Analysis of saito and nicholson's leadership effectiveness - Research Paper Example

Saito and Nicholsons Leadership Effectiveness A good leader is one who relates well with his followers and hasgood communication skills. A good leader is capable of responding effectively to innumerable pressures and courageously approaching crises. Effective leadership demands that a leader keeps his followers motivated even during harsh periods. A good leader usually controls his temper and approaches his tasks diligently and is never boastful of his achievements. Right from the early stages of the movie, Colonel Nicholson exhibits a leader who is perfectly under control.

He is an organized leader who result oriented. Nicholson demonstrates exemplary leadership qualities when he motivates his followers to accomplish the task of building the bridge. He focuses on his followers. He emerges as a great influencer and motivator unlike his counterpart Saito. Nicholson’s effective leadership skills are evident when he crafts a clear vision for his team to accomplish the daunting task of building the bridge to completion. In the movie “The Bridge on the River Kwai,” Colonels Saito and Nicholson appear to have some common leadership behaviors.

Both Colonels appear to be task-oriented leaders. Task oriented leadership is where a leader focuses on particular activities that need to be completed in order to achieve a given objective at the right time. Both Nicholson and Saito focus of a specific goal of having the bridge completed within the stipulated deadline. Also, Nicholson and Saito emerge as path-goal leaders. For instance, Colonel Saito rallies the prisoners under him to focus on completing the bridge before the set deadline. He motivates them to achieve his end through intimidation of punishment and reward pledge.

Similarly, Nicholson is also a path-goal leader, which is evident when he formulates clear objectives as well as re0rganizing the approach through which the bridge is to be completed. He leads his team successfully to accomplish the work of building the bridge before deadline. However, both colonels exhibit a similar flow when they break Geneva Convention to achieve their own objectives as they pursued the completion of the bridge construction. Saito decided to work with the enemy during bridge construction, while Nicholson was working for the enemy by helping to construct a bridge that would facilitate the enemy’s movement.

Saito’s values were driven by terminal values. He was tasked with the duty of leading the Japanese soldiers. He was answerable to higher Ranks in the Japanese military, having been assigned the task of completing the construction of the bridge before the deadline elapsed. His values of completing the bridge were terminally driven, but his approach was unsuccessful because he gave to much attention to the end rather than means. Nicholson’s values on the other end were driven by instrumental values.

After being forced to work alongside his officers, he objected. However, when he later made up his mind to pursue the construction of the bridge, he focused on how to achieve the objective. He realized that he had to redesign the bridge and motivate the prisoners in order to complete the bridge before deadline. Nicholson is a keen observer of rules. He sticks to the Geneva Convention, which stipulates that he and his followers should not engage in manual work. He was required to remain loyal, which made him resist the demand by Saito that he takes part with his men in bridge building.

Saito on the other hand is driven by the Bushido code, which requires him to remain obedient to his seniors. Therefore, he had to explore all means to ensure that the construction of the bridge is complete before deadline as was directed by his seniors in the Japanese military camp.