Just as company leaders are responsible for the direction of their teams, goals, and business strategies, film directors are responsible for providing leadership to their production crews and actors to ensure the vision and creative development of their movies translates into blockbuster hits.
And just as every great director has their own unique style that often reflects their personalities or points of view, every great leader has honed their leadership skills into their own distinct style that they have learned produces the best results.
In honor of the recent Academy Awards, we thought it would be fun to think about how some of our most prolific directors’ movie styles would translate to the office.
Wes Anderson
The Royal Tenenbaums, The Grand Budapest Hotel, Rushmore, Fantastic Mr. Fox
“Wes Anderson” leaders are eccentric with a fastidious, overly exhaustive attention to detail. In their world, there’s a place for everything and everything should be in its place. And when it comes to hiring new employees, “Wes Anderson” leaders tend to gravitate toward building a cast of characters who are equally eccentric.
- Strengths: very intelligent; detail oriented; always well-prepared.
- Weaknesses: extreme micro manager; eccentric, creative thinking can easily turn into absurdity.
Martin Scorsese
The Departed, Casino, Goodfellas, Raging Bull, Taxi Driver
“Martin Scorsese” leaders are true alpha personalities. They are loud and opinionated and will rarely back down from a fight—in fact, they are often at their best when faced with a challenge. They will go after what they want—likely leaving a significant path of destruction—and won’t rest until their goals are achieved.
- Strengths: Take-action personality; not afraid to get their hands dirty; speaks their mind.
- Weaknesses: Short fuse; can let emotions cloud judgment; liberal use of profanity.
James Cameron
Titanic, Avatar, The Terminator, Alien, The Abyss
“James Cameron” leaders are big thinkers—always looking for the next big project that pushes the envelope and sets industry standards. They’re the first to seek out and implement the latest groundbreaking technology and masters of building the support network to make it successful.
- Strengths: innovative thinker; strive to set the standard for excellence; prepared to take risks and go all-in on big ideas.
- Weaknesses: can bite off more than they can chew; little regard for budgets; can flop just as big as they succeed.
Joel and Ethan Coen
Fargo; The Big Lebowski, O Brother, Where Art Thou?, No Country for Old Men, True Grit (2010)
“Joel and Ethan Coen” leaders come off as dour and contemplative. Their every move is calculated, and their true plans often aren’t fully realized by the people they lead until the very end. And while they are often steadfast in their resolve to reach a goal, it’s important to remember that anyone is fair game for defeat along the way.
- Strengths: deep thinkers; path to success always well-calculated; focused.
- Weaknesses: can be pessimistic; employees never really sure where they stand; often put people on edge.
Who are some of your favorite directors? How would their style translate to the workplace? Let us know in the comments section below.
No comments yet.