There are many attributes that make Steven Spielberg the leader that he is. For years, Steven Spielberg was Hollywood's boy wonder. Boy wonder because everything he touched turned to gold, undoubtedly, but also for the irrepressible innocence of his outlook on the world, which revolved around childhood hopes and fears,and the boyish sense of adventure found in his films. “I dream for a living” (McBride, 2007).
Steven learned how to dream big at an early age. Steven Spielberg made his first movie at age 12, although he wasn't noticed by Hollywood until he directed a TV movie, the cult classic Duel, in 1972. Greater things followed for the director, on his own (E.T., Jaws, Close Encounters of the Third Kind) as well as in collaboration with good pal George Lucas (the Indiana Jones trilogy).
Finally gaining the acceptance of serious moviegoers, (as well as a couple of Academy Awards) with the Holocaust saga Schindler's List, Spielberg once again visited the Second World War in the multi-Oscar-nominated war story Saving Private Ryan (Hunter, 2007).
An awkward and lonely child growing up, Spielberg took solace in movies. Schindler's List (1993) marked the crucial turning point in Spielberg's career, the moment when he simultaneously embraced seriousness and culture within in his work. Spielberg had attempted straightforward drama before, in The Color Purple (1985) and the underrated Empire of the Sun (1987), but Schindler's List was the first of his dramas to assume responsibility for the past, and for Jewish history (Tolson, 2008).
“Failure is inevitable. Success is elusive.” Steven Spielberg
When Spielberg’s parents divorced in 1965, an incident which deeply affected the sensitive youngster , he moved to Saratoga, CA and attended Saratoga High School. After graduation, Spielberg applied to U.S.C. film school, but was rejected three separate times. Spielberg opted to attend Long Beach State instead, but ended up dropping out before he got his degree. In 1968, the 22-year-old got a job at Universal Studios as an intern, thus marking the beginnings of one of Hollywood’s greatest careers. It was at Universal, that he made his first short film. The 24-minute film sufficiently impressed executives at the television unit of Universal enough that Spielberg was offered a job as a TV director.
Following a rare misstep, 1979’s big-budget bomb 1941, Steven Spielberg definitively established himself as the most beloved filmmaker of his generation thanks to the one-two punch of 1981’s Raiders of the Lost Ark and 1982’s E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial. Steven Spielberg spent the remainder of the 1980s cranking out a mix of crowd-pleasing blockbusters and low-key dramas, although, by the time the decade came to a close, he found that his ability in drawing audiences was beginning to wane.
I believe that we tend to live in an avoidance society, where failure is often overlooked or ignored and we only focus on successes. That’s a mistake. As Steven Spielberg proved to us over the years, leadership comes from learning lessons taught by failure. People rebound from failure because they choose to learn from their mistakes.
References:
Hunter, S. (2007). Steven Spielberg: On both sides of the camera. Retrieved February 22, 2009 from http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp%20dyn/content/article/2007/07/08/AR2007070801208.html.
McBride, J. (1997). Steven Spielberg: A biography. New York, NY: Simon & Schuster
Tolson, J (2008). America’s best leaders: Steven Spielberg, filmmaker. Retrieved February 12, 2009 from http://usnewscom/articles/news/best-leaders/2008/11/19/americas-best%20leaders.html
Steven learned how to dream big at an early age. Steven Spielberg made his first movie at age 12, although he wasn't noticed by Hollywood until he directed a TV movie, the cult classic Duel, in 1972. Greater things followed for the director, on his own (E.T., Jaws, Close Encounters of the Third Kind) as well as in collaboration with good pal George Lucas (the Indiana Jones trilogy).
Finally gaining the acceptance of serious moviegoers, (as well as a couple of Academy Awards) with the Holocaust saga Schindler's List, Spielberg once again visited the Second World War in the multi-Oscar-nominated war story Saving Private Ryan (Hunter, 2007).
An awkward and lonely child growing up, Spielberg took solace in movies. Schindler's List (1993) marked the crucial turning point in Spielberg's career, the moment when he simultaneously embraced seriousness and culture within in his work. Spielberg had attempted straightforward drama before, in The Color Purple (1985) and the underrated Empire of the Sun (1987), but Schindler's List was the first of his dramas to assume responsibility for the past, and for Jewish history (Tolson, 2008).
“Failure is inevitable. Success is elusive.” Steven Spielberg
When Spielberg’s parents divorced in 1965, an incident which deeply affected the sensitive youngster , he moved to Saratoga, CA and attended Saratoga High School. After graduation, Spielberg applied to U.S.C. film school, but was rejected three separate times. Spielberg opted to attend Long Beach State instead, but ended up dropping out before he got his degree. In 1968, the 22-year-old got a job at Universal Studios as an intern, thus marking the beginnings of one of Hollywood’s greatest careers. It was at Universal, that he made his first short film. The 24-minute film sufficiently impressed executives at the television unit of Universal enough that Spielberg was offered a job as a TV director.
Following a rare misstep, 1979’s big-budget bomb 1941, Steven Spielberg definitively established himself as the most beloved filmmaker of his generation thanks to the one-two punch of 1981’s Raiders of the Lost Ark and 1982’s E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial. Steven Spielberg spent the remainder of the 1980s cranking out a mix of crowd-pleasing blockbusters and low-key dramas, although, by the time the decade came to a close, he found that his ability in drawing audiences was beginning to wane.
I believe that we tend to live in an avoidance society, where failure is often overlooked or ignored and we only focus on successes. That’s a mistake. As Steven Spielberg proved to us over the years, leadership comes from learning lessons taught by failure. People rebound from failure because they choose to learn from their mistakes.
References:
Hunter, S. (2007). Steven Spielberg: On both sides of the camera. Retrieved February 22, 2009 from http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp%20dyn/content/article/2007/07/08/AR2007070801208.html.
McBride, J. (1997). Steven Spielberg: A biography. New York, NY: Simon & Schuster
Tolson, J (2008). America’s best leaders: Steven Spielberg, filmmaker. Retrieved February 12, 2009 from http://usnewscom/articles/news/best-leaders/2008/11/19/americas-best%20leaders.html
Erin,
ReplyDeleteSteven Spielberg’s life exhibits a powerful leader. After three separate rejections from U.S.C. Film School and dropping out, most people would have given up on their dream of movie making. Not Steven! I liked the quote you used stating that he dreamt for a living. A leader has a burning ambition and they never stop dreaming. Sam Walton shared this same leadership ability of not letting his desires be washed away with the failures that came along the way.
I classified Sam Walton as a “controller”. I believe that Steven shared the same ambitiousness and strong-willed qualities. Would you classify Steven as a controller as well? I did also see the imaginative and creative side of both of our leaders, so the promoter title could also fit them both. No matter what the title we would assign them, Sam Walton and Steven Spielberg were able to touch (and continue to touch) the lives of people across the world.
Erin-
ReplyDeleteI agree with your comment that we live in a society that tends to ignore or overlook failure. Your statement that this is a mistake is not something that is often discussed in our society. As an educator I often see my colleagues dismissing failure and praising success. Unfortunately, their students are never taught to see the value that failure has to learning. Both Steven Spielberg and Walt Disney certainly had their share of failures in their lives. The difference for them is that they were able to learn from these instances and move forward with a greater sense of determination.
Like Disney, I believe that Spielberg is a promoter. They both share many of the same characteristics, including their ability to be imaginative, creative, and enthusiastic about their ideas. These traits were the main reasons they became pioneers in their profession. I found it interesting that both men had to continue to work harder in order to continue finding success. Many people believe that once someone finds initial success, that more successes will follow. The careers of Disney and Spielberg prove that success is filled with moments of failure that must be overcome in order to continue to be successful.
It's remarkable how the lives of Spielberg and Schwarzenegger are so similar. Both Spielberg and Schwarzenegger began dreaming of the perfect life at early ages. As teenagers, they first exhibited their leadership abilities and their determination. They each found a certain place, in their own worlds, where they were the ones setting the pace and providing the inspiration for others. In addition, they both stayed true to their dreams and have both become leaders in their chosen fields of entertainment.
ReplyDeleteHi Erin,
ReplyDeleteSpielberg was a great choice for your leader. I think part of the boyhood qualities that I like about him is that no one could tell him "no". With his vivid imagination he dreamed as big as you stated. These big dreams and his ability to communicate his ideas on the screen make many of us envious.
You use the word inspiration and I certainly agree! Inspiration is less tangible but no less important to a leader. To truly inspire someone to achieve is the sign of a true leader. Through his exceptional communication skills on the screen, he is able to motivate and excite both those who are watching and those who have helped create his masterpieces. He has insprired many n the film and TV industry and as such has become a true leader of media today. Thank you for sharing his story.
Dave