Shakespeare on Leadership

"We few, we happy few, we band of brothers."

Last Saturday (25 October) was St. Crispin's day. Few of us know much about this saint but, thanks to Shakespeare, we know about the Battle of Agincourt, St. Crispin's Day, 1415. The battle hinged on leadership and strategy just as a Lean Manufacturing hinges on leadership and strategy.

Our new series on Lean Manufacturing Leadership explores the role of leadership using the U.S. Army's charismatic Leadership Model. The series starts at "Lean Manufacturing Leadership" where you will find an overview. From there, you can download an excellent article by Major Attila Bognar based on the classic film "Twelve O'clock High."

You can also see how this leadership model plays out in Shakespeare's "Henry V." We offer an extensive analysis of the play and King Henry's actions. The 1989 film with Kenneth Branagh is a great accompaniment.

Movies are an excellent way to study leadership, provided that the study has some structure. You won't learn much by just watching. At Strategos we often use films and clips in our leadership sessions.

Our next issue will continue the discussion of leadership. We delve further into the charismatic model and summarize lessons from some classic films. See you then.

Quarterman Lee

p.s. I have just returned from assignments in Canada and the Middle East and this issue is a bit late. We hope to get back to our fortnightly schedule.

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