Precious leadership lessons from The Lord Of The Rings.
Choosing To Lead.
Frodo: I will take the Ring; though I do not know the way.
We have been conditioned, probably by society, possibly by typical Hollywood movies that leaders are born, and are heroes by virtue of being the smartest, bravest, strongest or all of the above. The beauty of LOTR is that Frodo is none of this – he has not the wisdom of Elrond, the courage of Boromir, the skill in battle of Legolas nor Gandalf’s magical power. Yet among the great people assembled for the Council of Elrond, it was Frodo who stepped up and volunteered to take the Ring on the quest to Mount Doom, despite not knowing how.
Leadership is a choice.
But it is not a half-hearted option of – let me try first and see. A true leader commits to doing what it takes to make a difference.
Strength Of Fellowship.
Aragorn: If by my life or death I can protect you, I will. You have my sword…
Legolas: And you have my bow.
Gimli: And my axe.
Boromir: You carry the fate of us all, little one. If this is indeed the will of the Council, then Gondor will see it done.
A leader may choose to make a difference but rarely can an individual achieve much alone. LOTR emphasizes a strong sense of fellowship. Where a diverse motley crew of individuals come together to save Middle Earth and despite their differences, they remain committed to each other and to the cause.
Eomer: We cannot achieve victory through strength of arms.
Aragorn: Not for ourselves. But we can give Frodo his chance if we keep Sauron’s Eye fixed upon us. Keep him blind to all else that moves.
Legolas: A diversion.
Gimli: Certainty of death, small chance of success…what are we waiting for?
Compassion And Values.
Frodo: It’s a pity Bilbo didn’t kill him when he had the chance.
Gandalf: Pity? It was pity that stayed in Bilbo’s hand. Many that live deserve death. Some that die deserve life. Can you give it to them, Frodo? Do not be too eager to deal out death in judgment. Even the very wise cannot see all ends. My heart tells me that Gollum has some part to play yet, for good or ill before this is over. The pity of Bilbo may rule the fate of many.
As it happens, Bilbo showing mercy to Gollum, a character seemingly undeserving of mercy, ultimately saves the day. Beyond compassion, there is a strong thread of ethics and values running through LOTR. Promises are sacred and honor is to be upheld even in battle. This is important as in choosing to be a leader, it’s all too easy to sacrifice ethics and values in pursuit of one’s goals. Tolkien ensures his heroes and leaders never stray from the moral high ground, showing both compassion and integrity even in desperate times. Hence, we are reminded, to truly care for our people in the organization, whilst preserving our values.
Perseverance.
Galadriel: You are a Ring-bearer, Frodo. To bear a Ring of Power is to be alone. This task was appointed to you, and if you do not find a way, no one will.
Frodo: I know what I must do, it’s just that…I’m afraid to do it.
Galadriel: Even the smallest person can change the course of the future.
A leader’s path is not easy. It can be a lonely and difficult journey, where leaders will often doubt themselves. As with the dilemma faced by Frodo, it is often the case that we know what needs to be done. It is a question of whether, we can summon the leader in ourselves to make the difficult decisions and stay the course.
