shem banbury

This week, I used an unexpected source to spark a deep conversation about leadership at school — a section from Beast Games, the reality competition series hosted by MrBeast. What unfolded in the episode turns out to be a powerful metaphor for trust, integrity, and leadership under pressure.

In Episode 2, the remaining contestants are split into two teams of around 80 people each. They are given a simple but high-stakes task: select one trustworthy person to represent their entire team. The catch? This representative will be offered a bribe. If they take it, their entire team goes home. The bribe starts at $0 but climbs rapidly, reaching an astonishing amount of money.

We paused the show before the outcome and asked some reflective questions:

• What do you think will happen?
• What would your money limit be before you considered taking the bribe?
• How would you decide who to trust in this scenario?

These questions led to a rich discussion about personal values, team dynamics, and the kind of pressure that reveals character. As we resumed watching, the bribe kept increasing, and yet, neither team’s representative took the money. They held strong. The power of collective trust and shared responsibility prevailed.

Afterward, we unpacked how this moment connects with leadership. Here are a few key insights that emerged:

1. Trust is earned, not given. Selecting a representative in that moment was an exercise in knowing who had shown reliability and integrity long before the high-stakes decision came into play. Leadership isn’t about title or charisma; it’s about the track record of trust you build with others.
2. Temptation reveals true values. It’s easy to say we value our team when there’s no personal sacrifice involved. But in the face of a $1 million temptation, holding the line for your team speaks volumes about one’s character. Leaders face their own versions of this choice regularly — whether to take a shortcut, shift blame, or act out of self-interest. Staying true to your values defines the kind of leader you are.
3. The weight of responsibility. Leadership often means making decisions that impact others, not just yourself. Knowing that your choice could send 80 people home is a sobering reality, and yet the representatives held firm. That’s the essence of leadership: carrying responsibility with humility and strength.
4. A team’s faith in their leader matters. Both teams believed their representatives would do the right thing — and that belief became self-fulfilling. In schools, workplaces, and beyond, when a team has confidence in their leader’s integrity, it strengthens the culture and inspires collective resilience.

By using this dramatic moment from Beast Games, we were able to reflect on how leadership is built on trust, how values guide us through temptation, and how true leaders hold the line for their team. It’s a reminder that in education, as in life, leadership is not about taking the easy way out — it’s about staying true to your principles, especially when the stakes are high.

What unexpected sources have you drawn leadership lessons from? I’d love to hear your thoughts.