For many of you who have yet to watch the Lord of the Rings II - The Two Towers, the first 1 minute of the video contains a short scene of a conversation between two good guys before the eve of the battle. The scenario is such that the good guys will have to defend a keep with 300 odd people against the mighty Orc army of 10,000 in strength. (Almost similar to the movie 300)
The people knew that they might not live to see tomorrow but they believed that as long as there's a glimpse of hope, they had to fight. I think that Legolas (The elf in golden hair) was acting as a devil's advocate in this scene, when he openly opposed to the decision of facing the huge orc army with such a puny force. His comments were obviously discouraging but practical. Legolas's comments simply brought everyone back to reality.
We all know that its always healthy to have people around to give alternative opinions but in this case, probably not. As we can see, the soldiers had already conformed to the situation; they had to face the enemy, one way or the other. A devil's advocate who starts hitting the group with disheartening facts is not going to help, it will only dampen the soldier's spirits and morale.
Thus, my point is, there are times when leaders need their men to engage in Groupthink in order to get things done by portraying a sense of invulnerability during times of crisis. We can clearly see how Aragorn motivate and reimburse everyone's morale when he steps in to say that he shall die as one of them. Nevertheless, for those who are interested to know the ending of this epic trilogy, do catch it on Channel 5 on the 28th June, Sat at 7.30pm !
For more info about the movie, visit the official website at http://www.lordoftherings.net/
The people knew that they might not live to see tomorrow but they believed that as long as there's a glimpse of hope, they had to fight. I think that Legolas (The elf in golden hair) was acting as a devil's advocate in this scene, when he openly opposed to the decision of facing the huge orc army with such a puny force. His comments were obviously discouraging but practical. Legolas's comments simply brought everyone back to reality.
We all know that its always healthy to have people around to give alternative opinions but in this case, probably not. As we can see, the soldiers had already conformed to the situation; they had to face the enemy, one way or the other. A devil's advocate who starts hitting the group with disheartening facts is not going to help, it will only dampen the soldier's spirits and morale.
Thus, my point is, there are times when leaders need their men to engage in Groupthink in order to get things done by portraying a sense of invulnerability during times of crisis. We can clearly see how Aragorn motivate and reimburse everyone's morale when he steps in to say that he shall die as one of them. Nevertheless, for those who are interested to know the ending of this epic trilogy, do catch it on Channel 5 on the 28th June, Sat at 7.30pm !
For more info about the movie, visit the official website at http://www.lordoftherings.net/
5 comments:
There will surely be an improvement in overall output when a team thinks positively together. But I believe that it is not easy to become a leader that is effective in motivating the team. In that short clip, Aragorn put down discouraging remarks that were said, but handled the situation such that Legolas did not get ostracized. And in the later part of the clip, he said these words "Show them no mercy, for you shall receive none!". The timing of that pre-battle speech was such that the men were not feeling hopeless, but their hearts brimming with confidence. With just some of these examples, Aragorn has definitely proved himself to be an indispensable leader to have at the battlefront.
LOTR is a good movie! back to topic, the way Aragorn motivates the people is quite heart touching, especially when he says that he will die as one of them. i would be very motivated if this were to happen to me. haha
yup i agree with bryan. whilst groupthink can be beneficial at times, i feel that it is only when the leader is extremely effective and open-minded. without possessing amazing leadership qualities, groupthink would only lead to their demise via their close-mindedness.
it is also true that while dissent and a devil's advocate is often beneficial to the group, legolas's timing was pretty lousy. at that point in time, in that particular situation, his comments were not constructive in any way. therefore i also feel that there is a time and place for everything.
with that said, legolas is one hot elf!
haha. you sound like you're advertising for channel 5. point aside, i do think that it is not easy being a good leader. knowing when to boost the troops' morale, when to try and encourage them etc.
with that said, i think i would agree with bon and be super motivated after hearing what Aragorn said. :)
legolas=mr skinny legs! hahas ok, on a more serious note, legolas was simply stating a fact. but yes, his timing couldn't be more wrong. but if he hadn't said it out, aragorn's outburst would not have taken place. perhaps his little phrase "then i shall die with them" gave them (the poeple of rohan) a little hope? that they have a faithful leader leading them?
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