Captain Philips: The Various Characteristics of Leadership Presented

Introduction 

Leadership is essential in the management of people and activities. It is imperative for a leader to ensure that he or she carries out activities effectively to ensure that the goals of a project are well met. “Leadership Theory, Application and Skill Development” is a book written by Robert Lussier and goes through some of the most common leadership theories. Different chapters present in the book enable a person to comprehend the various aspects of leadership better and consequently, there is the application of these theories in real life. There are different films that have been produced in the 21st Century that focus on the concept of leadership. One of the films that have focused on this is “Captain Philips”. Going through the stated film while still analyzing the various characteristics of leadership presented there enables a person to further comprehend the leadership traits present. 

Leadership Theory from the Book 

The third chapter of the book is titled “Leadership Behavior and motivation”. The theory that is presented in this chapter is that of “The managerial Grid” (Lussier & Achua, 2016). In the movie, there is the point where the captain realizes that the ship is about to get attacked by pirates. As a manager, he takes up the role of a manager in a crisis and this is where the contacts the central control station in order to ask for assistance. He ensures that he notifies the station of the impending crisis and despite the fact that he receives no assistance from the station, he still manages to control the situation. It is the role of a leader to show management proficiency by instructing the employees on what to do. 

In the given situation, the captain instructs the crew members to stick together and he tells them that the importance of this is ensuring that they take care of each other despite the fact that the pirates might seek to separate them. He is an effective manager with regard to his communication skills. Rather than showing tension, he stands up for his crew members and tells the pirates that he should not hurt other members of his crew and hurt him instead. The importance of this strength shown is to have the crew members gaining or rather retaining confidence in the leader despite the fact that the situation might be very dire. 

With regard to managing communication processes, he is recognized as very effective and this is from the manner through which he manages to pass information to the crew member in such a way that the pirates do not understand his actual intent. There is a point in the film where the pirates state that they want to search every inch of the ship in order to get the other crew members that they believe are hiding (Greengrass, 2013). When the captain hears this, he takes up the role of an effective manager and this is where he switches on the public announcer in a hidden manner and states that the pirates are free to search all parts of the ship if they wish as long as they do not turn off the lights of the basement part of the ship. Here, he wants the crew members to switch off the lights so that the pirates cannot see them. This shows effective communication management skills on the part of the leader and this is a virtue that is much respected in any organization or situation. It is also imperative to note that this shows the concern that the leader has for his workers. In this situation, the captain shows concern for his crew and cannot wish or let a person harm them. 

Another theory to go through is Hersey and Blanchard’s Approach which is well presented in the second chapter of the book. Through this approach, there is the concept of having the followers of the leader ensuring that they carry out activities in accordance with the instructions of the leader. There is the determination of how willing a person is to follow the rules given by the leader. In the movie, there are two types of people. There is the pirate leader and there is the captain of the ship. These are both leaders of their respective crews. With regard to the stated theory, there is an analysis of the aspect of leadership provided by the pirate leader or the head pirate. 

The leadership theory best applies to this pirate leader and the reason for this is how commanding he is. He takes control of the ship and instructs one of his men to hold a gun on the captain of the ship so as to avoid him engaging in any activity that might compromise his plan of getting money. As his handyman engages the captain of the ship, the head pirate tries to operate the controls of the ship. The handyman request the head pirate to stop that as he might mess with the system but the head pirate angrily tells him to focus on the work that he had been given, that is pointing a gun at the captain in order to intimidate him. Here, a person has the ability to note that the head pirate who is a leader in this situation is very strict and the handyman follows the instructions given and does not argue a lot. With regard to the theory, a person notices that the follower does carry out the instructions instructed by his leader despite the fact that he does not agree with the various actions that he takes (Buckley, 2017). 

The trait theory of effective leadership is another one to review with regard to the theories and this is presented in the contingency leadership theories present in the movie. According to the theory, a leader assumes that he is best suited for the job and the reason for this assumption is that he feels that he was born with this trait. It is essential to note that the contemporary environment has seen different types of leaders. There are the self-proclaimed leaders that offer themselves the position and there are the elected leaders that get to the position through a due process. A self-proclaimed leader in this given aspect is the pirate leader. With relation to the movie, there is the self-proclaimed leader of the pirates. As seen in the movie, many of the members of his team are terrified of him and this is because of the attitude that he portrays towards them. The members are terrified and carry out all activities that they are instructed to carry out. At one point in the film, he is very annoyed by one of the members of his team and this is because he fails to carry out the work set for him. After noticing this, the leader of the pirates angrily tells him that he should respect him for he is the best-suited person to lead the team and that his actions are always correct. Having people follow instructions offered is one of the most satisfying aspects of leadership (Kelloway & Gilbert, 2017) 

It is essential to note that there are various problems that the various leaders in the film have or rather are going through. It is essential to note that in the film, the leader of the pirates is the one that is going through most of the problems with regard to having his team follow instructions and also having the ship’s captain and crew following the instructions (Greengrass, 2013). When the leader asks the crew member to hold a gun to the captain’s head, the member of his gang does this but when the head pirate starts walking around the ship as he is trying to understand the controls, the crew member asks him to stop and when he replies instructing his to shut up, he does not do this and he continues ranting and this is an aspect that makes this leader angry. There is also a point where the leader seeks to have one member of the ship’s crew shot and he gives the captain a minute to give up his entire crew or else he would shoot the person and the crew member acts as if he does not wish to follow the instructions offered by his leader and this is an action that further annoys him. 

The best theory that fits the problem that Captain Philip faces is the path-goal leadership theory and model. According to the theory, a leader acts in such a manner that he is free to engage in any activities and make decisions despite the criticism that might be offered by members of his squad. This is well presented in the given film and this is because the various crew members act as if they do not understand the instructions given by the leader. Such a problem is very detrimental to any progress if at all a business is to be run. Despite the fact that the actions of the pirates are unethical, it is essential to note that as a leader, a person ought to show authority and people ought to follow the rules that are set by the individual and the actions that are instructed by the leader. 

As identified, showing authority is very imperative for effective leadership (Ismail, 2017). With regard to this, there is the point where the leader of the pirates focuses on the captain and instructs him to give up his crew. The captain lies about the positions of the crew members and tells the pirate that he is not aware of the places where the crew members are hiding. Despite the efforts carried out by the pirate leader to get the other crew members near him and to extort them, he does not manage to have the captain giving them up. This is a major problem that he faces while on the ship and this makes him very depressed. 

In order to resolve the problem, the pirate should have made a deal with the captain rather than giving out stern warnings and seeking to have the captain fearing him. He should have struck a deal with the captain assuring him that he would not hurt him or the crew members. Compromise is one of the effective ways that a leader can have people that he controls following his instructions. Despite the fact that this might make him appear weak, it is essential in having a person carry out the activities that are required. With regard to the other pirates that were under his control, he should have sought a way to punish one of those that did not carry out the expected activities and through this, the rest would get to respect the head pirate and act in accordance to the given instructions. 

Personal Reflection 

From this, I came to learn different things about leadership that I will consider in my future leadership roles. One the leadership lessons I have grasped from Captain Philips is to assess a situation quickly and compromise if possible just to avoid a worse outcome. In the movie, the captain was quick to make critical decisions without fearing whether his stance against piracy was favorable or not. I will always remember and apply the idea of compromising depending on the circumstance depending on the possible outcomes. Initially, I always feared that if I compromise as a leader, people will not respect me and this made me very worried. After handling this assignment, I am now confident that I can always apply my instinct without fear of losing my leadership position. In my view, I strongly that Phillips’ quick decision and his flexibility created the much-needed opportunity for saving the lives of his followers. Therefore, as a future leader, I will always remember to play my part accordingly even if it means compromising my stance. 

Another crucial lesson that I have learned is idea that leadership is all making tough decisions even if the follower will not agree with me. In this case, Captain Phillips understands the dangers and hostilities at hand and decides to should them for the sake of his vulnerable followers. The most important lesson I learned is to expect challenges, prepare for it, handle, it and wait for the next. I admire how Captain Philips made all the heroic actions by not paying attention to the intimidation that comes with leadership. I have come to understand that intimidation does not always work. There are some points where intimidation might work effectively but there are others where compromise is the best action. 

I also came to learn the importance of superiority and showing authority as a leader. From this, there is the earning of respect that is very essential in the contemporary environment. All these will be important to me in future as a leader and will see the success of my organization and team. 

References 

Buckley, M. R. (2017). What works for you may not work for (Gen) Me: Limitations of present leadership theories for the new generation.  The Leadership Quarterly ,  28 (1), 245-260. 

Greengrass, P. (2013). Captain Philips. Web 

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1535109/ 

Ismail, I. A. (2017). Lessons from the Major Leadership Theories in Comparison to the Competency Theory for Leadership Practice.  Journal of Business and Social Review in Emerging Economies ,  3 (2), 147-156. 

Kelloway, E. K., & Gilbert, S. (2017). Does It Matter Who Leads Us?: The Study of Organizational Leadership.  An Introduction to Work and Organizational Psychology: An International Perspective , 192-211. 

Lussier, L.N & Achua, C.F. (2016). Leadership Theory, Application & Skill Development 6 th Edition. Boston: Cengage Learning.