Concepts and Theories of Leadership and Management in the Film "The Intern"

Leadership and Management Literary Analysis: The Intern
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Leadership and Management Literary Analysis: The Intern
Organizations operating in the modern business environment face numerous leadership challenges, one of them being the management of a diverse workforce. The Intern, directed by Nancy Meyers, is a 2015 film that portrays to a great extent the challenges modern leaders face as they try to meet the interests of different stakeholders. The film features 70-year old Benjamin Whitaker, a widower, who decides to come out of retirement and apply for an internship position at About The Fit, an internet fashion company run by CEO Jules Ostin. Although he initially struggled with the fast-paced environment characteristic of modern companies, Ben managed to adapt to the new culture and become an important member. The behavior and actions of Ben and Jules as portrayed in the film reflect major leadership theories and concepts present in literature and covered in class: positive relationships, positive communication, authentic leadership, servant leadership, and mentoring
Positive relationships are one of the key concepts covered in class under positive leadership. As covered in class, people in positive social relationships perform well in decision-making and motor tasks. In addition, the most valuable relationships are beneficial to others as opposed to those characterized by receiving support from others. This concept of positive relationships relates to a great extent with relationship-oriented leadership, which, as described by Breevaart and de Vries (2021), is characterized by a focus on the needs and general wellbeing of followers. Breevaart and de Vries (2021) pointed out that relationship-oriented leaders communicate and listen to followers and show trust and confidence in them. One character in the film that embodies relationship-oriented leadership is Ben. Despite being an intern and new to a fast-paced workplace environment, Ben seeks and maintains positive relationships with those around him and, most importantly, CEO Jules. Through persistent courtesy, Ben manages to develop a fruitful relationship with Jules. Ben seeks the relationship not to receive support but to benefit the CEO. This is a great example of a positive relationship, as covered in class. In addition, Ben even practices his conversations to ensure that he is courteous to the CEO. It is important to recognize that Ben is not looking for a reward but to help the CEO genuinely. Ben shows both confidence and trust in Jules, and this is evident when he reminds her that she is the one who started the company and should thus keep it. Therefore, the concepts of positive relationship and relationship-oriented leadership are quite evident in Ben's behaviors and actions.
Positive communication is another key leadership concept that is evident in the film. As covered in class, the ratio of positive statements to negatives in an organization is the most critical predictor of organizational performance. In high-performing organizations, the ratio is 5 to 1. This concept shows that when positive statements characterize a work environment, the result is positive performance....