Master and Commander Management

What films should we take managers to see to help them with management? I can think of key lessons in many movies which come straight out of the management books. While a few of those books have been very helpful to me, going to movies has to be both cheaper and more fun.

Watch Patton for strategy, planning and logistics. There is a wonderful scene when the trucks are rolling by, heading for the front, and we see Patton standing by the road watching. This is the culmination of his leadership. Months of planning have brought him to this point. Not heroically battling his way across fields of fire, but standing by a road watching his plan play out. He doesn't have to do anything, because the logistics have been so well planned.

Watch Master and Commander for a discussion of the qualities of leadership. The courage, when things are bad, to pick the lesser of two evils. The endurance to keep going. Respect for good work and knowledge, but the flexibility to adapt to circumstances. The assurance to make decisions quickly. The perspicacity to see opportunities even under the most dire circumstances. The curiosity to find and recognize new ideas. The ability to negotiate the relationship between following orders and knowing when not to follow orders. The strength to have power, but not to let it corrupt you. The integrity to command evenly, firmly, and with fairness. The intelligence to find the right words at the right time.


Doing all that with no script to follow is the lot of the manager. That doesn't sound so easy.