“Twelve O’Clock High” is a classic war movie that provides deep insights into leadership under pressure. The contrasting leadership styles of General Frank Savage and Colonel Davenport offer valuable lessons for modern managers and leaders. This article critically analyzes their approaches and highlights actionable insights for effective leadership in challenging situations.
Colonel Davenport’s Leadership Style
Colonel Davenport’s approach to leadership is empathetic and people-oriented. While his intent to prioritize his team’s morale is commendable, it comes at the cost of organizational efficiency and accountability.
Strengths:
Empathy for Subordinates: Davenport’s deep connection with his team fostered trust and loyalty.
Morale Booster: His supportive attitude helped his team cope with stress during critical missions.
Weaknesses:
Lack of Objectivity: Excessive empathy led to leniency, affecting operational discipline.
Inability to Drive Results: His reluctance to push his team for fear of damaging morale hindered performance.
General Frank Savage’s Leadership Style
General Frank Savage’s leadership, in stark contrast, emphasizes accountability, discipline, and a results-driven approach. He adopts a transformative leadership style to turn around the struggling 918th Bomb Group.
Strengths:
Discipline and Accountability: Savage’s strict rules instilled a sense of responsibility among team members.
Focus on Results: His high expectations motivated the team to achieve their objectives.
Transformative Impact: By demanding excellence, he reinvigorated the group’s performance and morale.
Weaknesses:
Initial Resistance: His rigid approach initially alienated some team members.
Risk of Burnout: High-pressure tactics risked overburdening the team.
There is a number of leadership styles used by different leaders during war situation in Twelve O’clock High movie. Below are the differences in their leadership styles accordance with the situations and their impact on war.
Difference in leadership style between General Savage and Colonel Davenport
General Savage treats everyone so brutally that he has no compassion for his men, in result all of his men began to dislike him. While Colonel Davenport treats too friendly with his men that’s why they didn’t take him too seriously and doesn’t respect his authority.
Leadership Styles Table
| Aspect | General Frank Savage | Colonel Davenport |
|---|---|---|
| Leadership Style | Directing (S1) and Coaching (S2) | Supporting (S3) |
| Directive Level | High initially (strict discipline), moderated later (supportive coaching). | Low directive, focusing on team morale without clear performance goals. |
| Supportive Level | Low initially, high later as trust was built through improved performance. | High support but lacked accountability measures for operational success. |
| Key Strengths | Instilled discipline, accountability, and transformed team performance. | Built strong loyalty and trust among subordinates. |
| Key Weaknesses | Initial alienation of team, risk of burnout due to high-pressure tactics. | Lack of discipline and inability to drive results in high-pressure times. |
| Outcomes | Elevated team performance and morale through balanced leadership. | Created confusion and anxiety due to unclear directives. |
Why does General Savage succeed where Colonel Davenport fails?
General Savage leadership traits and styles were in accordance with the situations, which was the major reason of his success as compared to Colonel Davenport as he uses supporting style while knowing that its war zone, this style caused anxiety in atmosphere.
Colonel Davenport was failing because he was misapplying with the development and formation phase of his employees and was asking to be told what to do. And he had become too friendly in that stressed environment.
While General Savage analyze the military circumstances at that time and took appropriate actions by using directing leadership style to control the initial phase. Later on when he observes that the situation is under control, after the staffs second successful mission, he realizes that it’s the appropriate time to change his leadership style. Because if he stayed directing for longer time then their morale wouldn’t have improved and there could be raise in threat of unsolvable conflicts between groups. So, he attempts to be lenient periodically.
What important decisions does each of the leaders make? What are the consequences of these decisions?
Commander Pritchard
He entrusted the role of Commander for unit in to General Frank Savage in order to fulfill requirements of morale and discipline after his personal visit. Which results in better performance of the bombardment unit under the leadership of General Savage.
Colonel Davenport
He visits the headquarters so as to try and solve the prevailing problem of his men loss at battle front because he was too close and friendly to the unit which leads to disrespect, confusion in decision making and anxiety in atmosphere.
General Savage
- He downgrades and embarrass Lt Colonel Ben Gately for his poor performance and also give him way to prove himself by providing flying three missions. He promotes those who have shown bravery on missions, these actions result in developing good squadron leaders.
- On startup, savage criticize guards for not checking his identification. A Sergeant was not wearing uniform, so he demotes him and closes the bar. These decisions helped to restore accountability and standards.
- He announces ‘You’re sorry for yourselves’. And ‘Fear is normal. Stop worrying about it. Stop making plans. Consider yourselves dead’ to clear his objectives and expectations.
Key Leadership Lessons
1. Balancing Empathy and Accountability
Effective leadership requires a balance between understanding team needs and ensuring discipline. While empathy builds trust, accountability drives results. Leaders must gauge when to prioritize one over the other.
2. Adaptability in Leadership Styles
Savage’s ability to adapt his style to the team’s evolving needs—from strict to supportive—shows the importance of flexibility. Leaders should assess the context and adjust their approach accordingly.
3. Communication and Vision
A clear vision, effectively communicated, is essential for aligning the team. Savage’s direct communication ensured everyone understood the mission’s importance.
4. Leading by Example
Savage’s personal commitment to the mission inspired his team to follow suit. Authenticity and dedication from leaders foster respect and motivation.
Modern-Day Application of Leadership Styles
The leadership styles of Savage and Davenport can be applied in contemporary settings such as corporate management, military operations, and project management:
Empathetic Leadership: Ideal for building trust in collaborative and creative industries.
Disciplinary Leadership: Effective in high-stakes environments where precision and accountability are critical, such as aviation or healthcare.
Conclusion
The leadership dichotomy between General Frank Savage and Colonel Davenport in “Twelve O’Clock High” underscores the importance of situational leadership. By balancing empathy and discipline, modern leaders can navigate complex challenges and drive their teams to success. The key lies in understanding the unique needs of the team and adapting leadership styles to foster both morale and performance.
Main FAQs
What are the key differences between Savage and Davenport’s leadership styles?
Savage’s style focuses on discipline and results, while Davenport emphasizes empathy and morale.
How can leaders balance empathy and accountability?
Leaders can balance these by understanding team dynamics and using empathy to build trust while maintaining clear expectations and accountability.
What is the role of adaptability in leadership?
Adaptability helps leaders adjust their style to suit the team’s needs and situational demands, ensuring effective performance.
Why is communication important in leadership?
Clear communication aligns the team with the leader’s vision and ensures everyone understands their role in achieving goals.
How does leading by example impact team performance?
Leaders who model dedication and authenticity inspire respect and motivate their teams to perform at their best.