Different Leadership Styles Demonstrated in the Movie ‘Twelve O’Clock High’

Film Study: After Combat and Crisis
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Film Study: After Combat and Crisis
Workplaces require their employees to have leadership qualities to enhance teamwork, boost self-esteem, and create a more cultivating environment. Similarly, the armed forces also need a leader who could work in extremely stressful situations, be present for his/her team, and guide them even when there is a terrain of losses and defeat.
Leadership styles and comparisons have been demonstrated in the movie ‘Twelve O’Clock High.’ There are two leaders, Davenport and Savage, who have different styles of directing their teams, and consequently, the outcomes and responses of the team members vary drastically. The movie introduces Davenport, who leads his team with a laissez-faire leadership style. It is more like a ‘You can do it as you like’ style in which the leader allows their team to make a decision freely. The leaders tend to minimize micro-management and entrust the team with autonomy and choice. While the whole team acts as leaders, this kind of leadership has its drawbacks, including the lack of accountability. When all are allowed to make decisions, no individual would be held responsible for mismanagement. Davenport, too, though a lenient and understanding leader, had not set boundaries with his team, which led him to get personally involved with their affairs. It also led to inefficiency and direction-less. Bartone and his colleagues (2009) mention that the armed forces already have huge stressors attached to them, such as isolation, powerlessness, danger, extreme workload, and even boredom at times. During these times, the soldiers needed a leader who would enhance their resilience, mental hardiness, cohesion, morale, and commitment towards a certain mission that Davenport could not do.
Now, the movie takes a new turn with the introduction of Brig General Frank Savage, who is on the other end of the rope and wears the badge of an authoritarian leadership style. He enters his duty with a completely different approach: strict boundaries, high adherence to rules, and attention to details. While Davenport focused on friendship and loyalty in his team, Savage believed that each member should be held responsible for his or her actions and suffer the consequences. This change in approach allowed the men to critically evaluate themselves based on their actions, thus changing the entire team’s productivity. Several factors can be distinguished in the leadership styles, which are discussed as follows:
In the movie, leadership styles have demonstrated the benefits of setting boundaries and following rules to their core. For example, Davenport showed leniency in his command, leading to a sense of entitlement in all men, thus creating their own rules. On the contrary, Savage was a stickler to policies and regulations, for instance, how he closes the bar the instance he is given command. He is also firm on why the guard did not check his identification or why the sergeant was not wearing a uniform. This aspect also ensures being a good role model for the subordinates and setting clear examples.
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