Like most of you, I will miss Robin Williams. While we all know he was a comic genius and that he has wrestled with depression and substance abuse, we are also learning this week about how he personally reached out and inspired thousands of people with small acts of comic kindness. I even saw a piece this morning about how he communicated with and brought happiness to Koko the Gorilla, who is now apparently showing grief in learning that Williams passed away.
Top Three Inspirational Leadership Lessons from Robin Williams’ Characters. Fortunately for fans, he left us with hundreds of characters we will forever remember. I have often used small film clips from his movie characters in my leadership courses. I use these clips when we talk about “inspiration” – which is one of the four most important characteristics of admired leaders. So here are three leadership inspiration tips from three of Williams’ characters.
3. In Good Morning Vietnam, Williams played Adrian Cronauer, who inspired soldiers with his relentless humor during the most trying of war circumstances. His character was popular among his soldier listeners, but not his insecure supervisors. At one point in the story he refuses to go back to work as a protest of supervisory censorship. During this break he meets soldiers on the road in one of the worst fighting areas in Vietnam. They ask him to do an impromptu broadcast, which he does and he sees how it inspires them. He then goes back to work and dedicates this Louis Armstrong song to them. This series of the movie’s best clips ends with his impromptu broadcast scene.
Leadership Inspirational Tip – Recognize the importance humor plays in helping people get through challenging times.
2. Williams played the role of Patch Adams in the film of the same name. While the movie has many interesting and thoughtful turns, the inspirational moment comes when Adams tells the medical board that the role of a doctor is to “treat a person” not a disease. Adams was facing charges at the medical board for teaching his caregivers and patients at his unlicensed medical facility how to “care for someone else.”
Leadership Inspirational Tip – Work hard to understand what each person on your team needs and how each motivates herself/himself. Even when you are leading a group, think about the individual.
1. I think when Williams portrays English teacher John Keating in Dead Poets Society, he teaches us two important lessons. The first lesson is when he stands up on the desk to show the students the importance of putting yourself in a different position so you can see things from a different perspective. And the second lesson, the film’s most famous, is when he has the students listen carefully to a black and white picture while William’s whispers, “Carpe Diem, seize the day, boys. Make your lives extraordinary.” He teaches us that motivation comes from inside and each of us can choose to make our lives successful.
Leadership Inspirational Tips – Put people in different positions so they can grow and widen their views, and encourage individuals to seize new opportunities. Both of these will inspire people.
As I watched these and other Williams’ clips again, I couldn’t help but feel the many ironies between what his characters said and the very sad circumstances that ended his life. One thing is for sure – his creative portrayals have given all of us many inspirational leadership lessons.
