How are you going about familiarizing yourself with them?
STEP 3: PROTECT THE INNER LIFE
“What stays with you?” This was a question posed to Kate during a podcast interview she conducted a few years ago. The question was aimed at getting Kate to articulate how her roles have impacted her. Over the course of her career Kate has masterfully taken on a wide range of personas, so it’s fair to wonder what impact this process has had on her real identity.
Her response to that question blew my mind. She stated that as she passes through these personas she’s protecting the inner life, because this is what drives the character. Her ability to be herself while simultaneously embodying these characters is what has made her so unique. It activates a level of authenticity that can’t be achieved through mimicry only. I’m sure she was tempted to gobble up all of these romanticized qualities of the characters she was playing on the big screen. Expectations for a female Hollywood star can be brutal. Stereotypes are ingrained in the culture and objectification seems to be as natural as breathing.
Kate resisted this temptation by going inward. She’s prioritized her own life rhythms and accepted the fact that those will change and evolve with her. It’s a struggle to accept ourselves, but like Kate, we can do this by adopting life rhythms that align with our character and not yielding to the external forces constantly compelling us to do otherwise.
What life rhythms can you adopt to help you protect your inner life?
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