Types of Leadership Styles in the Episode: Pressure Point

Types of Leadership Styles in the Episode: Pressure Point
Name:
Course title:
Instructor:
Institution:
Date Due:

Types of Leadership Styles in the Episode: Pressure Point
There exist different types of leadership in different entities. Each leadership style has some pros and cons for both the leaders and followers. The customs and visions of the entity at a particular time determine the kind of leadership style to be employed. O’Toole observes that people in different entities do possess different values and different preferences (1996). This is the reason as to why there are conflicts, disagreements and misdirection in many sectors of the society, otherwise there would be no need of leadership at all (O’Toole, 1996). This paper explores the different leadership styles adapted by the characters in the twelve o’clock high season 1 episode six, pressure point.
In the book “Leading Change: The Argument for Values-Based Leadership”, O’Toole expresses that people have a tendency of following leaders who have the capability and motivation of leading them towards their destination. In the episode, the character in Norman Fell displays this tendency of leadership when he puts faith in Mart Hulswit. Norman appoints Mart, one of the soldiers in his camp to act as the leader in the American and Nazi combat, but he ends up being disappointed since the boy is inexperienced and cannot handle the task efficiently. James Franciscus and his company of Roger Perry, The Masquers and H.M Wynant in the crew also depict this leadership style. Although Franciscus had wanted to be the pilot of the plane in which they were flying, they could not let him since they were suspicious of him. The British bomb expert on whom the army heavily depended in order to destroy Nazi rocket project factories gives another example. Though the British man was a drunkard, the soldiers still found him useful owing to his expertise in matters related to bombs. Doughboy was also a dependent combat member who is heavily relied upon by other members to save the situation in German ground combat (Turley, 2011).
According to O’Toole, effective leaders are those who set aside their personal interests and avoid autocratic type of leadership. These leaders must be focused on the common interests of the people they are leading. Bellamy, who is the navy commander, is not in good terms with Gallagher, the air force commander and this is because of personal prejudices. Both the navy and the air force are supposed to work together in enhancing the nation’s security. According to O’Toole, leaders are supposed to set their interests or prejudices apart for the sake of common interests and good.
Quoting Madison, “the nation’s leaders need to listen intently to the expressed desires of their followers, but should not be prisoners to the public’s literal demands”. (Madison, 1787-p88). O’Toole opines that listening is a crucial element for an effective leader. On the other hand, effective leaders are not those who are coerced into accepting each and every demand by their subjects as it is virtually impossible to meet everybody’s requests. A leader is there to give direction to be followed and not meeting all the wishes of the followers. This aspect is portrayed in the episode when the commandos inform the sisters to evacuate in their living quarters to leave space for their aircraft’s landing and maintenance. In this case, the commandos do not want to seek opinions from the nuns but order them authoritatively. In actual sense, the sisters could not have accepted the idea that they evacuate to somewhere else, but for the soldiers, defending the nation happened to be a priority and the public interest, which was more important to them. More so, the powers they possessed could be influential in such a situation.
In accordance to O’Toole, leaders ought to help their followers in achieving their goals. Therefore, they must act and subdue their own interests for the sake of their followers. This is what O’Toole termed as servant leadership. Brandon de Wilde, who being a clerk in Savage's off...