Film Overview and Context
One of the earliest films to depict the full range of human experience during the Second World War, Twelve O’Clock High, was produced in 1949. It is an inspiring account based on real events of World War II, precisely daylight bombing sorties flown by the 918th Bomber Group of the United States Air Force over England. At the start of the film, General Keith Davenport is in charge of the squadron. It is quite apparent that General Davenport’s major interest is the well-being of his men; he certainly had formed close interpersonal bonds. The people in the group were loyal to Davenport to a fault and respected his judgment fully (DK Classics, 2023).
General Davenport’s love for his troops eventually gets in the way of his ability to lead them effectively. The squadron loses many planes and many people. Davenport’s inability to fulfill his leadership duties is exemplified by the time he puts the lives of the full team in danger by breaking formation to save a single jet. Davenport and General Pritchard talk, and Pritchard ultimately decides to remove Davenport from command and give it to Savage.
Contrasting Leadership Styles: Davenport vs. Savage
Savage, in contrast to the former head, is a charismatic leader in his behavior and actions; this marked the beginning of the squadron’s organizational shift. People’s perceptions of the leader are more important than the front-runner’s actual qualities in creating a charismatic bond (DK Classics, 2023). In charismatic leadership, the leader first builds a vision of an idealized future state and then inspires followers to work toward it. The underperforming bomber group, which was suffering severe losses due to poor skills and lack of focus, was sent to General Savage to lead. Leaders in the armed forces have an ongoing responsibility to impart a set of values consistent with their troops’ aspirations.
There are several examples of effective and ineffective leadership styles in the movie. The film’s characters each exhibit numerous facets of leadership, some positive and some negative. Given the film’s context, it is easy to see why some traits succeed while others fail. In Twelve O’Clock High, viewers have a front-row seat to the realities of battle and the proper way to deal with them. Earlier in the film, it becomes clear that Colonel Davenport’s methods are ineffective because he is too emotionally invested in his troops. Davenport’s use of friendship is ineffective and brings down morale across the board (DK Classics, 2023). Davenport worries about the casualties his men have sustained, and he is soon transferred to a new role. General Pritchard recognizes Davenport’s collapse; it is evident that Davenport was the source of the problem and the setback.
General Savage is Davenport’s replacement, and he soon takes over the situation. The unit is severely disciplined and grows to despise Savage as a result. The unit’s dynamic shifts drastically as Savage’s leadership becomes autocratic. The majority of the squad wants to transfer because they disagree with Savage’s disciplinary methods (DK Classics, 2023). The harshness of Savage’s authoritarian approach initially makes it ineffective. The group decided it was not yet prepared for such discipline and backed down. Logically, Savage’s behavior would have taken the rest of the team aback. The squad was at a loss for how to respond because their prior leader was not nearly as strict.
Savage’s men may have initially rejected him, but he has faith in their potential to change. He made the right call by deciding to hold off on the applications for some time. Savage realized he could shape the unit rather than rule it. Savage implemented strictness because he realized a new approach was needed for training the team. After his successes, some of Savage’s troops began to put their faith in him, despite his harsh leadership style. With renewed confidence, the unit pulled together, only to have their new leader, Savage, get too cozy with the troops once again (DK Classics, 2023).
Colonel Savage’s leadership style relies on traits that initially helped build and unite the squad but ultimately led to its demise. The same thing happened to Savage as it did to Davenport, but the morale was boosted due to Savage’s deeds. As Twelve O’Clock High demonstrates, leaders can not be too cordial with their followers. Leaders ought to be serious in military crises, whether they involve ground troops, the navy, or the air force.
In the eyes of many, Twelve O’Clock High is a classic WWII depiction, or at least a solid example of the genre. Examining the context, however, suggests that there are leadership lessons that can be applied to both the military and corporations today (Bossidy & Charan, 2002). Through contrasting the leadership approaches of Brigadier Frank Savage, Colonel Davenport, and other leaders, Twelve O’Clock High sought to establish what it signifies to be a successful leader in an army (DK Classics, 2023). However, any leader can take lessons from the film.
Leadership Theory Applied
Savage assumed leadership as an S1 type leader, characterized by Strong Directive and Weak Supportive Behavior, according to the Situational Leadership II (SLII) paradigm. However, at best, his troops were D2 (low competence and inadequate commitment) (Northouse, 2006). Since Savage’s attention was on helping the men become more capable, he used a hybrid of S2 (high directive with increased support) and S3 (strong support with low directive behavior) approaches to management. The men’s morale would not have risen, and the mismatch might have backfired if S1 tactics had been used (Brafman & Beckstrom, 2006).
To reach high competence and enhanced commitment, Savage’s ambition was to lead his followers to the D4 Development Level. Savage quickly established his dominance by reinstituting accountability and standards. He yelled at the security guards for not checking his ID, degraded a sergeant to private for not being in his uniform, and ordered the bar closed till further notice (all actions indicative of leadership at the S1 level).
Savage’s approach to leadership may be described as charismatic and transformative. Effective management theory and practice define transformational leadership as a process that results in behavioral shifts and attitude adjustments among an organization’s staff. Emotional principles, morals, standards, and strategic goals are the focus of vision (Brafman & Beckstrom, 2006). To apply this idea to the film, Savage showed his goal for Gately to become self-actualized by placing him in the position of bomber commander rather than transferring him out. This established that he wanted Gately to grow from a selfish to a selfless state and to be imbued with an excellent professional ethic. Gately learned the hard way that his actions directly affected the squad’s ability to complete its task.
Leaders who exude charisma set high standards for their followers, which boosts the latter’s confidence in their abilities and, in turn, their output. Tensions were high in the room when Savage walked in and told the troops that the 918th’s reputation as the ‘hard luck unit’ was going to top. He then ordered practice missions to fix shortcomings, with a particular emphasis on the basics of flying and bombing (DK Classics, 2023). He tasked the squad with being combatants willing to die in battle. Anyone with a self-centered outlook could expect a transfer from him. It is in this context that Savage displays the extreme, risk-taking attitude of a charismatic leader. Savage’s risk-taking personality could backfire without Major Stovall’s backing, but he convinced Stovall to hold off on the pilots’ transfer, buying his strategy some time to work.
Savage approached Major Stovall differently, using a mixed-method approach (S2 and S3). His technique, known as the ‘Situational Approach,’ emphasized the need to skillfully balance leadership’s directive and supportive sides in any given circumstance (Northouse, 2006). Savage was able to examine his followers and determine how capable and devoted they were to execute a particular aim. General Savage, a great commander, disregarded Pritchard’s order and risked taking the 918th on the mission to establish ‘Pride’ and ‘Unity’ and to test the readiness and competence of his unit (DK Classics, 2023).
Despite everyone else returning a recall, Savage held firm. After returning, he asked to be commended for the team’s bravery, initiative, and expertise under pressure. This behavior portrayed one of the transactional leadership factors, a ‘Contingent Reward’ (Bossidy & Charan, 2002). Exchanging followers’ efforts for predetermined rewards may improve the exchange mechanism between leaders and subordinates.
Leadership Outcomes and Organizational Change
When pilots stopped asking to be transferred, it was a good sign that Savage’s leadership style was paying off. When he took the helm, they saw an opportunity to succeed and return home. Acceptance of Savage’s leadership and vision is evident in his ability to set a good example (DK Classics, 2023). The ground crews had developed the level of competence and dedication necessary to stow away to fly on operation (SLII Development Level) (Northouse, 2006). They had turned from evasion to an eager anticipation of service, proving that Savage’s leadership method had been successful.
There were moments when Colonel Davenport’s leadership style fell short because he misjudged the followers’ degree of development, preparation, or maturity. Davenport’s primary leadership style is S3: low directiveness and high connection building (Bossidy & Charan, 2002). His method of leadership was mismatched with the maturity of his followers. In this method, the leader was not just concerned with the result; instead, they employed enabling actions that highlighted the abilities of team members. Such leaders are eager to provide social support for their followers and give them agency over day-to-day decisions. Even if Davenport’s devotees were still loyal to him, the mission was failing as a result.
The lessons in Twelve O’Clock High concerning exceptional leadership apply to modern management theories. The success of any enterprise or military operation depends crucially on the quality of its leadership. It is intriguing how the leadership style practiced 76 years ago could be successful now, or how the military’s approach to leadership may be applied in civilian endeavors. The rapid development of technology, globalization, and cultural differences has created a challenging environment for many corporate and political leaders in today’s world (Brafman & Beckstrom, 2006). Successful leaders inspire their teams to share their goals.
Therefore, the situational leadership style advocated in Twelve O’Clock High may not be effective in the real world. It has been argued that management control settings are more suited to behavioral approach leadership. The leaders’ conduct is influenced by their task state and connection level, which is why the behavioral approach emphasizes the importance of both. Effective administrative leaders, for instance, should be able to provide both direction and the emotional and physical support that some of their subordinates need.
A global manager needs to understand a behavioral approach to leadership that is in harmony with civilization, given the strong tendency of international cultures to focus first on establishing a relationship before moving to business. General Motors (GM) CEO Mary Barra is a contemporary example of the kind of effective leadership style represented by Savage in Twelve O’Clock High. She stepped up as a leader when the company was on the verge of collapse, and it eventually recovered (Gladwell, 2002). She might have been better equipped to run the organization if she had been closer to the action. In addition to her numerous previous managerial roles within the same firm, Barra also served as vice president of global human resources before being promoted to CEO. This displays Mary Barra’s ability to empower her workforce effectively.
Mary Barra recently told Fortune Magazine that imposing too many restrictions on staff is not always the best way to ensure their success. As a result, there is no room for excuses under effective leadership. Whether it is a financial plan or resources, leaders play a significant role in ensuring that their organizations flourish, and it is their job to empower staff to accomplish that (Champoux, 1999). Her goals and objectives are crystal clear to everyone, and in return, she demands candor and directness from her staff. Leadership, according to Barra, is about building connections and getting things done. By encouraging open communication, she has been able to rally not only emotionally invested workers but also investors and other interested parties behind the company’s success.
Reflections
‘Hard luck’ is commonly used to refer to the United States Air Force’s Bomb Squad. During the darkest hours of the struggle against the Nazis, the pilots were handed a new tactic: daylight precision bombing. The bomb squad’s efficiency has improved, along with the casualty rate. The 918’s high spirits tended to go down with their results (DK Classics, 2023). Therefore, the command orders necessitated all-out efforts from the squad members at this critical juncture. However, to carry out the orders, the 918 Bomb Squad was led by Frank Savage. He was expected to provide the necessary leadership to achieve the maximum possible performance, despite resource limitations such as equipment and soldier morale.
Savage, in his capacity as general, arrived at the outpost with nothing except a desire to give the crew something they could truly call their own. After a while, he realized that the team needed a single aim: to push forward and deliver their finest performance. Savage devised a blend of management and leadership to boost the team’s performance (DK Classics, 2023). His primary goal was to provide competent leadership at every level. He realized that the key to success was giving the troops agency over their own fate, and he set about doing just that with exceptional care.
References
Bossidy, L., & Charan, R. (2002). Execution: The discipline of getting things done. Crown Business.
Brafman, O., & Beckstrom, R. A. (2006). The starfish and the spider: The unstoppable power of leaderless organizations. Penguin.
Champoux, J.E. (1999). Film as a teaching resource. Journal of Management Inquiry, 8(2), 206-217.
DK Classics. (2023). Twelve O’clock High 1949 Gregory Peck, Hugh Marlowe & Dean Jagger. YouTube.
Gladwell, M. (2002). The tipping point: How little things can make a big difference. Little, Brown and Company.
Northouse, P. G. (2006). Leadership: Theory and practice (4th ed.). Sage publications.