Topic Guide
What Is Competitiveness?
Competitiveness is a subject covered in depth across 1 podcast episode in our database. Below you'll find key concepts, expert insights, and the top episodes to listen to — all distilled from hours of conversation by leading experts.
Key Concepts in Competitiveness
Cutthroat negotiation (in social gaming)
This concept describes an extremely aggressive and uncompromising style of negotiation, particularly applied to Elizabeth Banks's approach in Settlers of Catan. The episode presents it as a manifestation of her broader competitive drive, leading to her exclusion from friendly games due to its intensity.
Defying typecasting through directorial choices
Elizabeth Banks exemplifies this concept by deliberately choosing to direct *Cocaine Bear* after feeling she was being pigeonholed into making 'movies with a lot of women in them.' It highlights using creative control and bold project selection as a strategy to break out of perceived boxes in Hollywood and surprise audiences.
What Experts Say About Competitiveness
- 1.Elizabeth Banks's childhood role models were action heroes like Harrison Ford (Indiana Jones, Han Solo), driven by a desire for adventure and rejecting the "damsel in distress" archetype.
- 2.She actively transitioned from acting to producing and directing to avoid being pigeonholed, exemplified by her decision to direct *Cocaine Bear* after being told she made "movies with a lot of women in them."
- 3.Despite her "beautiful woman" image, Banks faced direct dismissals in Hollywood, including being told "men are not going to follow you as a director" and "women just don't get action movies."
- 4.Her approach to overcoming obstacles is a strong work ethic and leading by example, focusing on "doing the work" rather than dwelling on appearance or external perceptions.
- 5.Banks was banned from playing Settlers of Catan with friends because her "cutthroat negotiation" style made the game "too intense" for others.
- 6.Conan O'Brien humorously equates Banks's intense competitive drive, witnessed in a party game, to a military general, suggesting she would have been an effective leader for D-Day.
Top Episodes to Learn About Competitiveness
Conan O'Brien Needs a Friend