What is your Project Management Leadership style? This presentation explores different styles displayed in the movie, "Lord of the Rings". Is your leadership style presented? Do you recognize the leadership style of a fellow PM?.

1. Leadership Lessons from
By Joe Tye, CEO of Values Coach Inc.

2. Ancient wisdom for modern leaders
“Instead of being concerned that
you have no office, be concerned
to think how you may fit yourself
for office.”
- Confucius

3. Surveys around the world
show The Lord of the Rings to
be the book of the century,
and even of the millennium.
3

4. And this was certainly the
movie event of the decade,
perhaps even of the century.
4

5. “Critics say Tolkien’s fantasy
is escapist, unrealistic, and
irrelevant to modern social
problems! The problem is exactly
the opposite: it is far too relevant
for the critic’s comfort.”
Peter J. Kreeft: The Philosophy of Tolkien: The
Worldview Behind The Lord of the Rings

6. “J.R.R. Tolkien had an
intuitive understanding of
the theories and practice of
leadership that was well
ahead of its time…”
Joe Tye: Leadership Lessons: What You Can
Learn from J.R.R. Tolkien’s Classic Works
6

7. “Tolkien’s characters
represent archetypes of
virtually every major
leadership style that has
been practiced over the past
fifty years.”
Joe Tye: Leadership Lessons: What You Can
Learn from J.R.R. Tolkien’s Classic Works 7

8. “Fictional characters
can be more real than
real people.”
Christopher Tolkien
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9. 9
Let’s start with
definitions…

10. 10
An archetype is an original
model of a person, ideal
example, or a prototype upon
which others are copied,
patterned, or emulated.
Wikipedia

11. 11
In other words,
an archetype is
a master style.

12. 12
Many of the characters in
The Lord of the Rings
represent archetypes of
leadership.

13. 13
Before looking at the
archetypes, let’s consider
the difference between
management & leadership…

14. Management is a job
description.
Leadership
is a life decision.
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15. Management is
what you do.
Leadership is who
you are.
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16. Management is
transactional.
Leadership is
transformational.
James MacGregor Burns: Leadership
16

17. 17
Leadership is not just
about power!

18. 18
“You can’t fight the
Enemy with his own Ring
without turning into an
Enemy [yourself].”
J.R.R. Tolkien (letters)

19. A leader is someone
who has followers
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20. A leader is a person who
takes you to a place you
didn’t know you wanted
to go
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21. What leaders do
Leaders create community
by inspiring emotion and by
influencing action
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22. Fellowship
of the Ring
22

23. Let’s look at lessons in
leadership style from
the archetypal leaders
The Lord of the Rings
23

24. Sauron’s Lesson
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25. 25
You can achieve short-term goals –
even come close to world domination –
using intimidation and fear to
“motivate” people, but the people you
terrorize will eventually turn on you
(as the Ring itself turned on Sauron).

26. Saruman’s Lesson
26

27. 27
One of the most important
decisions that any leader makes is
the choice of people with whom to
associate, because over time
people take on the attributes of
others in what sociologists call
their reference group.

28. Denethor’s Lesson
28

29. 29
The most profound duty of the
leader is to inspire hope during
the darkest of times – and that
responsibility begins with the
leader constantly rekindling their
own hope.

30. Gollum’s Lesson
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31. 31
We all must choose whether to
follow our own inner angels or our
inner demons – and how we make
that choice will substantially
determine what we achieve and
who we become.

32. Boromir’s Lesson
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33. 33
Wise leaders know that you can
never use evil means to achieve
worthy ends, no matter how noble
your intentions might be.

34. Aragorn’s Lesson
34

35. 35
Great leaders are guided by
authenticity rather than being
driven by ambition, and in the
process they create a sense of
destiny that inspires followers to
greatness.

36. Galadriel’s Lesson
36

37. 37
The greatest gift a leader can give
is the light of hope and courage
when people are traversing the
valley of shadow and despair.

38. Gandalf’s Lesson
38

39. 39
The most important contribution
any leader can make is not in the
act of leading, but rather in the
cultivating of other leaders.

40. Theoden’s Lesson
40

41. 41
No circumstance is so dark and
dire that a change of heart
coupled with forceful action
cannot turn the tide.

42. 42
Eowyn’s Lesson

43. 43
No one can prevent a determined
leader from performing the great
deeds that it is her destiny to
perform.

44. Faramir’s Lesson
44

45. 45
One of the most courageous of
leadership acts is giving up the
illusion of being in control and
trusting that others can fulfill
duties upon which your future
will depend.

46. Eomer’s Lesson
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47. 47
Real leaders put duty (to king
and country) ahead of their own
personal desires, comforts, and
even safety.

48. Frodo’s Lesson
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49. 49
When your own hope and strength
fail, you must fall back on your
faith in the hope and strength of
others – seen and unseen.

50. Sam Gamgee’s Lesson
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51. 51
The best leaders are those who
never cease seeing themselves
as followers and as servants,
even after they themselves are
viewed by others as leaders.

52. Merry & Pippin’s Lesson
52

53. 53
Those who grow in stature and
status are the ones who begin by
volunteering for the difficult and
dangerous jobs, with no hope of
personal gain from the endeavor.

54. 54
Legolas & Gimli’s Lesson

55. 55
The most courageous leadership
act of all is that of replacing
ancient hatreds with a new spirit
of fellowship.

56. Elrond’s Lesson
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57. 57
A small band of volunteers who
are committed heart and soul to
the mission will almost always
outperform an army of draftees.

58. Who is the Leader?
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59. 59
The most effective
organizations have
leadership in every
corner, not just in the
corner office.

60. 60
Another great leadership
lesson from another great
work of fiction...

61. “A king does not abide within his tent while his men bleed
and die upon the field. A king does not dine while his men
go hungry, nor sleep when they stand at watch upon the
wall. A king does not command his men’s loyalty through
fear nor purchase it with gold; he earns their love by the
sweat of his own back and the pains he endures for their
sake. That which comprises the harshest burden, a king
lifts first and sets down last. A king does not require
service of those he leads but provides it to them. He
serves them, not they him… A king does not expend his
substance to enslave men, but by his conduct and example
makes them free.”
Steven Pressfield: Gates of Fire
61