Leaders Can Learn Principles of Engagement from The Lord of the Rings

I was watching the Lord of the Rings the other night. It was the first of the trilogy, The Fellowship of the Ring. The fellowship is made up of 9 very different characters of various ages and races. They all agree, voluntarily, to risk life and limb to destroy the ring by returning it to Mount Doom in Mordor. How do the members become so engaged in the face of such danger? The answer to this question can help us uncover key principles that any of us can use to create voluntary engagement in our organizations.

The principle is there must be a very “big why” to create cooperation. The Council of Elrond decides that the threat of Sauron is too great. The Council describes, to the characters, the history behind the threat, the consequences of the continued threat, and the benefits that will be realized when the ring is destroyed.

In an organization, once a strategic initiative is chosen by the leaders, the Senior Leader(s) can explain why the initiative is so important. He/she can explain the history, the consequences if we fail and the benefits if we succeed. These explanations can be delivered in the different “languages” of the different people depending upon individual needs or “languages” (not necessarily English vs. Spanish for example but also different departments have different ways of interpreting concepts).

The “big why” is brought to life by providing a clear picture, or vision, to constituents. Frodo is given a clear picture of what the Shire will look like if he doesn’t take the ring to Mordor. He sees his cousins in chains and his wonderful peaceful home in flames.

Too often leaders just assume that everyone understands the strategic initiative in the same way they do. Too often the leaders are too close to the issues because they discuss them and live with them for days before an initiative is chosen. Most employees are far behind in their understanding. They need to be given time and energy to help them catch up. They each may need a different explanation of the vision that they can personally relate to. Too often leaders interpret the resistance to the change as “difficult people”. Most often it is because the explanations provided by the leaders were inadequate.

Frodo stepped forward. He volunteered to take the ring to Modor. He asked for help. “I don’t know the way” he explained. He saw his role clearly because no one else had the proper character to resist the evil of the ring. He saw the in-fighting within the Fellowship continuing if he didn’t step forward. He realized without him, the ring would live on.

Once Frodo stepped forward the others could see how they could help bring their own special tools and talents to accomplish the initiative.

Leaders who understand the strengths of their people and allow them to fulfill roles, that best serve not just their own passions and strengths but also serve the organization, will optimize employee engagement. By clearly explaining the roles and responsibilities, the risks of the specific roles, allowing people to step up and volunteer, trusting people’s judgment, avoiding authoritarian decisions as much as possible, and explaining how you will support them while minimizing criticism a leader begins to build the initial engagement needed to begin positive action on the initiative.

Maybe I was just over tired or maybe just in a weird mood but I saw key principles of truth in the movie. Perhaps you can see those too and more importantly perhaps you can implement them in your organization. Maybe it’s just me but I believe running a business today is very much like a trip through Middle-earth where Orcs and Ringwraiths can attack at any time. We need a fellowship of engagement to help us.