Henry V Leadership
MBA – Innovation & Technology Management students in Prof. Anne-Laure Fayard’s Leadership and Team Development course took an innovative approach to learning in the Fall 2008 semester. Focusing on the dramatic works of Shakespeare, student teams analyzed the leadership characteristics present in “the Bard’s” characters. The product of one such analysis was a video that focuses on Henry V, featured here on v.Poly.
Demonstrated Leadership Characteristics of Shakespeare’s Henry V
Vincent Ardizzone
Jeff Brody
Ardis Kadiu
Michael McGetrick
Tom Sherman
A leader articulates a vision, communicates it to others, and inspires them to achieve that vision. In William Shakespeare’s Henry V, readers witness a leader who fits this definition perfectly. Henry, the young king, just past his “green” years, has a vision of uniting France and England under a single ruler: himself. He sets forth on a path of explaining the decision to his court, gaining consensus from his peers, and inspiring an army to follow him into battle in a foreign land. Of course, along the way, he must use his charisma to elevate the performance of his teams, as he inspires them to fight ferociously at the gates of Harfleur. He must face setbacks and encourage his team to move on, and face the enemy at the battle of Agincourt. He must keep his vision alive in the minds and hearts of his men, and distract them from the seeming hopelessness of their situation. Likewise, using power judiciously, he acts without hesitation to enforce his role as leader and the righteousness of his quest, stamping out the treasonous plot of Scroop, Cambridge, and Grey. He must invoke fair process to ensure that his army behaves appropriately in France, so that when he assumes the throne in France he gains the respect and admiration of the local people. Henry is a charismatic leader who uses his skills to achieve his goals in a way that modern CEOs could do well to learn from. This paper sets forth to demonstrate the significant tenets of leadership alive in this play. In particular, the authors will focus on: fair process, power as motivator, charismatic leadership, coaching and positive psychology, as well as the concept of “level 5 leadership” articulated by Jim Collins in his book Good to Great.
