This weekend I subjected my wife and daughter to Batman v Superman. Critics are panning the movie, calling it dark, humorless, and too long. All true. I can pick out many things I would change. Instead let me tell you what I appreciated about it.
This is a big movie that tries to do a lot. Its overarching theme is how powerful people struggle with their power. It focuses on the power triangle of Batman, Superman and Lex Luthor (brilliantly played by Jesse Eisenberg – best villain since Heath Ledger’s Joker, IMHO).
I won’t spoil anything, but let’s just say everybody in the movie struggles mightily with their power (or perceived lack of it). Batman and Superman don’t act that heroic. Lex acts like the good guy (for a while). In the end everyone figures out which side they’re on. But the struggle to do what’s right, to use that power for good, really resonated.
Leadership is a lot like that struggle. You will face choices about how to use your power. Then you’ll have to figure out which side you are on. Sometimes you will be tempted to take the easy way out. You will take the low road, using the power of your position (“If you don’t like it I hear McDonalds is hiring”) instead of relying on the power of your relationship. Each time you choose that path you build momentum in the wrong direction – but choosing the positive path will often seem like a waste of time. Sometimes it will look like the worst move.
Alan Mulally and Positive Leadership
This all reminded me of a terrific article I read recently about Alan Mulally, former President and CEO of Ford. Mulally practiced something he called Positive Leadership (I’d call it Approachable Leadership). From the article:
On his first day as Ford’s CEO in 2006, Mulally asked to tour Ford’s famous Rouge plant where Henry Ford created the Model T. Mulally was informed by one of his top executives, “Our leaders don’t talk directly to factory employees.” Ignoring that advice, he went to the plant immediately to talk to front-line workers.
One of the first things Mulally did when he took over was redesign company meetings. He turned the meetings from negative (one observer called them “arenas for mortal combat”) to constructive. Mulally instituted a “traffic light” system where people would give a signal for their key initiatives. The Fortune article continues:
After four meetings in which all programs were labelled green, Mulally confronted his team, “We are going to lose $18 billion this year, so is there anything that’s not going well?” His question was met with stony silence.
The following week, Ford’s North American President, Mark Fields, showed a red indicator that a new vehicle launch would be delayed. Other executives assumed Fields would be fired over the bad news. Instead, Mulally began clapping and said, “Mark, that is great visibility.” He asked the group, “What can we do to help Mark out?” As he frequently told his leaders, “You have a problem; you are not the problem.”
That’s positive (and approachable) leadership. Positive Leadership is based on the idea of positive psychology, pioneered by psychologist Martin Seligman. Seligman says there are three aims of positive psychology:
- Building human strength
- Making the lives of people fulfilling
- Nurturing the talent that resides in all of us
Or as Mulally described it:
“Positive leadership – conveying the idea that there is always a way forward – is so important, because that is what you are here for – to figure out how to move the organization forward. Critical to doing that is reinforcing the idea that everyone is included. Everyone is part of the team and everyone’s contribution is respected, so everyone should participate.”
Mulally entered into an environment where Negative Leadership reigned supreme. Nobody thought his attempts to change the culture would succeed. I’m sure many scoffed behind closed doors when the traffic light idea was proposed. It took weeks for these high-powered execs to even dare present a red-light to the CEO, and only one had the guts to do it after the whole leadership team had been called out.
It can be hard to do the right thing as a leader. Often the right thing isn’t obvious. Sometimes it looks like the wrong thing. You have to make decisions based on core principles, like those of positive psychology. Build others, make their lives fulfilling, nurture their talent. That is a great place to start.
Eventually the dust will settle. I can’t guarantee that Wonder Woman will be there to help save the day, but the chances are good that you’ll get a sequel.
Questions: Have you ever struggled with your power as a leader? Have you ever taken the “low road” relying on your position more than your relationship? And most important: Are you more of a Superman or a Batman fan?
