Introduction
The concept of servant leadership has gained popularity with Robert Green being the first to apply the term in his 1970 essay. Various explanations exist to provide a definition. The most concise description as the set of principles and a philosophy that enhances the lives of individuals, build better establishments and eventually creates a more impartial and gentle world. On the other hand, a servant leader is defined as a servant first. The concept implies that servant leaders focus on the well-being and growth of their employees and shareholders. Servant leaders can make sure their organizations achieve, thus, really serve, in return and becomes a concept of servant leadership unique and exceptional. According to Doucette (2020), the sole aim and purpose of servant leadership are to serve. Saving Mr Banks is a drama film directed by John Lee Hancock, centred on the advancement of the 1964 Mary Poppins film. The drama’s central stars are Emma Thompson, (P.L Travers), Tom Hanks the film producer, (Walt Disney). Characters such as Paul Giamatti (Ralph), Bradley Whitford, Collin Farell, and Jason Schwartzman are among the supporting performers (Hancock 2013). When people hear of servant leadership involves two parts, the leadership aspect and the servant aspect.
Mr Walt. Disney
Tom Hanks portrays Walter Elias Disney, and he is the main character of the drama film saving Mr Banks. Disney is the founding father, inventor, and a leader of all the present-day Disney productions. As per his bibliography, Walt was born in 1901, December in Chicago. Walt portrays servant leadership in various ways. The theoretical aspect is demonstrated in how he unleashes the transformational character. Walt is a servant leader; he “serves to change the status quo by appealing to followers values, and they’re since of higher purpose” (Hancock 2014). Disney was a go-getter and an innovator, and above all, a servant leader.
As a servant leader, one should be ready to lead and serve, and for Disney, he was prepared to serve before he could lead the team in making the film work. Disney, upon realizing an unusual character in Travers, he chose to step back and understand her sentiments and realized that Travers character was due to the pain she was going through when she recalled her childhood memories. Disney showed sympathy and opened up to Travers, and through the humble approach, Travers changed and started contributing significantly for the movie to be completed. A servant leader will do anything to try his organization to be successful; it is essential to emulate Jesus as the perfect role model of servant leadership. According to Blanchard and Hodges (2016), ideal servant leader emulates self-realization first before being able to serve others based on mutual respect, self-sacrifice to lead others. Jesus remains to be the perfect role model of servant leadership, according to the book, “even the son of man did not come to be served but to serve and give life as a ransom to many.” (Blanchard and Hodges 2016) Disney had empathy on Travers and started seeing things from her perspective, a tactic that shows how Walt was a servant leader in the film. Walt Disney was not just a dreamer but also a creative person, relevant to being a servant leader. As a leader, Disney devised a manner through which he could approach Travers so she could contribute in the film, Savings Mr Banks. He approached Mrs.Travers with empathy that she changed her mind and rejoined the team in making the film work and thriving. For Walt getting into films is something he wanted to do since he had promised his children that he would make the film out of the novel, and he motivated his cast team to enhance success. From the video, he has empathetic and asks Mrs Travers what he will ever do to make her happy (Walt Disney Studios 2013).
Mrs Travers
Mary Traver does not portray a servant leadership style, from the leadership concepts, servant leadership is visionary, strong, and willing to do anything for the success of the organization, being ready to serve then to lead. For Traver, she wanted to lead then serve, for several times she had constant disagreements with Walt Disney after she learnt that Walt wanted to seize the rights to the book, Travers most prized creation. Mrs Traver is very reluctant to sell the right of the novel to Mr Disney, yet her fiancés were too low to continue supporting the book. To an extent, Traver was reluctant to agree to leave to London and spend two weeks during the creative meetings held by the cast members. A servant leader portrays good leadership skills like persuasion skills. A persuasive servant leader is reliant on persuasion rather than one positional power and authority while making decisions (Spears 2000). During one meeting held by the cast members, Mrs Traver declined and was reluctant and threatened not to sign the contract every time her way was not considered. This is a clear indication that she wanted her interest to be permitted first and given first consideration, contrary to a servant leader’s attributes. A servant leader is committed to the growth of people, and for Traver, that is not the case. Her reluctance to leave London and constant threats not to sign the contract each time her way was not considered, does not portray servant leadership skills. Healing is an essential element in servant leadership for transformation and integration. Among the most vital points for servant leadership is having the potential to heal oneself and relationship with others. Traver seems to metabolize her father’s death and her childhood pains that affect her personality during the film. Gillan (2014), asserts that Travers was not able to help and forget her problems, she could not forgive her father who promised sugar-coated things, her mother also decided to kill herself when she could not give it all to Travers. She was not willing to let go of the past.
Ralph
Ralph is known as Paul Giamatti, and in the film, he is a limo driver for both Disney and Traver. During the film, Ralph portrays qualities of a servant leader, with servant leadership skills. He is gentle, caring, and friendly. Ralph express his caring character by being committed in is duties to drive Mrs Traver to and from the studio. Ralph portrays paternalistion leadership style, he is very caring, he asks Mrs Traver to drive her home, and indeed he is committed in his duties. A servant leader is willing to attend to the tasks assigned to him, and he takes Mrs.Travers around Los Angeles during her two weeks stay. Using his leadership skills, Ralph was able to avoid further discussion with Mrs Traver, when she said to him, “you are the only American I have ever liked”, and Ralph asked, “Why? May I ask? He can able to see far and beyond Mrs Travers that he ends up being her friend, and the only American she ever liked. Each of the above cast members did overcome challenges by sticking to their aim, despite constant disagreements, Disney stuck to his point and objective of making the film successful.
Forgiveness
She does criticize almost every aspect of the cast, from costumes, and songs, penguin animations to be used in the script among others. Disney does not take Travers character personal, and he devises ways to approach her, forgive her and understand her past that could have contributed to her negative attitude towards the film. Traver has always blamed herself for her father’s death, in whatever she does, she thinks that she still fails him. According to The Philippine Star (2014), Mrs Travers fails to recognize some of the things that happen in our lives are beyond human control. She carries the burden to the rest of her life which bars her from contributing significantly to the film during the first stages. It is later that she comes to realize the need for forgiveness and forgetting about the past and focus on the present. The rest of the cast members forgive Mrs.Travers for making the script challenging, as she criticized every bit of the script. Still, the members forgave her since they understood well that her personal life issues and childhood memories were the cause of her behaviour and attitude.
Importance of Forgiveness
Forgiveness is an essential element to servant leaders as it contributes to the consciousness of forgiveness to avoid any relational shortcomings. Forgiveness is a significant element that helps improve the relations of all types and kinds, bringing the best out of all people. During leadership, leaders meet, serve, and lead people from different backgrounds, with other past experiences, thus, opt to have forgiveness attribute. People may make mistakes, and as a leader, without forgiving attributes, one may be hindered from moving on and giving people a second chance, thus, may end up dismissing everyone. Forgiveness is essential as it may help leaders to offer employees a second chance to perform better and prove their real character. If Disney had not forgiven Traver, he would have terminated his effort to have the novel book into a movie.
Conclusion
Servant leadership is a new position for leaders that has gained popularity among scholars. Servant leaders are presented as an individual who combines the need to serve and motivation to lead. The leadership aspect of a servant leader is demonstrated by developing and empowering by expressing stewardship, humility, authenticity, interpersonal acceptance, and by providing direction. Besides, trust, fairness, forgiveness, and high-quality dyadic relations are expected to be among the most significant elements to enhance mediating processes to encourage performance, positive job attitudes, stronger organizational focus, and performance. Saving Mr Banks film is one of a kind and presents different types of characters whom servant leadership is expressed.
Spears, L. C. “Character and Servant Leadership: Ten Characteristics of Effective, Caring Leaders.” The Journal of Virtues and Leadership, vol. 8, 2000.
The Philippine Star. (2014, February 14). REVIEW: Story of letting go and forgiveness in ‘Saving Mr Banks’. PhilStar Global.
Blanchard, K., & Hodges, P. (2016). Lead as Jesus revisited. Thomas Nelson.
Doucette, D. (2020). Servant leadership.
Walt Disney Studios. (, 2013). Saving Mr Banks [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nijccxWvyXU
Hancock, J. L. (2014). Saving Mr Banks. Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment.
Gillan, J. (2014). Saving Mr Banks. Journal of American History, 101(1), 362-364. https://doi.org/10.1093/jahist/jau230
Hancock, J. L. (Director). (, 2013). Saving Mr Banks [ Video]. Walt Disney Studios.