What leadership traits does George Bailey exhibit in the
classic film “It’s a Wonderful Life”? On the opposite side of the spectrum what
kind of a leader is Henry Potter, “The richest man in town”?
The film begins by introducing us to the
leader George will become. George at the age of 12 saves the life of his
younger brother Harry when Harry falls "through the ice". George
becomes ill on that day and permanently loses his "hearing in one
ear". George has a part time job working for a pharmacist. While making up
a prescription, the pharmacist reads a telegram informing him that his son has
suddenly died. He is heart broken; not thinking clearly and accidentally uses
poison in the prescription. George, 12 years old, reads the telegram and sees
the poison open on the pharmacist's table and realized the pharmacist has used poison
in the prescription and tells him.
George at this young age shows respect,
character, honor, integrity, dependability, and accountability. Everything we
would want in our children, family members, and in our employees.
After high school graduation, George works
at the Bailey Building & Loan and waits for his younger brother Harry to
graduate high school so Harry can replace George at the Company. George plans
to travel and go to college. He has saved his money. When George's father
suddenly dies right after Harry's high school graduation party, George gives up
his dream of traveling and works with the board of directors at his father's
Building & Loan Company. Potter wants to close the Company so he can have
the townspeople rent his slum housing. George explains that his father's
Building & Loan Company gives the townspeople the opportunity to own their
own homes and take pride in them unlike what Potter is offering in his slum
housing.
The board of directors said they would
close the Company and let Potter take over the town if George does not continue
to run the Company. The board of directors likes and trusts George.
George sacrifices his dream of going to
college to keep the Company open to continue helping the townspeople. He gives
his college money to his brother, Harry. Harry promises to come and take over
when he graduates college.
While Harry is at college, George is
building up the Company by building beautiful affordable homes with reasonably
priced mortgages for the townspeople of Bedford Falls . George cares
about the people in his town and as a leader, listens to them, respects them,
and inspires and motivates them.
Henry Potter, our scrooge character, is
jealous of George's success. The townspeople have moved out of Potter's
overpriced slum housing. At one point Potter wants George to work for him.
George is a true leader and an honorable
man. Harry comes home after graduating college with a new wife. His new father-in-law
has offered him a job. George gives up his dream for his brother.
George marries Mary and right after the
wedding, Potter's Bank calls for a loan payoff at Bailey Building & Loan
Company. Potter wants to shut them down. There is a run on deposits at Bailey
Building & Loan Company.
George and Mary are getting into a taxi to
catch a train for their honeymoon with the $2,000 George has saved for them. He
sees the doors closed at his Company and the people lined up. He goes into his
Company to see what is happening and receives a call from Potter. Potter says
he will give anyone that comes to him, 50 cents on a dollar, and that George
has to keep his Company open till 6pm or Potter will shut down the Company.
George explains to the townspeople, who want
to take all their money out of the Bailey Building & Loan Company that the
money is in each their homes and they all signed to get their money back in 60
days.
Mary, George's new wife of just minutes,
is a wonderful young woman with the same leadership qualities that George has.
She has strong family values, is honest, trustworthy, accountable, and
reliable. She listens and loves and cares about George and the townspeople.
Mary hands George the $2,000, he saved for their honeymoon. George pays out some
of the money to the townspeople to keep the Company open till 6pm. They close
the doors at 6pm with $2 left. Potter has taken from George and
Mary their honeymoon trip.
Mary fixes up an old leaky house with the
help of friends so she and George will have a honeymoon. On the walls she puts pictures of the
cities they would have visited.
Potter is a relentless man with no honor
and no character. He cares only about himself and not about the townspeople.
Potter puts people down at every turn.
Zig Ziglar says, "Strong people don't
put other people down... they lift them up."
George Bailey shows leadership throughout
his life by lifting others up to make their dreams come true. He helps his
brother Harry, Uncle Billy, the pharmacist, Violet, and many of the towns
people of Bedford Falls, New York to have happier lives because of the love and
care he gives them.
During World War II George is doing his
part for the town and his brother Harry has received the Medal of Honor for
saving many soldiers lives.
Uncle Billy goes to deposit $8,000 from
Bailey Building & Loan Company into Potter's Bank. He sees Potter and brags
about his nephew, Harry's success and leaves the $8,000 wrapped in the
newspaper he is showing Potter. Potter keeps the money, and then calls the
officials knowing he can finally close down Bailey Building & Loan Company.
George and Uncle Billy look for the
missing $8,000. They cannot find it. George begs Potter for a loan to cover the
missing money. Potter says no knowing he has the missing $8,000.
George is beside himself and decides to
jump off a bridge and end it all. Clarence an angel comes down from heaven and
pretends to have fallen so George will rescue him. Clarence then shows how the
town would have been with Potter in control had George never been born.
George decides he wants to go back and
live again and face the problem of the missing $8,000. He arrives at his house
to find that Mary and Uncle Billy have collected $8,000 from the townspeople to
cover the missing funds. Even the loan company examiner donates money!
George has listened, loved, helped, and
cared for the townspeople of Bedford Falls for many years to achieve their
dreams. When the chips were down, the towns people of Bedford Falls came
through for George. They wanted to give back all that George had given to them.
Isn't this what every leader wants from
the people he or she leads and serves?
George Bailey showed how much he cared for
the people of Bedford Falls, New York. Dr. John Maxwell says, "People do
not care how much you know until they know how much you care."
George's friend Sam Wainwright sends a
telegram authorizing his company to give George up to $25,000.
Harry Bailey comes home and says, "To
my big brother, George, the richest man in town." Clarence, the angel,
says, "No man is a failure who has friends."
In the end George Bailey, the leader, has
gotten his dream. He built Bedford Falls into a beautiful place for families to live. He helped inspire and motivate his townspeople to reach their potential.
Dr. John Maxwell said, "There is no
success without sacrifice. You have to give up to go up. The heart of
leadership is putting others ahead of yourself."
What are the 3 things you learned about
leadership from George Bailey?
1) George was willing to sacrifice his
dreams to help others. He gives up his dream of traveling the world, of going
to college, and building things in other places, to build the town of Bedford
Falls, New York for the townspeople to have the best life possible.
Dr. John Maxwell said, "There is no
success without sacrifice. You have to give up to go up. The heart of
leadership is putting others ahead of yourself."
2) George was a man of character, honor,
integrity, patience, was accountable, reliable, listened to
others, and cared about others. He was a problem solver. He built up Bailey
Brothers Building & Loan by building Bailey Park, affordable homes for the
townspeople. He helped others build their dreams. Great leaders
have the same characteristics and values of George Bailey.
3)
Teddy Roosevelt said, "People do not
care how much you know until they know how much you care." Clarence, the
angel, said, "No man is a failure who has friends."
By following these three leadership
characteristics of George Bailey you to will become a leader people will want
to support and emulate.
Madeline Frank, Ph.D., DTM is an
Amazon.com Best Selling Author, John Maxwell Team Member, Certified World Class
Speaking Coach, sought after speaker, business owner, motivational teacher,
researcher, and concert artist. She helps businesses and organizations "Tune
Up their Businesses". Her innovative observations show you the blue prints
necessary to improve and keep your business successful. She writes a monthly
newsletter "Madeline's Monthly article & Musical Tips Blog" and a
monthly radio show "Madeline's One Minute Musical Radio Show". She
has just published her new book "Leadership On A Shoestring Budget"
available on Amazon or Kindle. Contact Madeline Frank for your next speaking
engagement at mfrankviola@gmail.com