Ryan Reynolds is one of the best actors in Hollywood, even though he often plays snarky, sarcastic characters. This has helped him get where he is today.
In the Marvel movie “Deadpool,” which was a big hit in 2016, he played the same character. This role put him on the A-list in Hollywood. In addition to acting, Reynolds is a producer, screenwriter, and entrepreneur, building brands like Aviation American Gin, Mint Mobile, and Maximum Effort, a film production company and digital marketing agency. According to Forbes, he is worth $71.5 million.
Reynolds says that he has been successful because he knows how to solve problems. The Canadian actor, who is 45 years old, talked at the Indeed FutureWorks 2022 conference on Thursday about how his career has changed since he learned to work with different people and lead with kindness.
“We live in a world that’s increasingly gamified, and I think we have the instinct to win, crush, and kill,” he said. “But if you can disengage or disarm that instinct for a second and replace it with a desire to learn about someone, that has literally changed every part of my life as a leadership quality.”
Reynolds said that instead of trying to win an argument or “beat” someone with whom he disagrees, he tries to understand and validate what the other person is saying by actively listening to them and recognizing their feelings. Then, suddenly, “they’re an ally, even if it doesn’t happen at the moment,” he said.
Reynolds said, “You can’t solve problems with other people if you don’t understand them.” This is why this strategy works so well.
Reynolds learned how to deal with conflicts when he was in his 20s. He signed up for a workshop to improve his skills on a whim. He said, “I was a little bit lost and a little bit angry.” “I wanted to get better… and I didn’t expect it to, but it changed my life.”
Reynolds is a better communicator and has healthier, more productive relationships at work and in his personal life now that he knows how to solve problems.
He said, “It has changed every relationship in my life and the way my career and businesses are going.”
Experts in the workplace told CNBC Make It that the best way to learn how to solve a problem is to show appreciation for the other person, listen to them carefully, and stress that you want to solve the problem together.
Reynolds joked, “There’s still room to betray someone and taste the blood of your enemies.” “But it will never work as well as trying to understand the other person.”