Leadership is hard to define, and consequently there are a thousand different interpretations of what it really means. However, at the most basic level, leadership is getting people to do something. An important distinction between a leader and a great leader is how they chose to lead. A prime example of this is demonstrated in the films Frost/Nixon(Howard Ron, 2008) and Swing Vote(Stern Joshua, 2008). The characters within these films demonstrate the ability to find themselves, not only as people, but as great leaders. Therefore when considered collectively all these characters present themselves to the audience as people who struggle to be a great leaders.
In the film Swing Vote Bud Johnson (Kevin Costner), did not start out as a leader.…show more content… She is everything her dad is not. She’s smart, well spoken, and politically savvy. She shows unbelievable strength when facing adversity. This is shown multiple times in the film, due toMolly taking care of her father Bud, and always making sure he was okay. However, Molly does lack two qualities a leader must have. She does not have the ability to self-sustain, and trust. Molly is always looking after Bud, and never has time for herself. This leads to continuous wear on her mental and physical state, along with resentment towards her father. Perhaps in a last effort for some quality in Bud that she can believe in, she prays that he will show enough interest to meet her at the polling stations so he can cast his ballot to choose the next United States President. Unfortunately, once again Bud lets her down. Throughout this film, Molly continually watches Bud self-destruct, and let her down. Although, it isn't until the Molly sees Bud ignoring the letters that people sent to him for help, that's she loses all faith in him, resulting in her leaving to see her mother. Once there Molly discovers that she was better off with her father. It is at this point in the film, when she can no longer take any more disappointment and breaks down. Due to this, Bud is able to step up, and Molly is able to regain her trust, and finally take a…show more content… Part of the reason Frost wants the interviews are because Nixon never admitted any guilt, or offered any apology for the Watergate scandal which led to his resignation. Frost wants to lead the public to the truth. The other reason would mostly likely be due to Frost’s New York-based talk show being recently cancelled. Thus leaving him to a career based around mundane stories. Now because Frost, had experience in the spotlight he was able to maneuver people into doing what he wanted them to do. Resulting in the interviews. Although, Nixon also knew how to work a room, more so than Frost, and was able to get Frost to promise a $600,000 appearance fee that he would pay almost entirely out of his own pocket. As the film progresses, the interviews became more of a boxing match, leaving Frost more battered and bruised each time. This is where Frost tactics of leadership backfire. He Reluctant to show any weakness and he begins to feel the pressure start to build. This leads to a disconnect between Frost and his crew. It is not until a call between Nixon and himself, that a Frost realizes that he needs to communicate with his team in order to lead the interviews in the way that he want. This allows Frost to get the knockout punch on Nixon, and get the answers the
