The Concept of Leadership in "The Wolf of Wall Street"

Introduction 

Leadership refers to the capacity to set and subsequently achieve objectives by taking decisive actions when the need arises. A leader should be wary of the environmental factors such as the competition and formulate the right strategies to inspire others to perform at the highest possible level for the attainment of the pre-set goals. The film, ‘ The Wolf of Wall Street, ’ directed by Martin Scorsese is an embodiment of what is possible with the right leadership strategies in place. The film traces the life of a stockbroker called Jordan Belfort, played by seasoned actor Leonardo DiCaprio who uses his street skills to rise to the point of becoming a millionaire. It is worth noting that the film has various incidents of manipulation, drug use, and explicit sexual scenes, but Belfort’s ingenuity as a leader is outstanding. The strategies and the tactic he employs from the time he launches his stick brokerage firm in a garage to the point that he becomes a millionaire are consistent with the leadership strategies that propel a small venture into a renowned multinational.  

Leadership Strategies 

Vision 

A good leader should have a vision. Instead of advocating for goals, Belfort seemingly has a vision for the company that he intends to achieve by all means necessary. He declares that goals have no power, meaning that he is interested in something more profound, which is vision. According to Belfort, having a vision entails perceiving the world the way it is and visualizing the best strategies to employ to improve the world. Towards this end, he sees his company as being better off benefitting the people around him. Apart from being an entrepreneur, Belfort has a vision of building a thriving company that helps people invest in stocks while making supernormal profits. He wants to be a part of the new world defined by success. The fact that he is a great communicator makes it easier for him to sell his vision to the world and boost the prospects of his company that keep growing.  

Team Building 

The most outstanding leadership quality that Belfort shows in the entire film is team building. The teams are built based on the size of the firm to ensure effectiveness and efficiency. At the inception of his stock brokerage firm, Belfort starts with a team of four people who are clueless and the only person that had an idea about sales was drug peddler while the rest are clueless. Essentially, he turns a bunch of clueless renegades who had no experience in sales or stock market into dependable individuals who run a successful firm. His approach encompasses encouraging each individual to believe in the team. The result is instantaneous as young brokers quickly got wind of the firm and yearned to work with him. His goal was to use the people at his disposal; however, green they were, to achieve his dreams. He builds the team through training and inspires self-belief to ensure that they perform as per the industry standards.  

Motivation 

A god transformative leader such as Belfort requires a motivated team that is ready and willing to work for the good of the company. The best way to motivate his team members is to celebrate the achievement of the members. It is worth noting that Belfort celebrates every achievement and milestone as a way of motivating his team members and employees. The mode of celebration may not be conventional but proves effective in the end. Most of the celebrations involved financial incentives in which the members of the team that reach their sales target are given stipends and financial incentives. Other aspects of motivating were bizarre, as the company hired strippers for its employees. Despite the unconventional nature of some of the modes of motivation, the bottom line is that the employees were happy, and the performance was boosted, and maintained, at the desired levels. Celebrating achievements certainly goes a long way in ensuring performance.  

Leading by Example 

In the contemporary setting, most leaders prefer delegating instead of getting involved in work and performance of duties and responsibilities. In the case of Belfort, he formed part of the team that managed the impressive performance. Belfort comes out as a charismatic character that has his methodology to capture the attention of the whole team. He teaches his team negotiation skills by doing it as they watch. He convinces an unknown customer to invest in his company as the rest of the team watches and learns from him. His goal is to teach and engage his team by showing them how they should operate. The net effect is that they end up learning from him and knowing how to handle and convince the clients. Leading by example is the best way to reach all the employees and team members. The secret is to give a good example, and the team members will follow and make the company successful.  

Presence of the Leader 

Giving instruction and providing guidance is not sufficient, as the presence of the leader bears immense value to the company. The presence of the leader has the propensity of building trust and moving the company to the desired heights through proper employee performance. The presence of the leader sends a message of seriousness and focus to the team members. The members are most likely to take various company-related tasks seriously when the leader is present. The employees also understand that the leader is present and will offer help whenever needed. Belfort was ever-present within the company’s premises. Furthermore, being present ensures that the leader experiences or notices the problem or challenges firsthand and takes the necessary steps to avert any severe consequences arising from such. Belfort is present at every stage of growth of the company and does not stop even after the company grew. A company has two critical times, namely the phases of failure and success that require the input and the physical presence of the leader. Belfort’s presence attests to his commitment to the company and the entire team of employees that grew the company from scratch.  

Conclusion 

Leadership refers to the ability to organize and direct other management functions to ensure that a company functions properly. In the movie under discussion, the lead character, Jordan Belfort, built his company from scratch by employing sales amateurs, training them, and facilitating them with the skills and resources required for growth and the subsequent excellence. A leader should be conscious of the environmental factors such as the competition and formulate the right strategies to inspire others to perform at the highest possible level for the attainment of the pre-set goals. For success, leadership requires vision, presence, motivation, and provision of examples by the leader. Belfort was able to build a successful company because he combined vision with action. He turns a bunch of clueless renegades who had no experience in sales or stock market into dependable individuals who run a successful firm. His approach encompasses encouraging each individual to believe in the team. His team-building skills serve the company well, as he strives to build a great team that serves the objectives and the vision of the company.