Power and Leadership
Abstract
Leaders often have a difficult task to manage through their challenges because they have many people who look up to them. Many film producers have come up with movies that have themes of leadership. These movies give leaders the idea that they have to keep on pushing until they reach their goal, and they should never give up. Therefore, this article considers one such movie, “The Pursuit of Happiness,” which uses a father figure as an example of a leader. The father was abandoned by his wife, who left him with a son that he has to take care of despite working as an intern and not getting a pay. With all these challenges, the father did not give up because he knew that the future would be bright, and he will manage to take care of his son. The movie shows how strong leaders are expected to be, and their positions will make them go through a lot of tough times, but they have to do everything in their power to succeed in life.
Power and Leadership
The movie that I am analyzing is ‘The Pursuit of Happiness ‘ by Gabriele Muccino in 2006. Anyone who watches this movie would love it. The main character, Chris Gardner, dreams big for both himself and his family (Jones, 2017). Unfortunately, his dreams do not come to pass as he does not realize them. As much as Gardner has a good chance of being a stockbroker, he has to be an intern, and this means that he will not get any payment even if the whole process is grueling (Jones, 2017). However, Gardner decides to go through the process, and his wife decides to leave him because of the financial instability that they have to deal with at all times. Gardner is eventually evicted because he could not afford to pay the rent, and at the same time, he has his son, who he will take care of alone (Jones, 2017). Father and son find themselves living on the streets many times, and they struggle through the challenges of life. Despite all these challenges, Gardner is determined to overcome them and make it in life.
This movie has a lot of concepts that relate to leadership. Despite the obstacles that leaders may face, they must be committed to attaining their goals. Just like Gardner, he had a lot of challenges at work and home, but he never gave up (Jones, 2017). Even though his wife left him, and he did not get any pay at work, he had hopes that one day everything would be fine. At some point, no matter the profession that leaders have or their positions in their jobs, all leaders often have obstacles, which can demoralize them, and they may lose hope (Antonakis & Day, 2018). The movie teaches that in such a circumstance, leaders should always soldier on and not give up because there are people who look up to them.
For leaders to be successful, they must be disciplined. In the movie, Gardner is left with his son, and he takes him to the daycare. He also goes for his internship, even though he knows that he will not get any pay (Jones, 2017). Therefore, Gardner did not get any help or support, but he did his best to ensure that he managed through the challenges that he faced. Most of the time, leaders will not get the support and help that they look for. However, the more disciplined they are, they will realize their desired success, even if it will be a small one. It does not matter because the secret of their success is hidden in their daily routine (San, 1998). Leaders are powerful people, and they should always be determined to attain their goals no matter their situation (San, 1998). As a father, Gardner is a leader to his son, and he has the power to make his future brighter by managing through the challenges that he faces and making the best out of it.
Many leaders can often watch movies that inspire them and motivate them to be the people that they should be. As leaders, they have the power to change their destiny by overcoming any obstacles that come their way. Leaders are determined people who always want to accomplish their dreams, and that is why they should be persistent in everything that they do. Since leaders have people who look up to them, they should lead by example.
References
Jones, W. (2017). Leadership Movie – The Pursuit of Happiness. Retrieved fromhttps://www.toastmasters-d18.org/2017/09/06/leadership-movie-the-pursuit-of-happiness/
San, S. J. (1998). Team building: a leadership strategy. The Journal of the Philippine Dental Association, 50(1), 49-55.
Antonakis, J., & Day, D. V. (2018). Leadership: Past, present, and future.