by Gregory Smith
Business Columnist

The movie Saving Pvt. Ryan hits you with shocking realism. The knots twist in your stomach waiting for the landing craft gate to drop. Cold water splashes around your boots as you slog your way up the beaches of Normandy and across the bombed-out cities in France.

You can feel the grit under your fingernails and the dryness of fear in your mouth. Like stinging insects, you hear the bullets whiz by your head. Your eyes momentarily turn and gaze upon the person appointed as the leader. You think to yourself, "Is this person going to lead me or get me killed?"

This movie clearly showed what it takes to be a real leader. There are several lessons that I want to bring to the forefront.

A job title doesn't make a person a leader. Leaders must first travel down the gauntlet with those they lead BEFORE they are accepted as the leader.

Until you prove yourself as a leader, you will not gain the respect and trust from those you are in charge of. The title "leader" is not something you call yourself, but is bestowed to you by those you lead.

Leadership is the be-all and the end-all of organizational success. The most fascinating aspect of this movie was the portrayal of leadership and the magnetism between the soldiers, the mission, and their captain.

It was the captain that formed the glue that held that unit together. In the business world, there are far more managers than leaders. Looking at the movie you can see three important shifts or transitions in Capt. Miller's leadership style. I call these three shifts the "Faces of Leadership."

Face of Fear-The lowest level or form of leadership is by fear. On Omaha Beach, orders were direct and to the point. Life or deathdo what you are told because there is no time to think.

Leaders have to think, must push themselves forward and give orders for the group. What is good for the group must outweigh what is good for the individual.

Face of Respect-I enjoyed watching how the soldiers bantered back and forth about what was the Captain's career before the war. He had a charismatic affect on his men based on trust and respect. He only revealed enough about himself to maintain professional objectivity.

He couldn't afford to do anything that would compromise the mission. His troops even started a lottery for the person who could guess what the Captain did for a living before the war. The Faces of Fear and Respect can only take you so far which leads us to the next level.

Face of Purpose- The highest level of leadership is that of providing purpose. True leadership progresses from fear, to respect and finally to that of purpose.

Free by fax: If you would like Greg's article, "Beatitudes of Leadership" please fax your letterhead with the words "Beatitudes" to 770-760-0581.

Gregory P. Smith is the author of The New Leader, and How to Attract, Keep and Motivate Your Workforce.