Leadership Lessons from We Were Soldiers (2002)

Introduction

Perhaps due to the very nature of the United States military, it regularly provides examples of some of the most salient concepts associated with leadership and the roles that supervisors must play while guiding others in an organization. This fact explains why military-themed films recur so frequently in the U.S. filmmaking market — these films are about more than patriotic propaganda; they show some of the most difficult challenges that human beings face while in positions of leadership.

This paper examines the 2002 film We Were Soldiers to identify the most visible aspects of leadership it presents. Those aspects are in turn analyzed to provide insight into the role of leaders in virtually any organization. The facets of leadership that this film portrays most intimately — and which are most deserving of study here — are the difficulties that leaders incur when placed in arduous situations. A review of the film and of the decisions made by its central protagonist, Colonel Hal Moore (played by Mel Gibson), sheds considerable light on how leaders should perform under conditions of extreme duress.

Supervisory Techniques in Extreme Conditions

After viewing this film, three distinct supervisory techniques stand out as Moore employs them to assist his men through a dire situation: they have just been transported to one of the first major battles of the Vietnam War — the three-day Ia Drang encounter — in which they are egregiously outnumbered and effectively surrounded by their North Vietnamese Army counterparts.

The first supervisory technique Moore demonstrates is effectively preparing his soldiers for the tremendous adversity they will face. It is critical to note that prior to engagement with the enemy, the primary form of adversity the men face is simply leaving the United States, their loved ones, and traversing to a foreign land — a daunting prospect even for professionally trained military personnel. Moore presents one of the film's most memorable lines when he tells his troops on the evening before departure that they are "going to what home was always supposed to be" (Schmidt & Wallace, 2002). There is a fair amount of psychology embedded in this supervisory technique, which is to acclimate one's followers to a new environment. Moore is effectively telling the men that they are replacing their physical home — America — with a more pervasive sense of home, one with a "simple, unquestioning sacrificial devotion stronger than the bonds of home or family" (Scott, 2002). This is an effective supervisory technique because it reinforces the camaraderie the men will need in order to survive the considerable odds they will encounter.

Leading by Example on the Battlefield

Another highly effective supervisory technique Moore employs is leading by example. There is one particularly gripping scene in the film in which the colonel assures his men that, regardless of the consequences, he will be the first of their unit onto the battlefield and the last to leave it. Although this scene is powerful in itself, the concept behind it is even more so, because it demonstrates that Moore is not merely a strategist or an armchair commander — he is a literal, present leader. He leads by example during combat, and this is a particularly effective technique because it demonstrates to his soldiers his own commitment to their shared mission, which in turn inspires them to foster the same level of commitment (Hope, 2012).

Conclusion

In summary, a review of We Were Soldiers reveals much about the deployment of supervisory techniques under extreme duress. It demonstrates that maintaining group cohesiveness is essential — a goal Moore pursued through both his psychological preparation of the troops and his commitment to leading by example. It also shows that in sufficiently adverse circumstances, even capable leadership is bound to fall short. Recommendations drawn from this analysis include making greater efforts to reframe dire situations honestly, communicating the reality of one's circumstances to superiors and the public, and recognizing that institutional failures — such as inadequate pre-deployment preparation — can undermine even the most committed individual leader.

References

Arnold, W. (2002). Powerful, realistic 'We Were Soldiers' aims straight for the gut. Seattle Post-Intelligencer. Retrieved from http://www.seattlepi.com/ae/movies/article/Powerful-realistic-We-Were-Soldiers-aims-1081824.php

Hope, J. A. (2012). Leading by example. American Thinker. Retrieved from

Scott, A. O. (2002). We were soldiers. The New York Times. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9900E6DD1331F932A35750C0A9649C8B63

Schmidt, A. (Producer), & Wallace, R. (Director). (2002). We Were Soldiers [Motion picture]. United States: Paramount.