Invictus is the inspiring movie about South Africa’s championship rugby team and the part it played in uniting the racially charged nation. The significance of this movie is the leadership styles exhibited by President Nelson Mandela and the young captain of the rugby team. The movie’s importance is seen in the emotional bonds created among the team members and the impact of the team on national pride.
Invictus is also the name of a poem written by a British poet a century beforehand. His significance is seen in the words of the poem. Throughout his twenty-seven years of incarceration, South African leader Nelson Mandela reflected on the words written in 1875. In 2009, the movie Invictus inspired the world. Separated by time, distance, social and political affiliations, three men significantly impacted the world through words, art, athleticism and leadership. Nelson Mandela is undoubtedly one of the world’s foremost humanitarians. Known for his work to end apartheid in South Africa, Mandela has been portrayed in numerous films and documentaries. Yet his portrayal in Invictus demonstrated the depth of his leadership skills.
Use your promo and get a custom paper on
"Invictus Movie Review".
In a pivotal meeting between the two men, Mandela asks Piennar to describe his leadership style. Both men agree that leadership by example is the best solution. Kotter provides contemporary definitions of management and leadership that are indicative of the two main characters.
“Management involves planning and budgeting. Leadership involves setting direction” (Kotter 85–98)
“Management involves organizing and staffing. Leaders align people” (Kotter)
“Management provides control and solves problems. Leadership provides motivation” (Kotter)
Piennar’s and Mandela’s leadership styles are one of six leadership styles defined by management experts. The following styles were identified in a 2000 survey of executives. Of the six, experts identified two as being negative: coercive and pacesetting. The others are considered positive leadership styles (Fullan, 2007).
Coercive—the leader demands compliance. (“Do what I tell you.”)
Authoritative—the leader mobilizes people toward a vision. (“Come with me.”)
Affiliative—the leader creates harmony and builds emotional bonds. (“People come first.”)
Democratic—the leader forges consensus through participation. (“What do you think?”)
Pacesetting—the leader sets high standards for performance. (“Do as I do, now.”)
Coaching—the leader develops people for the future. (“Try this.”) (Fullan, 2007).
Based on Kotter’s definition, it is clear that leadership is more than the act of telling others what to do. Leadership requires communication and to some extent, coercive ability. It is important that coercion be tempered with persuasion. For example, military personnel have to use a more demanding style as their decisions can be life or death. Educators also need to use a coercive style as they must maintain control over their classrooms. However, in most business settings, an effective leader is one who utilizes positive styles that foster empowerment.
Both men demonstrate the authoritative and affiliative leadership styles. In order to the type of authority exhibited in the film, both men had to have the support of those they led: Mandela as the country’s elected president, and Piennar as the captain of the rugby team. Men who are chosen for positions of power have to earn the respect of those they lead. In both cases, we see that the people follow them because of the emotional bonds established and the respect the men command. Despite overwhelming obstacles, in the end they were followed because they were able to successfully mobilize people towards a vision. Mandela’s subtle push on Piennar to embrace his vision of unity through a shared goal is truly an example of affiliative leadership.
Other experts stress the importance of a leader’s understanding of when to intervene. Wageman and Fisher define predictable moments of leadership intervention: initial meeting, midpoint of work, and completion of work. However, unpredictable times will require a level of intervention as well. Examples include when subordinates become mired in conflict, stuck on tasks or caught up in extended discussion (Wageman and Fisher et al. 192-203).However, teams can create their own processes, discipline and rules in many situations,. Researchers believe that the irony of leadership through culture’s is that the” less direction employees are given about how to execute strategy, the more ownership is taken over their actions” (Chatman and Cha 20-33).
Despite their differences, both men instinctively knew the best way to unite their groups. Ibarra and Hunter stress the significance of working through coalitions when leaders have to sell ideas to a diverse group with different affiliations, objectives and backgrounds (Ibarra and Hunter 1-9). Throughout the film, examples of this theory are demonstrated by both Mandela and Piennar as they attempt to mobilize groups who have only known conflict and distrust.
Conclusion
Leadership skills are not innate; they must be developed. The best leaders know to take stock of their strengths and weaknesses and develop strategies to become more effective. Understanding how to successfully maneuver within a political framework is not akin to selling one’s soul. However, it does require strong interpersonal skills and the ability to discover the agendas of other parties.
- Chatman, J. & Cha, S. (2002). Leading by leveraging culture. [Boston]: Division of Research, Harvard Business School.
- Fullan, M. 2007. Leading in a culture of change. San Francisco, Calif.: Jossey-Bass.
- Ibarra, H. & Hunter, M. (2007). How leaders create and use networks. Harvard Business Review, 85 (1), 40.
- Kotter, J. (2001). What leaders really do. Harvard Business Review, 79 (11), 85–98.
