Leadership in Film: Legend of Bagger Vance

The Legend of Bagger Vance tells the story of a man (played by Matt Damon) in the early part of the 20th century, who was on track to be the greatest golfer of his generation. His path is interrupted by fighting in World War I. His battlefield experiences shake him so much that upon his return he struggles at the game he played so spectacularly before. Those around him, including his love interest, begin to lose faith in him.

Enter a mystical caddy named Bagger Vance (played by Will Smith) - who literally appears out of nowhere. Bagger inserts himself into the golfer's life and coaches him back to greatness. His message to the golfer is that he needs to rediscover his one true authentic swing. He can do this by clearing his mind so that he can see what Bagger calls, "the field." The movie is a metaphor for life. It's story could be taken in many different directions, bringing forth questions of destiny, fate, integrity, and perseverance.

The lesson I value most from the film is the idea that we all have an authentic core (represented by the golfer's swing in the movie). Life, through many different tactics, tries to challenge this core. Life experiences and the voices of the external world can hide, bury, or weaken our core. Full self-actualization happens when we are able to rediscover that core and use it to guide our actions. Author Parker Palmer calls upon us to do this by listening to our "inner voice." As he describes in the book Let Your Life Speak, "Before I can tell my life what I want to do with it, I must listen to my life telling me who I am. I must listen for the truths and values at the heart of my own identity...the standards by which I cannot help but live if I am living my own life (p. 12)." I believe this inner voice is represented in the movie by the caddy.

I find this scene to be the best of the movie - and a summary of its messages.



Let Your Life Speak: Listening for the Voice of Vocation (2000) by Parker Palmer

Leadership in Film: The Wrestler

I saw The Wrestler with Mickey Rourke a week ago, and really enjoyed the story and the acting. As with most things, I had my leadership lens on, and the scene below is one that really stood out to me. As I watched it, I thought about the connection between vulnerability and leadership. In order to build trust, group members need to be vulnerable with each other (this is one of the main points from Patrick Lencioni's Five Dysfunctions of a Team). In the scene below, Rourke's character is trying to reconnect with his daughter - who previously wanted nothing to do with him. Notice how well the actors portray vulnerability and how it builds a link between stubborn individuals. I connected with this as a parent as well.

This is another reminder of how we should try harder to be forthcoming and honest about our limitations, instead of trying to always be perfect. This can be a frightening prospect, since we've been conditioned to view leaders as infallible. If you are a command/control type of leader, vulnerability is your enemy. If you are anything else, it can be your friend. Enjoy the scene:

60 Minutes Founder on Storytelling

Here is an article from Businessweek discussing the late Don Hewitt's (founder of 60 minutes) views on storytelling and it's connections with leadership:

The article is here.