The Sixth Sense with Bruce Willis and Haley Joel Osment, the 6-time Oscar nominated film, has one of the greatest ending plot twists of all time.
If you look past the scary parts and the famous “I see dead people” moment, the story gives a powerful example of something that shows up in real life and definitely in business. We lack awareness which leads to blind spots that keep us stuck. Many times all we need is a guide or mentor to lead us to very real transformation.
I recently watched the movie and wanted to unpack the lesson I saw in it.
NOTE: If you haven’t seen the movie (it has been 25 years), there are plenty of spoilers here. So don’t say I didn’t warn you.
Malcolm’s Blind Spot
Dr. Malcolm Crowe (played by Bruce Willis) works with this very troubled boy named Cole. Malcolm listens, analyzes, and counsels. As a highly skilled child psychologist he’s brilliant — but he has one MASSIVE blind spot. He’s dead, but he doesn’t know it.
It’s a shocking twist you get at the very end and it deliver a metaphor. How often do we operate in life or business, without realizing something fundamental about our situation?
- Maybe we’re chasing new clients without noticing our churn rate destroying our recurring revenue.
- We can sometimes push out marketing content and don’t see that our messaging isn’t connecting with our ideal customer.
- We are confident in our expertise, but blind to the fact that our business model won’t scale.
Malcolm’s journey reminds us that it’s not what you don’t know that gets you stuck. It’s what you don’t know you don’t know. It’s that blind spot that holds us back.
Cole as the Guide
What makes Malcolm’s film so powerful is that Cole, the boy he’s supposed to be helping, turns out to be the true guide. In the movie’s famous line, he tells Malcolm, “I see dead people.” That terrifies Malcolm, but as he listens, he sees that what Cole is telling him is real.
Life and business work this way. It often leads to growth.
We can’t always see our situation clearly. Someone like a coach, mentor or consultant can come on the scene to shine a light on what we’re missing.
This person isn’t necessarily the person to do the work for you. They can definitely shift our perspective giving us new tools to work with. They reveal the truth we don’t see or maybe reveal the truth we have been trying to avoid.
Cole brings Malcolm the awareness he’s missing and he sees his reality for the first time. Without Cole, Malcolm may never have figured it out.
Awareness Can Change Everything
Once Malcolm acquires that awareness, everything shifts. The confusion goes away. He understands why his attempts to reconnect with his wife have failed. The unspoken tension that’s haunted him goes away. That awareness gets him peace and in the process gives Cole permission to embrace his own gift and use it to help others. (There’s an incredible moment near the end where Cole and his mother have a beautiful moment when he connects with her for the first time.)
Our lives and our business often work the same way.
- You discover why your marketing funnel isn’t converting and suddenly see the adjustments that can unlock growth.
- You discover that the “time problem” isn’t time at all — it’s the processes and systems you’ve been avoiding.
- You realize your business isn’t just about making money, it’s about creating recurring revenue that frees you up for bigger opportunities.
Awareness doesn’t just solve problems. It reframes them. What felt like a dead end (pun intended) becomes an open door.
The Role of Mentorship
Here’s the takeaway: left to our own devices, it’s extremely difficult to see our blind spots. Like Malcolm, we can be convinced we’re on the right path even when we’re missing something staring us right in the face. That’s why mentorship and guidance from someone experienced and on the outside us is so valuable.
An outsider helps you:
- Spot patterns you can’t see yourself.
- Challenge assumptions that are holding you back.
- Provide accountability so awareness translates into action.
In The Sixth Sense, Malcolm helps Cole, but it’s actually Cole who really doing the helping. That inversion is a reminder: the “student” is often the one who unlocks the “teacher.”
In business, we see this all the time — a coach or mentor may shine a light on your blind spot, but it’s your openness to listen and act that makes the difference.
Turning Awareness into Breakthroughs
So how do you put this into practice?
- Invite outside perspectives. Whether it’s a an experienced consultant, coach, mastermind group, or trusted peer, don’t go it alone.
- Listen for the uncomfortable truths. Often the insight we resist the most is the one we most need.
- Act on awareness quickly. Seeing the blind spot is only step one. The breakthrough comes when you apply what you’ve learned.
Final Thought
The Sixth Sense isn’t just a ghost story. It’s a story about awareness — and about the transformation that comes when we see what was hidden. Malcolm couldn’t find peace until he faced the truth about his situation. Cole couldn’t embrace his gift until he shared it with someone who believed him.
The same is true for us. We all have blind spots. We all need guides. And when we’re open to that awareness, the path to growth — whether in business or in life — becomes much clearer.