Great Leaders

Despite the entertainment, the movie “Hot Fuzz” made me think about leadership.

In the movie, sergeant "Angel" was transferred to a peaceful and seemingly crime-free village. The police officers there care more about food and drinks in the pub than anything else. Soon, capable and dedicated Angel found out there was a totally different story than what the village appeared to be.

A series of cold-blooded murders were happening, but were covered up as “accidents” and nobody every suspect anything except , of course, Angel. The truth was there was a group of “leaders” consisted of some prominent elders in the village that had gone around killing people who could threaten the good images of the village. Those people who committed vandalism, acted badly in a play, having affairs, or had a bad smiles were being killed for the reason for “Greater Good” and the intention to keep the village title "Village of the Year”. The leaders thought it was the best for the village to eliminate all these people and misled all the villagers to believe that their village is the best. What a bunch of old people with corrupted minds who think they were the wisest and know what are best for the people!

This plot may sounds a bit cheesy as it was intended to be an over-action comedy. But think about it, it was actually what are happening in the past and NOW and it will happen in the future.

Take, for example, Adolf Hitler, the Germany president which created the holocaust where approximately 6 millions Jews were killed because of the concept of racial hygiene or survival of the fittest, that is making it a requirement for racial purity and killing off "life unworthy of life." How corrupted were their minds! Same went to Japan rulers which in a very big ambition to take over world, led to enormous killings , torturing and raping of people in China and several other places in the world.

One of the Adolf Hitler's quote "How fortunate for leaders that men do not think" show that the term "Great Leaders" can be ambiguous. Adolf Hitler lead well, but he is leading people to evilness. Great Leaders are those who can lead people well and into doing more goods to this world.

Let's try to put the scenario what can correlate to us since we are not living in such village (or are we?) and Adolf Hitler was long gone from the world - that is, the corporate world. What if the your company leaders are doing what they think are right but may not , in fact, be the right things. What if you are being led to believe something that are not true?

That's why Jack Welch said candor is very important in an organization. People know what are actually happening and they can judge for themselves. I strongly believe a good company should have candor as part of the culture. I hope I can continue to do something along this line for my company.

Angel (the sergeant) : - 'I may not be a religious man, but I know the difference between right and wrong.'