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“The key to successful leadership today is influence, not authority.”
(Ken Blanchard)
The Walk into the Future blog is leaning into leadership more this year. This is not a major revelation, but I wanted to ensure that my readers are ready for additional doses of leadership wisdom. The blog content is developed through life experiences and thoughts that I want to share. I kept playing a leadership lesson I learned from the movie Twelve O’clock High on repeat during one of my 8-mile runs recently.
I was introduced to this movie during a Non-Commissioned Officer (NCO) Leadership Academy I attended while stationed at Kadena Air Base, Japan (Okinawa). The academy was designed to prepare future leaders in the best way to ensure career and professional development. This academy is a steppingstone for airmen who have been identified as the future of leadership. I never saw Twelve O’clock High prior to this training, but I have watched it multiple times over the years and continue to learn new lessons from the movie.
The message I got from Twelve O’clock High is that effective leadership requires strength and compassion, especially when the leader is under pressure. The movie follows Brigadier General (BG) Frank Savage, played by Gregory Peck as he takes command of a demoralized bomber group during World War II. At first, his leadership style appears harsh and demanding, but the movie gradually reveals several themes to his leadership style.
Leadership can be viewed as lonely because leaders must make difficult decisions that may not be popular with the team. BG Savage is forced to prioritize the overall mission and the welfare of the organization over personal friendships and comfort.
A high performing organization requires accountability. The movie highlights that excellence is achieved through discipline, clear standards, and holding people accountable, even when doing so is uncomfortable.
The movie highlights the concept that people can rise above what they think they can do. Many of the airmen believed they had reached their limits, but BG Savage brought them strong leadership and renewed confidence. They discovered greater resilience than they thought possible.
One of the movie’s most powerful messages is that leaders carry emotional burdens. BG Savage appears tough, but the strain of responsibility eventually affects him as well. The film shows that courage is not the absence of stress or fear.
The movie demonstrates that great leaders must care about results and people simultaneously. Being overly soft can hurt performance, but being overly rigid can damage morale.
The movie continues to attract viewers even though it is set during World War II. The movie is frequently used in leadership training because the lessons apply to business, education, government, and nonprofit organizations. It explores how leaders transform struggling teams, build trust, and sustain performance during periods of intense change and uncertainty.
This classic movie shows great leadership means inspiring ordinary people to accomplish extraordinary things while carrying the weight of responsibility with integrity and courage.
Twelve O’clock High remains one of my favorite movies for the content and leadership lessons from BG Savage. I highly recommend it for anyone looking to enhance their leadership skills.
What’s another movie that depicts what great leadership looks like?
Irie!
Calvin Williams
“Leadership is vision, influence, and execution.”
(Brad Lomenick)
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