Some thoughts on… Exiting Gracefully
The spring awakening of people-led revolutions in the Middle East is wondrous to behold. The public taking control of their future in Tunisia and Egypt with minimal violence is admirable. The ongoing conflicts in Libya, Syria, Bahrain and Yemen are still playing out.
It is fascinating to see how the leadership in these countries differentially has dealt with the unrest of their populace. The authoritarian president of Tunisia, Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali, who had ruled with an iron hand for 23 years left relatively quickly after the Jasmine Revolution. Egyptian President, Hosni Mubarak, who held power for 30 years put up more of a fight, but in the end the Army tipped the balance on his governance. In Libya, Muamar Qaddafi has been in control since 1969 and isn’t giving up his position easily.
All this unrest begs the question - when is it time for a leader to leave? Let’s see what the Arts have to say about this.
Spiderman: Turn Off the Dark has been tangled in its own web for the past year. Repeated opening night delays led to an unprecedented review of the show before the show was considered complete. The critics were scathing. Ben Brantley of the New York Times, said the $70 million show (twice as expensive as any other show to date) may “rank among the worst” in Broadway history.
The costs and reviews had their effect. Producers recently removed Director and MacArthur genius Julie Taymor as well as the show’s choreographer. Ms Taymor was known to command the show from her “God microphone”, perhaps not too dissimilar from a Mideast dictator. In the end, despite her vision and capabilities, her inability to complete the show caught up with her towering expectations. When we saw the show in December, we were an initial believer that she would get to the finish line and produce greatness similar to Lion King. Pity she didn’t make it.
The Book of Mormon just opened on March 24 on Broadway. The show is a collaboration of Trey Parker and Matt Stone (from South Park fame) and Robert Lopes (the composer of Avenue Q). The story relates the tale of a group of Mormon missionaries sent to a village in Uganda that is being terrorized by a War Lord. Foibles, frustration and friendship inevitably unfold. In the end, the allegiance of the village is transferred from the rifle-carrying General to the Mormon Elder bringing the promise of a better world. Not the promise of heaven, but a world where people take ownership of their own destiny.
This show is a perfect mix of the creators’ styles – a raunchy and politically incorrect view of religion’s impact on its followers – all conducted with heart. Somehow the show makes fun of the Mormon religion while at the same time respecting the benefit it has brought to millions of people. The musical numbers pay homage to Broadway and one can almost recognize the shows from which they are pilfered and altered. This show is going to stick around for a while.
In arts, politics or business, the value of a leader lasts as long as they make a positive incremental impact to the people they are leading. Incremental implies that the benefits bestowed are greater than the costs imposed. With politics, impact has multiple dimensions – growing the economy, defending the country, educating people, providing food, water and other necessities, etc. For business, impact is increasing profits and in the process developing employees. Although, there will always be people questioning a leader’s ability, he or she has to judge for themselves if they are positively impacting.
The wrinkle is that no one thinks they are a bad leader. Many leaders start out providing immense benefit – Mubarak was the right hand man to Anwar Sadat who established the peace treaty between Egypt and Israel – but over time there are diminishing returns. By surrounding themselves with a select group of people that benefit from the largesse, they become enclosed in an Echo Room where their benefits are amplified and extended. The great leaders look beyond their coterie to the external world - a theater critic, the world press, an independent Governing Board, junior employees – to judge their effectiveness.
The public has a responsibility to be critical of their leadership and see if they are really getting what they deserve. Many times they may not have a viable alternative or the opportunity to choose someone other than a Warlord General. Luckily, in a more inter-connected world with education and information, these cases become less likely. Surprisingly, Mubarak and Ben Ali, exited gracefully in a relatively peaceful transition of power. A lesson for all of us.
March 26, 2011
It is fascinating to see how the leadership in these countries differentially has dealt with the unrest of their populace. The authoritarian president of Tunisia, Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali, who had ruled with an iron hand for 23 years left relatively quickly after the Jasmine Revolution. Egyptian President, Hosni Mubarak, who held power for 30 years put up more of a fight, but in the end the Army tipped the balance on his governance. In Libya, Muamar Qaddafi has been in control since 1969 and isn’t giving up his position easily.
All this unrest begs the question - when is it time for a leader to leave? Let’s see what the Arts have to say about this.
Spiderman: Turn Off the Dark has been tangled in its own web for the past year. Repeated opening night delays led to an unprecedented review of the show before the show was considered complete. The critics were scathing. Ben Brantley of the New York Times, said the $70 million show (twice as expensive as any other show to date) may “rank among the worst” in Broadway history.
The costs and reviews had their effect. Producers recently removed Director and MacArthur genius Julie Taymor as well as the show’s choreographer. Ms Taymor was known to command the show from her “God microphone”, perhaps not too dissimilar from a Mideast dictator. In the end, despite her vision and capabilities, her inability to complete the show caught up with her towering expectations. When we saw the show in December, we were an initial believer that she would get to the finish line and produce greatness similar to Lion King. Pity she didn’t make it.
The Book of Mormon just opened on March 24 on Broadway. The show is a collaboration of Trey Parker and Matt Stone (from South Park fame) and Robert Lopes (the composer of Avenue Q). The story relates the tale of a group of Mormon missionaries sent to a village in Uganda that is being terrorized by a War Lord. Foibles, frustration and friendship inevitably unfold. In the end, the allegiance of the village is transferred from the rifle-carrying General to the Mormon Elder bringing the promise of a better world. Not the promise of heaven, but a world where people take ownership of their own destiny.
This show is a perfect mix of the creators’ styles – a raunchy and politically incorrect view of religion’s impact on its followers – all conducted with heart. Somehow the show makes fun of the Mormon religion while at the same time respecting the benefit it has brought to millions of people. The musical numbers pay homage to Broadway and one can almost recognize the shows from which they are pilfered and altered. This show is going to stick around for a while.
In arts, politics or business, the value of a leader lasts as long as they make a positive incremental impact to the people they are leading. Incremental implies that the benefits bestowed are greater than the costs imposed. With politics, impact has multiple dimensions – growing the economy, defending the country, educating people, providing food, water and other necessities, etc. For business, impact is increasing profits and in the process developing employees. Although, there will always be people questioning a leader’s ability, he or she has to judge for themselves if they are positively impacting.
The wrinkle is that no one thinks they are a bad leader. Many leaders start out providing immense benefit – Mubarak was the right hand man to Anwar Sadat who established the peace treaty between Egypt and Israel – but over time there are diminishing returns. By surrounding themselves with a select group of people that benefit from the largesse, they become enclosed in an Echo Room where their benefits are amplified and extended. The great leaders look beyond their coterie to the external world - a theater critic, the world press, an independent Governing Board, junior employees – to judge their effectiveness.
The public has a responsibility to be critical of their leadership and see if they are really getting what they deserve. Many times they may not have a viable alternative or the opportunity to choose someone other than a Warlord General. Luckily, in a more inter-connected world with education and information, these cases become less likely. Surprisingly, Mubarak and Ben Ali, exited gracefully in a relatively peaceful transition of power. A lesson for all of us.
March 26, 2011