Twelve Angry Leaders

What does it take to be a great leader?

Back in the day leadership was based on gender,  birth order and the socioeconomic status of a family as the determining factors of what it takes to be in charge; in modern times, its definition has shifted to one’s personal qualities and character. There seems to be a consensus that most leaders are a combination of both ‘born and made’: the former meaning they possess innate motivational characteristics and behavioural leadership drive and the latter meaning they are shaped by external experiences to become more effective at leading others.

In the classic movie, Twelve Angry Men, a juror is quoted saying: “it’s not easy to stand alone against the ridicule of others, so he gambled for support and I gave it to him.” Many leaders were often ridiculed when they were starting out. Take Apple Co-Founder Steve Jobs or Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg as prime examples. They have both independently exhibited a tendency to hold grudges and be cold in manner, just one of the several personal and unconventional managerial traits the two leaders have shared. Steve Jobs was unapologetic about his brusque management style and Facebook employees have described Mark Zuckerberg as robotic. Jobs was even quoted as saying: "If something sucks, I tell people to their face. It's my job to be honest. I know what I'm talking about, and I usually turn out to be right." Having confidence in one’s own vision and expertise in the workplace is great, but an awareness of the frustration this can cause is equally necessary, clearly this detachment can translate into great results as well as garnering slight animosity.

Great leaders need to be courageous. People will follow someone who can watch over the good of the group and make the difficult decisions. A leader needs to be someone who will stay the course when things get tough. Great leaders are those who do not just take care of themselves but like a captain will never abandon their sinking ship, as well as being open to adversity  as this often means you are doing something innovative!  Henry Fonda who played Juror No. 8 in cult classic Twelve Angry Men was the only one who was set against the rest of the group in their decision. He exhibits how elucidating the truth fact-by-fact in a pragmatic discussion could convince people to think in a different manner. He takes things slowly and allows time for internal differences to be ironed out. In the film, the team’s dynamic comes under a microscope and the power of personal motive and prejudice and their ability to inhibit a team’s performance and outcome is examined. Juror No. 8 does not simply steamroll over everyone else’s views with his own but rather manages to expertly talk them over to his side with an advocate-like logical precision and skill.

According to Forbes, leaders such as the late Nelson Mandela had so much influence because people knew that they could trust him. Employees want the same sentiment to be carried over to the workplace, where their leaders are trustworthy and transparent. Inspirational leaders metaphorically and often literally walk with purpose. They have a plan and excel at sharing that plan and motivation. The most detailed of visions will not be of any good without enlisting the help of one’s staff, an impactful idea like Facebook for example, often involves community. Furthermore, the workplace atmosphere plays a big role in how well everyone performs. A leader who encourages optimism or is themselves optimistic, will look for positive solutions to problems and face them head-on.

All things withstanding- watch out for toxic leaders. Merely being in a position of self-imposed power and authority does not make a great leader. A toxic leader is easy to spot, they are one who does not listen to others, support their employees’ rights or accept the nuance that other’s opinions can bring to the table. The last three jurors were dead-set in their decisions and nothing could sway them, similar to how a tyrannical leader is immobile in thought that can lead to unfair treatment, public humiliation in the workplace and other forms of threatening behaviour.  A toxic leader may produce results but usually at the highest cost to the business, one that doesn’t directly relate to money but instead a decrease in employees’ morale and engagement resulting in negative public relations; high turnover; a loss of customer loyalty and perhaps the eventual cost of replacing the appointed leader.

Overall, by definition the process of becoming a great leader does not mean that one must possess every positive trait from the get-go. Every incremental improvement will make for a more effective team. The more one puts these known traits into practice, the more instinctive they will become, eventually resulting in the  internalisation of a new and improved leadership style.  

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It is an enormous pleasure to have you read my post and provide some feedback. I regularly write about IT, Innovation, Leadership and Management with a personal touch. Please feel free to connect.