Leadership Portrayed in the Movie Twelve O’ Clock High
TWELVE O’ CLOCK HIGH: LEADERSHIP
TWELVE O’ CLOCK HIGH:
LEADERSHIP ALONG THE CONTINUUM—
TRANSACTIONAL AND TRANSFORMATIONAL PARADIGMS IN PRACTICE
Introduction
The movie “Twelve O’ Clock High” is a case study in the application of leadership theory during World War Two. Gregory Peck portrays Brigadier General Savage, a United States Army Air Force officer thrust into a situation that requires a maximum effort both on the ground and in the air as he attempts to re-invigorate an undisciplined, anxiety ridden, and ineffective combat unit. Throughout the movie we observe Peck’s character employing a variety of leadership methods, but ultimately discovering that true combat effectiveness and cohesion is accomplished through a transformational leadership style. While the movie illustrates these leadership theories practiced by General Savage, these theories are not all inclusive and fail to explain the behavior of General Savage during the movie. Specifically, transactional leadership is inherently limited compared to the effects of transformational leadership, while the latter is relatively ineffective without first employing or practicing the former style. In order to fully understand General Savage’s motivation and behavior during this movie, we must use employ the Path-Goal Theory and transformational theory concepts in concert. The theory of Path-Goal Leadership (Evans 1970; House 1971) sets the conditions of the unit’s recovery based on the leadership interaction with the subordinates needs and expected outcomes. In organizational studies, the path-goal model is a leadership theory that states that a leader's function is to clear the path toward the goal of the group, by meeting the needs of subordinates. While Path-Goal theory establishes a basis for high performance, it relies heavily upon the leader and does not allow the followers to further self-actualize or grow (Maslow 1943; Alderfer 1972) to develop higher levels of performance. In this
TWELVE O’ CLOCK HIGH:
LEADERSHIP ALONG THE CONTINUUM—
TRANSACTIONAL AND TRANSFORMATIONAL PARADIGMS IN PRACTICE
Introduction
The movie “Twelve O’ Clock High” is a case study in the application of leadership theory during World War Two. Gregory Peck portrays Brigadier General Savage, a United States Army Air Force officer thrust into a situation that requires a maximum effort both on the ground and in the air as he attempts to re-invigorate an undisciplined, anxiety ridden, and ineffective combat unit. Throughout the movie we observe Peck’s character employing a variety of leadership methods, but ultimately discovering that true combat effectiveness and cohesion is accomplished through a transformational leadership style. While the movie illustrates these leadership theories practiced by General Savage, these theories are not all inclusive and fail to explain the behavior of General Savage during the movie. Specifically, transactional leadership is inherently limited compared to the effects of transformational leadership, while the latter is relatively ineffective without first employing or practicing the former style. In order to fully understand General Savage’s motivation and behavior during this movie, we must use employ the Path-Goal Theory and transformational theory concepts in concert. The theory of Path-Goal Leadership (Evans 1970; House 1971) sets the conditions of the unit’s recovery based on the leadership interaction with the subordinates needs and expected outcomes. In organizational studies, the path-goal model is a leadership theory that states that a leader's function is to clear the path toward the goal of the group, by meeting the needs of subordinates. While Path-Goal theory establishes a basis for high performance, it relies heavily upon the leader and does not allow the followers to further self-actualize or grow (Maslow 1943; Alderfer 1972) to develop higher levels of performance. In this
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