Saving Pvt. Ryan
Leadership Lessons for Both War and
Peace
 The movie Saving Pvt. Ryan hits you with
shocking realism. From the beginning to the end, you feel as if you
are there.
The knots twist in your stomach waiting for
the landing craft gate to drop. Cold water fills your boots as you slog
your way up the beaches of Normandy and across the bombed out cities in
France. You can feel the grit under your fingernails and the dryness of
fear in your mouth. As you hear the bullets whiz by your head and
you think to yourself, “Will I freeze up or will I do what I am
supposed to?”
In the seconds before the charge, the eyes
of the soldiers turn and gaze upon the person who is their leader.
They think to themselves, “Is this person worthy?” Trust, confidence and
leadership must be present before the first battle begins.
Today’s workplace sometimes resembles more
of a combat situation than anything else. Are your people following
you or have they deserted and heading in the opposite direction?
People today want leadership, they are not happy being managed.
This movie clearly showed what it means to
be a leader. It was a fascinating work of art—sometimes horrific,
but entirely accurate. The genesis of my fascination was I could see
myself. I spent many years as an officer in the Army. I never
faced combat, but have been in enough demanding situations to understand
the bonding soldiers feel when faced with life and death situations.
I gained the satisfaction of knowing, when called, my soldiers would give
their all for each other and their country. As an officer in the
Army, I learned several lessons.
A job title doesn’t make a person a leader.
Leaders must first travel down the gauntlet with those they lead BEFORE
they are accepted as the leader. Joel Barker, the paradigm expert,
has the best definition of leadership. He says, “Leadership is about
taking people to a destination they wouldn't go to by themselves.”
To reach that “destination,” a leader must endure a “baptism by fire.” He
or she must PROVE themselves first. Until you prove yourself as a
leader you will not have the respect and trust from those you are suppose
to lead.
The title “leader” is not something you
call yourself. Like a crown, those you lead place it upon your head.
The supreme test of leadership is the ability to lead people in combat.
There is nothing scarier than facing the possibility of death in war.
No matter the situation--war or peace, authentic leadership and a clear
sense of purpose are the key ingredients making the difference.
Capt. John Miller (Tom Hanks) was faced
with the almost impossible mission to lead a squad of soldiers to find and
bring Pvt. Ryan back home. The most fascinating aspect of this movie
was the portrayal of leadership and the magnetism between the soldiers,
the mission, and their Captain. It was the Captain that formed the
glue that held that unit together. Looking at the movie you can see
three important shifts or transitions in Capt. Miller’s leadership style.
I call these three shifts the “Faces of Leadership.”
Face of Fear-The lowest level or form of
leadership is by fear. On Omaha Beach, orders were direct and to the
point. Life or death-do what you are told because there is little
time to think. Anyone who has been in combat or in a trauma
situation understands that people don’t always act rationally in a crisis.
Even the Captain slipped into a momentary “thousand yard stare” when the
ravages of combat became overwhelming. Actions become instinct
driven--survival. Leaders have to think, must push themselves
forward and give orders for the group. What is good for the group
must outweigh what is good for the individual.
Face of Respect-I enjoyed watching how the
soldiers bantered back and forth about what was the Captain’s career
before the war. He had a charismatic affect on his men based on
trust and respect. He only revealed enough about himself to maintain
professional objectivity. He couldn’t afford to do anything that
would compromise the mission. His troops even started a lottery for
the person who could guess what the Captain did for a living before the
war.
Early in my career, I faced a similar
dilemma. I worried about being liked by my soldiers. Should I be
feared or should I be respected? I resolved this dilemma though
trial and error. Leadership is a developmental process. There
are few, if any, born leaders. Leadership is both a science and an art
form and the good leaders learn from their mistakes. The Faces of
Fear and Respect can only take you so far which leads us to the next
level.
Face of Purpose- The highest level of
leadership is that of providing purpose. True leadership progresses
from fear, to respect and finally to that of purpose. During one
scene in the movie, you could feel this important transition.
As the squad fought deeper into enemy territory, Captain Miller's men find
themselves beginning to doubt their leader and their orders. They
demanded, “Why is one man worth risking eight...why is the life of this
private worth more than ours?”
But first, another firefight took the life
of another comrade. The scene unfolds on the hill of the enemy radar
station. The trigger finger of the First Sergeant held life and death in
balance as he pointed his pistol at the American soldier who prepared to
desert the unit. Life and death hung in the balance for what seemed
forever until the Captain spoke.
He told them the secret, what he did before
the war. He was a school teacher. Silence. . .you could feel
the explosive pressure evaporate. You could almost hear the soldiers
say to themselves, “Damn, if he is a school teacher, what am I complaining
about!” It was at this moment, the final shift occurred. The
men no longer needed or depended on the Captain. There was complete
alignment between what they had to do and how it could make a difference
to their world.
Every Army unit has a flag called a guidon.
Each unit guidon has its own unique design and color. The guidon
stands apart from other military units. The challenge facing all
leaders today is to create their own “guidon” based on the Face of
Purpose.
For most people today, just having a “job” does not cut it. A job is
an obligation with a paycheck attached to it. Creating purpose at work is
much different; it requires leadership. People will not give their
all until they see the connection between what they do and how they see it
making a difference in the world. A connection between what people
value and what they are doing must exist. It is the psychological
connection between my soul, my heart and what I do.
Hopefully, none of us will have to face
combat again and my thanks go to those who have. But let us be ever
mindful, it is leadership that makes an exceptional difference—in war or
peace.
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