Henry V

Why is Henry V considered to be such a good example for managers?
Shakespears play Henry V covers the human dilemmas of leadership better then any other business management course. The question that many people have is weather Henry V made the right choices as a king. This proves to be a great question for students, because they have to think about the choices that Henry V made and think about the right thing to do in an equal situation.

There are a few bad management decisions made by Henry V, but there are also a lot of good decisions and methods on how to run a kingdom or company. Running a kingdom after all, is not too far away from running a business. The same rules apply. There are always ranks in company’s and money equals power.

Henry V is an effective leader and a balanced person. In battle you would find him right at the front were the danger was. He was a very persuasive communicator and he treated everyone as equals. This made him a great leader from which you can learn. He understands the people he leads.

When Henry V tells his troops “we are going to France” he is selling a vision. Nowadays if you are a great leader, you also have to have a vision. If you can sell your vision with great commitment and passion, there is a good chance your people will listen to you.

Richard Olivier (son of Sir Laurence), who is involved in teaching a management and shakespeare course says “Henry V has got the answers, because in Henry IV he spend a lot of time in the pub with some village fools and villains” He did this with Sir John Falstaff. This taught him about the people he would lead. Because of this he knew how to reach the people below his rank. He knew how to talk to his people and what his people wanted, which is a pretty good leadership trait.

Henry V also shows managers the importance to get out of the office. On the night before the Battle of Agincourt, he disguised himself and walked around the camp talking to his men, trying to find out what they were thinking.

Reading Henry V can give you a very clear image of what to do and not to do while running a company. As a manager you can get new ideas and visions, watching Henry V, to help you manage your company better.

Intro

Why can one learn about management from Shakespear. To tell you the truth, I have never read Shakespear, so I cannot explain it from my own view. After scrolling the internet for articles, it became very clear to me that Shakespears plays often consists of a management system. This system could be a kingdom for example.
Shakespear knew everything about the roles in a system. How power could be used and how power could expose the dark side of human nature trough greed. He knew how emotions within a management system, could affect certain people and how to maintain your image within a tough business world.

Shakespear exposes the issues of management systems. He wrote about how overreaching ambition, dishonesty and jealousy could destroy a company or even a kingdom. The problems that Shakespear described where as relevant then as they are now. Seduction of power is still a major issue in today’s corporate universe.

Knowing this we can start to look at the courses. Why is there so much success and why do the students like the course this much? I think that you always learn the most when something is presented in a playful and appalling way. So I understand why students like the course. Learning about management while watching a play, seems really great.
Here is a sentence that reflects the strength of the course perfectly:

"Seeing the fundamental truths of today's power corridors reflected through the lens of a 16th-century play makes for a stunning impact."

What the course allows the students to do is create a up-close experience of leadership problems of today. Knowing these problems can help students climbing up the corporate ladder and even teach them what to do and not to do when they come to the top themselves. For example. You get a promotion and you are now the boss of your old colleagues. Because of that they won’t immediately respect your authority. This is a problem which you can learn to deal with trough Shakespears plays.

Using scenes as a reference point, the students explore such issues as the role of values and ethics, managing people, uses of power and the role of self-awareness. The students learn about all these problems. To fully understand a company you must know the psychological side of it. This is just what the students learn from Shakespears plays.