Evaluation of Erin Brockovich Leadership

It takes a very strong, dedicated leader to take the road less traveled by in order to stand behind what they believe is right or wrong. The easy route may seem more appealing to most because there is no challenge and you can almost always predict the outcome. Dr. Ronald W. Roskens, an internationally known and respected leader, gave a speech titled, Ethical Leaders: The Wide and Easy Way, and stated, “Leaders can choose the easy way out, or they can attempt to apply ethics to their decisions and actions. True leaders are principled individuals, who assume their positions because they have earned the respect and, in certain sense, the allegiance of others.” This is the perfect definition of an ethical leader. Julia Roberts portrays Erin Brockovich in the self-titled movie, as a young woman striving for excellence for the common good of the community. She takes the road less traveled by and is not scared of a little challenge, she will continue her fight until things are settled and made right. Erin Brockovich is not what you’d imagine a leader to be, she in uneducated, mother of 3, broke, and twice divorced. Don’t let that fool you because she proves leaders can come from all backgrounds by spearheading a job that most would just ignore because it is too much work and too messy. She is the type of leader Dr. Roskens describes in his quote. Erin Brockovich proves that leaders need to know the difference between right and wrong, and must contain the art of persuasion, the determination to see things through, courage of conviction, and most of all, heart. The Social Change Model of Leadership Development consists of seven critical values: consciousness of self, congruence, commitment, collaboration, common purpose, controversy with civility, and citizenship (Astin, 1994). We see these seven values within Erin Brockovich throughout the entire movie. One scene that offers a lot of these values is when Erin is trying to convince lawyer, Ed Masery, to take on

References: Astin, H. S., & Astin, A. W. (1996). A Social Change Model of Leadership Development Guidebook Version III (p Daft, R. L. (2008). The Leadership Experience (5th ed., pp. 174-180). Mason, OH: South- Western Cengage Learning. Hoyk, R., & Hersey, P. (2008). The Ethical Executive: Becoming Aware of the Root Causes of Unethical Behavior: 45 Psychological Traps that Every One of Us Falls Prey To. Josephson, M. (2002). Making ethical decisions. Los Angeles, CA: Josephson Institute of Ethics Character PowerPoint