I love the rapid-fire portion of my #ELBPodcast, which I do near the end of the show. I ask the guest a variety of questions in fast succession, some serious and some not. You can tell a lot about a person by their habits, interests, routines, and decisions they make, so I ask questions. I’ve asked questions like: What’s the last song you sang out loud in the car? What’s your favorite vacation spot? What are you currently reading? What’s your favorite dish? What’s the last concert you went to, and what’s the last movie you watched? A recent guest shared that they watched The Penguin Lessons, and they loved it. They strongly recommended it to all of my listeners.
I was intrigued and knew I had to check it out. After watching the film’s preview, I learned it was about a teacher who acquired a penguin. I knew immediately I would like it!
So I finally got a chance to watch it. While my wife was skeptical at first, in the end she loved it and we both highly recommend the movie.
It is a true story, and it’s very heartwarming.
Without giving the whole movie away, it is about an English teacher in Argentina who saves a penguin from an oil slick. The penguin, named Juan Salvador, would just not leave him. He brings the penguin to school with him and shares several funny and warm experiences with the penguin & the school.
I am a crier, and of course, I cried.
I knew it would be a blog topic. As soon as the movie ended, I sat with my wife and said, “Ok, so what were the actual lessons from The Penguin Lessons?”
We alternated sharing our reflections.
Number one: Just listen. Everyone wanted to talk to the penguin. They told him their hopes and dreams; their frustrations and fears; their struggles and challenges. There were a few emotional scenes with adults talking out the issues in their lives to Juan Salvador, the penguin.
Number two: Every once in a while, you have to put the penguin in the pool. It was one of the movie’s themes. Knowing when to bend the rules and when to make exceptions. These can be important parts of good leadership. The school community grew to love Juan Salvador and wanted to celebrate him, and they let him swim in the big pool. Every once in a while, you gotta bend the rules.
Number three: See things from different perspectives. The teacher made the boys in the classroom lie on the floor. He shared that he wanted to make Juan Salvador comfortable. He had only ever looked up at people because of his height, but when the boys lay on the floor, Juan Salvador walked around the room and saw things from a different perspective. This made him feel bigger than he was, feel included and seen.
Number four: I feel sad, but I feel happy that I am sad. This was a key line in the movie. There was a sad part in the movie, but the professor shared that he was happy to have built a relationship. He put himself out there to love and to be loved. When the relationship ended, he shared that line about his sadness.
Number five: When you help others, good things will come back to you. The professor found the penguin dying on a beach, covered in oil from an oil leak. He was going to leave the penguin, but after being urged by a woman whom he liked, they cleaned the penguin and saved his life. When you help others, good things come back to you
Good friends attract good friends. Because of his relationship with Juan Salvador, many others started to come around. Many others started to enjoy his company as well and the teacher started to develop deeper relationships with his students, colleagues, and others in the school community.
Because Juan Salvador was a good friend in his life, he made many other good friends.
It shows the power of one person to change the culture of an organization. Juan Salvador not only changed the teacher’s life, but the whole culture of the organization. Never underestimate the impact one can have on other people, your organization, your personality, your warmth, your kindness, and your interactions with others. All of these matter, and you can change the course of an organization with just one person. This can be for the good and bad. Remember that. Make a positive impact on others.
I highly recommend this movie. I love true stories, especially when they contain original and actual footage from the real event.
Keep rolling on your journey, friends and continue to make a positive impact on those around you.
