Friendly, not Friends, Part 2

After I wrote my earlier post on leadership, I realized that I neglected to provide a great illustration. The movie U-571 is a great study in the evolution of a leader. In the beginning of the movie, Matthew McConaughey's character LT Andrew Tyler does not get a recommendation from his commanding officer (played by Bill Paxton) to get command of his own submarine. His CO tells him that the reason why is that he essentially is too friendly with his men.

This friendliness causes LT Tyler problems later in the movie, when some of his enlisted men delay before following his orders. Under the guidance of his senior enlisted advisor, Chief Klough (played by Harvey Keitel), he learns how to be a real leader. At the end, he sends one of his men to his death, but that man's death saves the crew AND prevents the Germans from learning that the US has possession of the ENIGMA machine.

The bottom line is that LT Tyler's overly friendly relationship with his men almost cost them all dearly. It was only by transforming into a real leader, and by getting the help of Chief Klough, that he was able to take charge and effectively lead his team.

Watch the movie to learn more!

Ingar Grev