Leadership from Good Will Hunting

In honor of the late Robin Williams

Have you ever stayed up late at night and started watching an old movie again? Good Will Hunting made me it’s insomniac victim the other night, I had the opportunity to watch the movie from a new vantage point. This time, I watched the movie as a leadership challenge, not a psychologist treating a patient. 

As a retired US Army Sergeant, I appreciate good leadership, so I look for it everywhere. Recently, as I was watching Good Will Hunting again, I noticed that Robin Williams’ character, Sean Maguire, demonstrated great leadership in a non-leadership role. Matt Damon’s leading role as, Will Hunting, presented challenges for everyone he met, but he clearly showed that he couldn’t be managed, he had to be led. The journey that these two characters took together reminded me of situations I experienced first-hand, and many of you will be able to relate as either the leader or the unwilling subordinate. As leaders, it’s well worth your time to watch this movie as a profile in courage as an unlikely leader helps a subordinate become a confident, productive, and a team player.

As with any organization, subordinates arrive without notice and they often come with baggage. I remember, every now and then, getting that new soldier with his head cocked to the side and a bad attitude. You know the type, barely listening to anything you say, unimpressed with the environment, their last place was the best place ever, and impatiently waiting for you to walk away. Every time you talk, they fidget, every time you turn around, they smirk or mock you, they resist with disrespectful gestures. Before long, this subordinate will successfully establish himself as a nuisance and begin to recruit partners and fans. The strange thing is, they have unique talents that haven’t been exploited for the team, and they often become destructive. In the movie, Good Will Hunting, Matt Damon is the epitome of the gifted smart aleck that has been handed off the Robin Williams to handle. The situation is very familiar for the managers, and as experienced leaders know, it is not a battle of authority, wills, or attention, it is often an internal struggle for the subordinate engaged in Me vs. Me warfare.

We often do not credit the Sean Maguires in our community, because they don’t make a lot of noise. However, what Sean Maguire (Robin Williams) develops is a transformative process that challenges Will Hunting to evaluate himself and become a team player. Managers are very familiar with this situation, I believe by outlining some off the techniques used by Mr. Maguire, we can improve morale and performance. Here are a few lessons that Sean Maguire teaches us in Good Will Hunting:

1) Establish rapport

Even though Sean was informed about his new client, Will Hunting, it did nothing to prepare him for his first meeting. What develops is a tension fueled greeting that ends up with Sean’s hands around Will’s neck.

While Sean was introducing himself, he was unaware that Will was dragging him into a battle for dominance and humiliation. Will rebuffs all attempts by Sean to begin a session, and probes him and his office for vulnerabilities. Eventually, Will finds an opening when he baits Sean about a painting he made. Will’s comments, not only insult Sean, but unintentionally opens a wound. Sean loses control and grabs Will by the neck. Will squeaks out the words, “time’s up” but Sean agrees to work with him.

• Lesson: “A teacher who establishes rapport with the taught, becomes one with them, learns more from them than he teaches.” Mahatma Gandhi. Although leaders attempt to establish rapport, it may not always work. It is important to watch and listen to your subordinates, but do not let them lead. Don’t allow them to become the enemy, but enable them to exert their negative energy until you can empower them to share. However unintentional, you may find yourself as the combatant and lose the respect necessary to gain trust. In this case, Will was very mentally and verbally combative and got more than he bargained for, but Sean’s action was in a language that Will understands, physical violence. As a leader, we must understand the person, let their antics exhaust them, and don’t interfere. Keep a cool head, understand the situation, and guide your subordinate toward the purpose of the meeting.

2) Be vulnerable

On their second meeting, Sean makes the choice to take Will to a local park. The location does not give either man a ‘home’ advantage and provides for a restart to the first failed session. Will immediately makes a negative comment which gives Sean another opportunity to respond. This time, Sean provides a short analysis about Will’s behavior and affirms that he lacks the experience to wrangle with Sean. Sean briefly shares that he is a war veteran and a widower, but articulates the pain associated with these situations. He insists that Will’s trivializing of others only minimizes their reality. At this point, Sean establishes a platform to lead as Will submits in silence. Sean has regained control of the situation and demonstrated the courage to expose his vulnerabilities to Will.

• Lesson: “If you do not tell the truth about yourself, you cannot tell the truth about other people.” Virginia Woolf. People can be uncomfortable when they are on your turf, sometimes it may be better to meet on ‘common ground.’ By opening with fears, failures, or mistakes your subordinate gets an opportunity to understand you in a unique way, with honesty. Being vulnerable allows your subordinate to know that you aren’t just a position, or an obstacle. Your subordinate needs to understand that you’re investing in their growth and success, so they expect you to sacrifice to trust you. Additionally, it’s an opportunity to establish your leadership role, their roles, and outline ground rules.    

3) It’s not about you

Ironically, Will is discovered and sent to Sean by Professor Lambeau, a former classmate and MIT professor at MIT. Professor Lambeau was supervising Sean, as Sean provided updates to Lambeau. Lambeau is an arrogant leader and constantly clashes with Sean about his methods of handling Will. Lambeau’s motivation is to continue to solve great mathematical problems and receive recognition, which is guaranteed with Will. However, Will resists Lambeau’s attempts to guide him because he realizes that he doesn’t respect him. Eventually, during a casual meeting, Sean and Lambeau begin arguing about Will’s slow development. Lambeau takes the conversation to brag about is accomplishments and propose that Will’s development be about doing more work, like he did. Sean explains that the situation isn’t about him, it’s about Will and allowing Will to want to do work instead of being manipulated to do it. As a result, Will does not respond to Lambeau’s efforts, but is extremely receptive to Sean.

• Lesson: President Theodore Roosevelt said, “People don’t care how much you know how much you care.” Many people may find you impressive, but all may not. Trying to incorporate people into your personal brand is the vanity, and your subordinates will attempt to disrupt it. If you do not listen to your people or know what makes them tick, you will fail at leadership. Leaders must meet their people on their level and understand what makes them happy, what prevents production, and their goals. If you are only interested in what your team can do for you, they will also wonder, what have you done for them. It is the leader’s job to be an agent for the led so that the team feels safe with the leader’s guidance.

4)  Exercise patience

Throughout the experience, Sean takes his time with Will during the sessions. In fact, Sean conducts a few sessions in silence. Professor Lambeau learns about the silent sessions and accuses Sean of being derelict. Not only does Lambeau view Sean’s sessions as stifling, but he even suggests that Sean is attempting to sabotage Will’s development. Sean explains that Will uses the silence as a defense mechanism, and it is necessary to exercise patience for Will’s benefit. Lambeau continues to urge Sean to push Will toward professionally focused accomplishments instead of being a failure. Sean warns that Will is at a critical point in therapy and pushing beyond his capacity could ruin any progress. Eventually, Will starts to trust enough to share with Sean and they quickly make progress.

• Lesson: Wu Wei is a Taoist concept of non-action. Wu Wei defined: “Conscious non-action, the deliberate and principled decision to do nothing for a reason.” As leaders, it is necessary to sit back, look, listen, and learn about the people you lead. Allowing situations to develop is a decisive option to demonstrate faith. Faith fuels confidence and both are optimistic elements in any organization. By being patient, you release control and depend on nature’s dynamics. Just as a paratrooper trusts the parachute to open, one must believe that some things are beyond controlling, even it includes a delay. Having patience also reduces stress which improves relationships, morale, and performance. 

5) Listen

Sean proves to be an excellent listener as Will begins to share personal moments and dilemmas. They begin to talk about baseball, relationships, and intimacy as a bond begins to envelop between them.  Sean learn about his patient and Will feels safe to openly express his thoughts and experiences. A shift in Will’s ability to trust Sean occurs through thoughtful listening. Eventually, Sean starts to challenge Will’s decision making process in his personal and professional life. The listening enables to continue the mission for Professor Lambeau of professional development, but it comes a collaborative sharing effort between Sean and Will. As a result, Will becomes more self-aware of his actions and is open to guidance and change.  

• Lesson: “Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak; courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen.” Sir Winston Churchill. If you are constantly creating a one-way conversation with your team, you should not be surprised if performance results are just as lopsided. Listening to your team empowers them and shows respect for them. When people feel respected by their leaders, they will begin to produce unusually high results. Encouraging a collaborative discussion that can be led by subordinates enforces trust and cooperation. As a leader, you must be able to examine the pulse of your organization, and individuals, by closing your mouth, listening, and observing.

6) Offer guidance, not commands

Throughout the therapy experience, Will becomes less concerned with controlling the situation with Sean. Will feels secure that Sean is working in his best interest and he feels free to ask questions and solicits advice. Sean has been unofficially appointed as an authority figure by Will. They begin to sort through issues and Sean leads by asking Will questions and allowing him to search for his own solutions. Sean helps Will accomplish goals through understanding and challenging him. Through is investment in time and understanding, Sean can easily provide instruction to Will, knowing that guidance will be adhered. 

• Lesson: “Don’t tell people how to do things, tell them what to do and let them surprise you with their results.” Gen. George S. Patton. Most people think that being a leader means ordering people around. Any person can issue commands, but a leader provides guidance. Guidance is a way to give the team ownership and responsibility. When a leader is willing to step away after tasks have been issued, the team has autonomy. Additionally, it gives the team an opportunity to challenge themselves and include the leader. Leaders gain respect when they enable with guidance, instead of doing things because, “I said so.” Being a dictator evaporates loyalty, while strong leadership encourages unity. Everyone knows who is in charge, but the one in charge is not always the leader. Issue tasks and follow up, if things go astray, provide improved guidance. Remember, as a leader, you are part of the team and your job is to issue the mission, plan, and supervise.   

7) Establish boundaries

After employing different methods to gain Will’s trust, confidence, and loyalty, Sean had to ensure that he kept Will on track. Although they shared their personal experiences and opinions, there is also a need to remain professional. Sean conditioned Will along the way by refusing to allow him to smoke in the office, promptly ending sessions, and reigning Will back to stay on track to stay within the counseling intent. The boundaries that were set provided order and eliminate unproductive activity. By setting left and right limits, the duo could streamline progress and get great results. Sean not only set boundaries for Will, but he had to set boundaries for himself. By establishing boundaries, Sean created a positive atmosphere and a feeling of optimism.

• Lesson: “Many dogs grow up without rules or boundaries. They need exercise, discipline and affection in that order.” Cesar Millan. Establishing boundaries is something often used when reading a map. We often do this when we drive to a location unknown to us. When given a destination, we must plot a route to get there. Before we begin, we take an inventory of tools and resources we have access: map, compass, pencil, GPS, protractor, etc. First, we find our present location on the map, then we analyze the location in relation to our destination. Next, we mentally trap ourselves into an area of operation by viewing all feasible routes to our location. As we analyze possible routes, we box ourselves into smaller areas to prevent wandering aimlessly and wasting time. We may use a highway as a point or reference or a tall building near our destination as markers. By using these navigation references, we increase our chances for success. Soon, we can responsibly plot a feasible route and consider the obstacles and terrain that we will travel. No one told you what to do, you made an analysis of the area and picked the best possible route by avoiding things that could impede the trip. As a leader, you’ll need to do the same thing when charting a course for your team. When providing guidance, understand your limits, resources, and obstacles are articulate them. Analyze critical assumptions, like “is traveling downtown during rush hour the best route?” When your team understands the mission and the limits, they can avoid obstacles and exploit advantages to get the best possible results. Whether completing a project, managing a department, or counseling a patient, it is best to establish limits, rules, and standards in order to keep maximum participation toward mission accomplishment.

8) Embrace the damage

Sean was aware of Will's troubles before he met him and was a victim to the damage Will can cause. However, Sean did not use the knowledge about Will to break him down further, instead, he embraced his pain. We can say that Sean was empathetic to Will's issues which kept Will from growing into his talents. By creating an atmosphere where it is normal to have endured pain, Sean was able to reveal things to Will that he could not see for himself. After a long period of time, Sean looked at Will and said, "It's not your fault." Because of their connection, nothing else had to be said. Sean simply brought Will into a place of internal awareness that enabled him to release the anger and embrace the pain.

• Lesson: Kintsugi is the Japanese technique of repairing broken pottery by piecing them together using a mixture of gold, silver, and platinum. The technique is also used in Japanese philosophy as turning moments that may break a person into beautiful opportunities of learning. Let your team members learn from their mistakes. As a leader, we may understand our subordinate's weaknesses, but may can embrace them to help them. If your she is starved for attention, let her shine. If he is insecure, provide more than enough security. When you feed your team the things they need, they can develop self awareness and begin to develop their weaknesses into something beautiful. By helping your team transform broken pieces into achievement, we gain trust, respect, and loyalty.   

These are a few of the great lessons I learned from an old classic when I opened my mind to seeing things differently. We often forget that we are surrounded by teams and a leader is not far from them. We also neglect to recognize our leadership may be lacking in areas outside of work. Whether you are a parent, coach, teacher, good leadership must be practiced as it may be a life changing situation. As we survey the leadership tips provided in the movie, Good Will Hunting, let's remember that good leadership will always be rewarded in the long term, especially by the led. And remember, if there is a Will, there is a way.