Group 8 report fletcher whiplash leadership

FOREIGN TRADE UNIVERSITY
FACULTY OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION
----------

PRINCIPLES OF MANAGEMENT
MID-TERM REPORT
LEADERSHIP FROM THE SCREENPLAY
THE CASE OF “WHIPLASH”

Submitted by

: Group 08

Lecturer

: Ph. D Hoang Anh Duy

Class

: QTRE303CLC.3

Hanoi, April 2021


FOREIGN TRADE UNIVERSITY
FACULTY OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION
----------

PRINCIPLES OF MANAGEMENT
MID-TERM REPORT
LEADERSHIP FROM THE SCREENPLAY

THE CASE OF “WHIPLASH”

Submitted by

: Group 08

Lecturer

: Ph. D Hoang Anh Duy

Class

: QTRE303CLC.3

Hanoi, April 2021


LIST OF GROUP MEMBERS

No.

Students’ ID

Full Name

Class

1

1915530509

Khuất Tuấn Cường

K58-LOG-ANH 02

2

1915530511

Vi Đỗ Hân

K58-LOG-ANH 02

3

1915530803

Đồn Ngọc Minh

K58-LOG-ANH 02

4

1915530714

Phạm Thị Hồng Ngọc

K58-LOG-ANH 01

5

1915530715

Ngơ Duy Thái

K58-LOG-ANH 02

6

1915530542

Trần Thị Hà Vi

K58-LOG-ANH 01


TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................... 4
LIST OF FIGURES ........................................................................................................ 6
I. About Whiplash ........................................................................................................... 7
II. Literature Review on Leadership ............................................................................ 8
1. Definition .................................................................................................................. 8
2. Early Theories of Leadership..................................................................................10
2.1. Leadership Trait Theories ...............................................................................10
2.2. Leadership Behavior Theories.........................................................................11
3. Contingency Theories of Leadership ......................................................................12
3.1. Fiedler’s Contingency Model ..........................................................................13
3.2. Path-goal Theory .............................................................................................14
3.3. Hersey and Blanchard’s Situational Leadership Theory ................................15
4. Contemporary Views of Leadership .......................................................................16

4.1. Transformational-Transactional Leadership ..................................................16
4.2. Charismatic-Visionary Leadership..................................................................17
III. Finding and Analysis .............................................................................................20
1. Analysis on Terrence Fletcher’s Leadership Traits and Styles ..............................20
1.1. Sources of Power in Whiplash .........................................................................20
1.2. Leadership Traits .............................................................................................20
1.3. Leadership Styles .............................................................................................22
2. Evaluation of Terrence Fletcher’s Leadership Styles .............................................24
2.1. Strengths ..........................................................................................................24
2.2. Limitations .......................................................................................................24
IV. Recommendations ..................................................................................................26
CONCLUSION .............................................................................................................29
REFERENCES .............................................................................................................30
WORK DISTRIBUTION.............................................................................................32


INTRODUCTION
Many researchers have studied a variety of leadership models over the past
several centuries. Early studies concentrated on the characteristics and attitudes of
the leader, followed by the contingencies. Recent approaches experience the new
concept "ethical leadership," which refers to a collection of principles and actions
that the leader applies in the enterprise from an ethical standpoint1. Also, according
to Northouse2 ethical leadership is defined as a process by which a moral person
rightly influences others to do the right things in the right way for the right reasons.
It is widely acknowledged in today's world that leadership is the most
powerful factor that leads to success. Power is one of the leader's tools, and a leader
must use power on followers in an ethical manner. As power is wielded differently,
the impact on followers varies from person to person.
Although the right level of pressure can be a positive motivator for working
hard and reaching goals, using heavy power and intense discipline can backfire; on

the opposite, this strong power can rile up the followers. The dilemma occurs if the
leaders focus on success at any cost or mitigate the ethical factors for the sake of
success.
The dilemma will be tried to clarify by evaluating a short video cut from the
movie “Whiplash” from the leader's shoes. Based upon the video, possibilities and
diversities of effects linked to ethical leadership and usage of power will be
determined.
Whiplash is a 2014 American psychological drama film written and directed
by Damien Chazelle. It depicts the relationship between an ambitious jazz drummer
(Miles Teller) and an abusive perfectionist bandleader (J. K. Simmons) at the
fictional Shaffer Conservatory.
The aim of the study is to investigate the role of leadership aiming for success
in terms of negative or positive impacts of the level of power usage on followers. It
1
2

Yıldırım, 2010
Northouse, 2009

4


is also aimed to analyze the leadership styles while focusing on power and success.
Furthermore, analyzing a short cut of Daniel Chazelle’s movie “Whiplash” which
won three awards at the 87th Academy Awards also explains what leadership is,
what kind of features a leader should have, how leadership can influence followers.

5

LIST OF FIGURES
Figure 1: Seven Traits Associated with Leadership .......................................................10
Figure 2: Fiedler's Contingency Model ..........................................................................13
Figure 3: Path-Goal Model .............................................................................................14
Figure 4: Hersey and Blanchard’s Situational Leadership Theory ...............................15

6


I. About Whiplash
Whiplash is a gripping story about two men. The protagonist of Whiplash –
Andrew Neiman – aspires to be a decent musician, one that will be remembered in
the same way that his idol Buddy Rich is remembered. Andrew is a 19-year-old
music conservatory resident in Manhattan. Terrence Fletcher, a conservatory coach,
has a ruthless brutal teaching style. He desperately seeks to discover and cultivate
the next jazz legend as a music instructor at the best jazz academy.
This mix of objectives could make for a fruitful and cooperative collaboration,
but the way the two go about forcing themselves to achieve success is as disruptive
socially as it is musically. The group is kept on their toes by Fletcher's offensive
insults and oppressive leadership, and anybody who cannot handle the pressure is
left behind. Fletcher's strict approach transforms rehearsals into a survival race, with
any chipped note resulting in excruciating punishment for the pupils.
While it may be extreme and dramatic, “Whiplash” pinpoints the two
characters’ love for music. Neiman pursues perfection at the expense of blood and
tears. Fletcher discards his morality to push his students towards excellence.
Neiman’s obsession for greatness leads him to ignore his hatred for Fletcher, but his
obsession comes at a cost.. Fletcher is heavily fixated with the idea of training the
second Charlie Parker, the legendary jazz composer. When asked about his brutal
teaching, Fletcher shows his conviction: “The real Charlie Parker will never be
discouraged.”

The film has won various awards and praises from the viewers. J. K. Simmons
has won the best supporting actor Oscar for his role – Terrence Fletcher – in
Whiplash. There have been many debates to clarify the true meaning behind this
intense movie. Is it really enough to strive to be the best? Is our society's true target
fame, perfection, and adoration? Can people compromise our ethical standards in
order to achieve this success? Nevertheless, the psychological thriller also serves as
a springboard for many topics in education, including leadership and coaching.

7


II. Literature Review on Leadership
1. Definition
Leadership
Even though the business world is dizzyingly evolving today, with
globalization, developing technology and transportation, and emerging complex
business organizations, human power retains its significance that has no alternative
in the organization. Just having a manager is not enough to bring about progress in
an organization or to build and accomplish goals; it also needs the presence of a
"leader" who will guide the organization forward.
Leadership is described in a variety of ways in the literature.
Peter Northouse defines leadership as “a process whereby an individual
influences a group of individuals to achieve a common goal.”3. According to
Northouse, in this definition there are several components and meanings hidden; (a)
Leadership is a process (b) it involves influencing others (c) a group is necessary to
leadership happens, (d) leadership involvesgoal attainment (e) these goals are
shared by leaders and their followers.
According to Susan Ward4, leadership is the art of motivating a group of
people to act toward achieving a common goal. This can involve leading staff and
colleagues with a plan to fulfill the company's needs in a business environment.

Effective leadership is built from ideas, so that will not work until those ideas can
be conveyed to others in a manner that entices them to behave the way a leader
wants them to. The leader must be both the catalyst and the executor of the plan.
They're the one in the community who has the right mix of personality and
communication abilities to entice others to follow their lead.

3
4

Peter G. Northouse, Leadership: Theory and Practice, 2010
Susan Ward, 2018.

8


Power
The acceptance of “power emerges in social ties between individuals” serves
as the foundation for power-related discussions in organizations. French and Raven
argue that the most common classification in literature. The study by French and
Raven categorized different forms of power based on their source.
(1) Legitimate: This source of power stems from the idea that the leader
has the right to make demands and expect others to comply.
(2) Reward: This source of influence derives from a leader's willingness
to provide workers with incentives or inducements.
(3) Expert: This source of influence is derived from a leader's experience
and skills.
(4) Referent: This source of influence stems from the perceived beauty,
charm, or likeability of the leader.
(5) Coercive: This basis of power is founded on fear of the leader and the
illusion that the leader has the ability to punish others for noncompliance.

All of these taxonomies have identified the sources of influence, but there are
two major groups. Positional power (power derived from one's position) and
personal power (power originating from inside of the individual). Each category
may include one or more of the five sources of power defined by French and Raven,
and it is related to the leader's ethical behaviors. Positional power includes the
potential for influence arising from legitimate authority, as well as control over
incentives, punishments, resources, decisions, knowledge, and the work
environment. Personal power, on the other hand, is derived from knowledge,
charisma, loyalty, or morality. Personal power may play a more important role in
acting as an ethical leader, as shown by the possible factors arising from the leaders'
individual characteristics. Questionnaires were provided to subordinates in many
studies to see if and type of power was linked to subordinate satisfaction or results.
Effective leaders should rely more on expert and referent power to influence
subordinates, according to the findings.

9


2. Early Theories of Leadership
2.1. Leadership Trait Theories
This is the first theory of "leadership." Trait theory research was carried out up
until 1945. It has previously been focused on defining a leader's credentials in order
to distinguish between leadership and personal characteristics.
The theory pinpoints the personality characteristics that differentiate leaders
from non-leaders. It is focused on the idea that leaders are "born, not created," as
opposed to being produced by education. This theory also reflects on the qualities
that are associated with effective leadership in a number of contexts. The distinction
between leaders and supporters is also a subject of trait theory. In the belief that
those in positions of leadership will exhibit more characteristics than those in lowerlevel positions.

Figure 1: Seven Traits Associated with Leadership
However, there are a few characteristics that differentiate the two. As
leadership research progressed, trait theory was almost forgotten by professionals,
but in recent years, there has been renewed interest and further research on the
topic. Many researchers believe that you do not have to be born with any of these
characteristics, but that you can acquire some of them.
10


The idea that there are hundreds of distinct characteristics has led to a lot of
individual judgement, which is one of trait theory's limitations. Determining who is
and isn't a good leader solely based on traits has sparked a variety of debates,
including "What about great leaders who do not have these traits?" and "How come
any individual who shows these traits doesn't go on to become a successful leader?"
2.2. Leadership Behavior Theories
In the 1950s, the behavioral approach to leadership became more common.
This method looks at leadership between 1950 and 1970. The behavioral approach
focuses on habits rather than other factors. The core point is that the behaviors that
make a leader effective and active, rather than the traits that the leader already
possesses, are the behaviors that the leader exhibits throughout the leadership
process.
Behavioral approach differs from trait theory in that it emphasizes what
leaders do and how they interact with others around them. Furthermore, while trait
theory assumes that people are born with the ability to lead, the behavioral model
proposes that people may be taught to lead over time. Following the theories, there
are 3 types of the leadership style:
• Autocratic style: Centralised power, rigidity in rules, work centered, result
oriented. While this allows quick decision-making and offer clear chain of
command, it ignores inputs from subordinates and hurts morale, which can lead
to resentment.

• Democratic style: Decentralized power, division of authorities, correlation of
duties and responsibilities, cooperate decision making. This style of leadership
helps achieve high productivity; however, it is likely that communication failures
can occur.
• Laissez-Faire style: Minimal involvement and supervision from leader, freedom
for followers to make decision. While it encourages personal growth and
innovation, Laissez-Faire Style leads to poorly defined roles within the group.
As opposed to traits theory, the behavioral approach is said to have three
advantages in terms of investigating characteristics, exposing behaviors, and
11


bringing out informal leaders. Leadership behaviors may be learned through
training if effective behavior patterns that characterize a leader are identified. This
provides an opportunity to explore the leader-follower relationship in greater depth.
Several applied and theoretical studies have been performed in order to establish
this theory. Some of these studies include the Ohio State University Leadership
Model, which defines leadership behavior as "Initiating Structure Behavior" and
"Consideration Behavior."
(1) Initiating Structure Behavior: The behavior of leaders who define the leadersubordinate role so that everyone knows what is expected, establish formal
lines of communication, and determine how tasks will be performed.
(2) Consideration Behavior: The behavior of leaders who are concerned for
subordinates and attempt to establish a warm, friendly, and supportive
climate.
Another is the Michigan University Leadership Research, which identified two
styles of leadership behavior:
(1) Employee orientation: stress the human-relations aspect, employees are
viewed as human beings with personal needs.
(2) Production orientation: stress on the technical and production aspects of the
job, employees viewed as the means of getting the work done.

Leaders with an employee orientation showed genuine concern for
interpersonal relations. Those with a production orientation focused on the task or
technical aspects of the job.
3. Contingency Theories of Leadership
Unlike other leadership theories such as trait theories or behavioral theories,
contingency theories focus on the different circumstances in which leaders can find
themselves, rather than on the skills or styles of the leaders. Contingency theories
are based on the premise that different circumstances can necessitate different
leadership styles. To put it another way, the right leadership style depends on the
situation.

12


3.1. Fiedler’s Contingency Model
The contingency model, developed by business and management psychologist
Fred Fiedler, is a contingency theory that deals with a leader's effectiveness in an
organization. According to the model, there is no particular best leadership style.
Rather, a leader's efficacy is determined by the circumstances. Two factors
contribute to this: "leadership style" and "situational favorableness."
Leadership Styles
The first step in using the model is to determine your leadership style. Fiedler
claimed that leadership style is set, and that it can be measured using the LeastPreferred Co-Worker (LPC) Scale, which he developed.

Figure 2: Fiedler's Contingency Model
Criticisms of the Model
The contingency strategy is primarily reactive. It's a close approximation of
what managers should do in a given situation. Super system is the environment for a
specific organization, and management can be extended to supra-system as well. As
a result, administrators must handle the workplace in such a way that negative

elements of the environment are avoided.

13


Moreover, the approach's recommendation is straightforward: managers
should act in accordance with the circumstances.
When put into practice, however, this becomes extremely difficult. The study
of a large number of variables with multiple dimensions is needed to determine the
situation in which managerial action should be taken. As a result, managers who are
often short on time can choose to skip a detailed review of all of these variables in
favor of a quicker and easier solution.
3.2. Path-goal Theory
The path–goal theory, also known as the path–goal model or the path–goal
theory of leader effectiveness, is a leadership theory founded by Robert House, an
Ohio State University graduate, in 1971 and updated in 1996. In order to
accomplish an objective, the Path-Goal model specifies a leader's style or action that
best suits the employee and work environment. The aim is to boost an employee's
morale, empowerment, and happiness so that they can become a productive member
of the team. Employee satisfaction is determined through the leader's ability to
serve as both a facilitator and a mentor, and they are rewarded for successful results.
The original Path-Goal theory distinguishes four types of leader behaviors:
achievement-oriented, directive, participative, and supportive.

Figure 3: Path-Goal Model
(1) Directive path-goal clarifying leader behavior: The leader informs staff of their
responsibilities and instructs them about how to carry out their duties; this
14

behavior has the greatest positive impact when the employee's position and task
demands are undefined and intrinsically satisfying.
(2) Achievement-oriented leader behavior: The leader establishes challenging
expectations for workers, expects them to perform at their peak, and has faith in
their abilities to do so; this behavior has the greatest positive impact on
occupations such as: technical jobs, salespersons, scientists, engineers, and
entrepreneurs.
(3) Participative leader behavior: Leaders consult with employees and ask for their
suggestions before making a decision; this behavior is predominant when
employees are highly personally involved in their work.
(4) Supportive leader behavior: The leader expresses concern for the psychological
well-being of the workers. This is particularly important in circumstances where
activities or relationships are emotionally or physically draining.
3.3. Hersey and Blanchard’s Situational Leadership Theory
Author Paul Hersey and
leadership expert Ken Blanchard,
author of "The One Minute
Manager," created the HerseyBlanchard Model, or situational
leadership style.
According to the HerseyBlanchard

Model,

no

one

leadership style is superior to
another. Rather than relying on
workplace factors, the model

recommends

that

leaders

customize their leadership styles
to the people they lead and their
skills. Good leadership, according
to the model, is task-relevant and

Figure 4: Hersey and Blanchard’s
Situational Leadership Theory

15


relationship-relevant. It's an adaptable, versatile leadership style in which leaders
are encouraged to think about their followers—individuals or groups—then think
about the factors that influence the work atmosphere before deciding how to lead.
This means that they can achieve their objectives.
Based on the tasks and relationships that leaders encounter in the workplace,
Hersey and Blanchard established four types of leadership styles:
(1) Delegating style: A low-task, low-relationship style in which the leader
delegated task decision-making to the group. This gets effectively for followers
who have a high level of maturity.
(2) Participating style: A low-task, high-relationship style that places an emphasis
on mutual ideas and decisions. This style can be used by managers with
moderate followers who are experienced but lack the courage to complete the
tasks.

(3) Selling style: A high-task, high-relationship leadership style in which the leader
tries to sell their ideas to the group by describing task directions persuasively.
This is used by moderate followers as well. These followers, unlike the previous
style, have the potential but are reluctant to do the job.
(4) Telling style: A high-task, low-relationship style in which the leader provides
precise orders and closely supervises work. This style is intended for followers
with a low level of maturity.
4. Contemporary Views of Leadership
4.1. Transformational-Transactional Leadership
Transactional Leadership
This approach emphasizes the importance of the leader-follower relationship,
focusing on the reciprocal benefits resulting from a type of 'contract' in which the
leader provides incentives or acknowledgement in exchange for the followers'
devotion or loyalty. Job-oriented leadership is referred to as transactional
leadership. A transactional leader sets goals and then takes steps to ensure that the
group meets those goals. Around the same time, in order for the mechanism of
productivity to run smoothly, a leader serves as a supervisor. This leadership
16


strategy, which is based on reward-punishment, supervising, and performance, may
be called a management style.
Transformational Leadership
This term was coined by Burns in his book "Leadership" in 1978, and Bass
expanded on it in his book "Leadership and Performance Beyond" published in
1985. Transformational leaders are those who strive to get the most out of their
subordinates by instilling trust in them and revealing all of their abilities and skills.
Burns and Bass' leadership consists of four components:
(1) Idealized Influence/Charisma: Managers who serve as role models for their
employees. A transformational leader inspires followers' faith, appreciation,

loyalty, and reverence.
(2) Inspirational Motivation: Managers that inspire employees to contribute to the
organization's vision.
(3) Intellectual Stimulation: Managers who promote innovation and creativity by
challenging a group's conventional beliefs or views.
(4) Individualized Consideration: Managers who serve as mentors and counselors
to associates in order to achieve goals that benefit both the associates and the
company. The leader treats each follower as an individual and recognizes
personal differences in terms of needs, concerns, and challenges.
4.2. Charismatic-Visionary Leadership
Charismatic Leadership
In his Psychology Today article "What is Charisma and Charismatic
Leadership?," Ronald E. Riggio, Ph.D., professor of leadership and organizational
psychology at Claremont McKenna College, said that charismatic leaders are
"essentially very skilled communicators, individuals who are both verbally
eloquent, but also able to communicate to followers on a deep, emotional level."
Charismatic leaders are also recognized in times of crisis and are known for their
unwavering commitment to and experience in their fields. They are often business
or political leaders with a compelling vision and the ability to reach a large
audience.
17


Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was a charismatic leader who influenced millions
of people through his strong oratory, engaging personality, and unwavering
dedication to positive change.
In "Charismatic Leadership Case Study with Ronald Reagan as Exemplar,"
Mar Bell writes, "Charismatic leadership is a recognizable leadership style that may
be viewed with less tangibility than other leadership types." Charismatic leadership
is similar to other styles.

Similar to transformational leadership, it relies on the leader's ability to
influence and empower followers. Individuals and those around them are motivated
to be better and strive for the common benefit of an entity or community through
transformational and charismatic leaders. Other similarities include: Leaders enlist
the help of those around them to achieve a shared purpose; Initiative and audacity
are praised.
The primary distinction between charismatic and transformational leadership
styles is how the person is perceived. A charismatic leader's personal vision has a
significant impact on his or her audience. Instead of talking about a specific
business practice, charismatic leaders talk about their moral compass or passion.
Visionary Leadership
Visionary leaders are known for their ability to encourage others to be on the
same page. Visionary leaders are also charismatic and determined to achieve their
goals. They describe themselves as self-assured coaches who are tasked with
guiding the company through periods of transformation or adversity.
Visionary founders are normally called on at a critical moment in an
organization's history. Transformational leaders can be brought into a company to
boost staff morale and develop leaders. Charismatic leaders will help an
organization keep on track and create enthusiasm about its mission and vision.
Visionary executives are charged with assisting the organization in moving toward
creativity and cultivating a new path. As a result, if a company wants to take the
next step and take on new projects or re-evaluate their vision, a strategic leader is
18


definitely the one they should be partnering with. Difficult changes necessitate the
characteristics of a visionary leader, and it is critical that businesses recognize this
while considering the kind of leader they wish to hire.

19

III. Finding and Analysis
1. Analysis on Terrence Fletcher’s Leadership Traits and Styles
1.1. Sources of Power in Whiplash
According to their sources, French and Raven listed the different types of
power as follows: legitimate, reward, expert, coercive, referent. The character
Fletcher is shown to personify a very strong conductor.
First and foremost, the directorate, other teachers, and students consider
Fletcher as an expert because he has been one of the good players in the past and
has had a very good year for music to recognize the gifted players. He also abuses
his students with this power in an immoral manner. One example is the scene which
depicts one of the orchestra's rehearsals. Fletcher says there is a wrong chord and
demands that whoever he is, move forward. When no one replies, he chooses one
and bullies the person. No one argues that he chooses the wrong student because of
his experience and also because of their lack of self-confidence. He reveals the
student who plays in the wrong tone when he dismisses the wrong student from
class, saying “For the record, Metz was not out of tune. You were, Wallach. But
Metz didn’t know it. And that’s bad enough”. Fletcher uses his expert power to
bully and terrorize the students. From the first minute until he is fired from the
conservatory, Fletcher's status as a conductor gives him legitimate authority. He
combines other sources of power to achieve this level of power.
It is witnessed that Fletcher rarely uses reward power. It's also been noted that
the aim is to offend others rather than reward them. When Fletcher rewards others,
he does not communicate in an ethical manner. Fletcher promotes Andrew to head
of drummers, then humiliates the previous head drummer in front of everyone. It is
easy to conclude that he lacks a referent force, as a result of which he is an acute
person who rules by fear and is feared rather than valued.
1.2. Leadership Traits
Drive: Terrence Fletcher always shows relatively high desire for achievement.

He strives for perfection and tirelessly persistent with his own philosophy of
coaching. When practicing for their new song, Caravan, Fletcher tells the entire
band that they will not be leaving until one of the drummers gets it right. This
20


clearly shows Fletcher’s devotion for articulation and perfection. Fletcher confesses
his own philosophy that relentless and ruthless deeds, moving people past the
traditional standards of others, are an utter requirement to produce a genuinely great
musician on the incredibly unlikely occasion that they find common ground.
Fletcher despises the current understanding of jazz, cynically believing that people
nowadays are comfortable with mediocrity, while Terence is adamant about
achieving greatness, no matter the cost. Fletcher understands that he will not be
recognized as an all-time great artist, but he is dedicated to mentoring someone who
will. Fletcher claims to have managed to transform people into great artists,
something he considers to be something better than the majority of people do.
Honesty and integrity: It could be perceived from the movie that Terrence
Fletcher show little or no moral towards his students. Throughout the film, Fletcher
is especially interested in bullying Andrew Neiman, and is not afraid to use ethnic
and personal epithets towards him, as well as cruelly ridicule, threaten, and mock
him. However, Fletcher is not completely remorseless, actually shedding tears over
the death of Sean Casey, citing the latter to have been a wonderful player, and it is
heavily implied that before Neiman came along, Sean Casey was his protegee.
Fletcher has a soft side for some people, as shown by him chatting civilly with a
former student and also playfully and charismatically with the latter's daughter,
suggesting that she might join his band as she grows up.
Desire to Lead: He has stated many times during the movie that he wants to
bring out the greatness in his student, or at least a few of them. While many criticize
his abusive leadership style, Fletcher believes it helps thin the herd of lesser artists
and inspires those with true talent to become even better. As a result, he still feels

completely justified in his conduct, whether he's tossing chairs at his students,
calling them insulting slurs, or exploiting their deepest fears. “Now either you are
deliberately playing out of tune and sabotaging my band... or you do not know
you're out of tune, which I'm afraid is even worse,” Although Fletcher believes that
his brutal methods benefit his students, it is obvious that he loves the control he
wields over them. He'll frequently make his students audition for hours on end or
publicly embarrass them in class just to show he's in control of his band.
21


Job-relevant knowledge: Terrence Fletcher is a professional when it comes to
music. At the prestigious Shaffer Conservatory, he is a jazz player, conductor, and
coach. Fletcher eats, sleeps, and breathes jazz, devoting the majority of his musical
energies to the elite studio band he leads at Shaffer. They compete at a high level,
and Fletcher demands excellence from them every time they play – even in practice.
Fletcher is always striving for musical perfection. He's a jazz connoisseur who can
tell when even the tiniest detail is off. When first-year drummer Andrew Neiman's
tempo is off by a millisecond, Fletcher scolds him, emphatically stating, "Not my
tempo."
1.3. Leadership Styles
1.3.1. Based on Behavioral Theories of Leadership
a. Terrence Fletcher as an autocratic leader.
Autocratic leadership is a management style wherein one person controls all
the decisions and takes very little inputs from other group members. Autocratic
leaders make choices or decisions based on their own beliefs and do not involve
others for their suggestion or advice. Terence Fletcher used the autocratic leadership
style to ensure that his team members delivered the most perfect play. He insisted
on finding out the one that was out-of-tune to make the best performance. He had a
strong belief that there was the one out-of-tune and so that no one dared to raise
their voice.

Some experts argue that this type of leadership style can be damaging rather
than rewarding in the long run as it resembles that of a dictator. It leads to low
employee morale, which in turn may lead to attrition in many cases. However, there
are some advantages of autocratic leadership as well. It leads to quick decisionmaking, control over the processes and the operations of a company, etc. In the case
of Terence Fletcher, he easily found out what he wanted.
b. Terence Fletcher as a production-oriented leader.
Task orientation relates to Blake and Mouton's concern for production. It is the
quality of a manager who maintains strong discipline to task completion and
deadlines. A highly task-oriented manager maintains focus on timing and quality of
22


work and, at the extreme, can lose sight of the importance of showing consideration
for employees. A leader with strong orientation often gets labeled as an
authoritarian leader because he puts his own plan into action with little employee
involvement.
Fletcher was a task-oriented leader. He was more focused on the task and the
perfect performance rather than on people’s feelings. He did not regard the feelings
of employees; he only listened to their ideas. It can be proved in the video when he
asked the trumpeter without recognizing the scary look on his face. Despite the fact
that they agreed on his requirement, there was no one dared to raise their voice. And
Fletcher also did not care about their feelings when he didn’t let the trumpeter say
anything and just screamed at his face. Another proof that shows Fletcher is rather
production-oriented than employee-oriented is his saying in the video: “I’ve carried
you for too long, Met. I’m not gonna have you cost us a competition because your
mind is on a Happy Meal instead of on pitch”. What he said meant that he cared
more about results rather than the feeling of the player. He wanted every player in
the orchestra to completely focus on the song.
1.3.2. According to Contemporary Approaches
Charismatic leadership is defined by a leader who uses his or her

communication skills, persuasiveness, and charm to influence others. Charismatic
leaders, given their ability to connect with people on a deep level, are especially
valuable within organizations that are facing a crisis or are struggling to move
forward. You may notice that charismatic leadership shares many traits with
transformational leadership. While similar, there’s one important difference:
charismatic leaders rely on their own personality and skillset to move their
followers to action, while transformational leaders rely on a shared vision to create
change.
In the case, Fletcher definitely believed in his ability so that he thought he
wasn’t wrong. However, he told players to play a little bit again to prove that truth.
After a few seconds of checking, he said that: “My ears are not wrong”.

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2. Evaluation of Terrence Fletcher’s Leadership Styles
2.1. Strengths
Studying Fletcher’s leadership style, many people see that he has strengths of
his own.
Undeniably, he seems to be very strict with his orchestra and it becomes the
most powerful weapon of his. Although each member in his team has different
characteristics, everyone listened to him in an unintentional way because of his
influence.
Secondly, he did not use distinctively one technique but he used different
styles to lead the orchestra. To be more specific, he used autocratic style,
charismatic style and transformational styles in a smooth way, therefore, each
member would follow him in different aspects.
Thirdly, he is often described as charismatic and thoughtful by members in the
orchestra. So far, his orchestra has been characterized by a greater focus on the
melody they were playing and has shown extreme solidarity.

Last but not least, he brought his team together with discipline, solidarity, and
precision. The orchestra has become one of the most successful bands at that time
and everyone showed that they had done their best, even overcoming their own
limits.
2.2. Limitations
Beside all the strengths, his leadership style also has many limitations. He
constantly pushes his students to be better and not being content with themselves.
Fletcher pushed his students because he believed that they had the potential to be
the best. He Enables Others to act, rather, he dares his students to act and take
initiative. However, he does not encourage them. Fletcher intentionally, verbally,
and physically abuses his students until they achieve greatness or drop out of his
band. His students do not take enjoyment in learning from him; however, they know
that his training and expertise will elevate them above other musicians.
Furthermore, his leadership style lacks appreciation. He uses fear to control and
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