What about the dark side of Don Corleone and his mafia family?

More Leadership Lessons from the Godfather

The Negative Lessons

Character Matters. Despite the fact that Don Vito Corleone is the “hero” of the film, and an effective leader of a successful mafia family, he is a criminal, of poor moral character. There is a distinction between being an “effective” leader and being a “good” and ethical leader, and the difference is character. Ethical leaders promote the common good. The mafia operations, as depicted in The Godfather, exploit people, and leave a path of victims in their wake. Although Vito Corleone may have some admirable qualities and financial success, he is, in the end, a criminal, and by definition, a “bad” leader.

Power Can Corrupt. Perhaps the clearest theme in The Godfather film, which is better depicted in Godfather II, is the process by which a hard-working and law-abiding Vito Corleone, gains power and money, and, through intimidation and later murder, becomes a powerful head of a crime family. Throughout the film, we see Vito rationalize his criminal behavior (“it’s only business,” “the authorities are corrupt”). Good leaders need to work hard to avoid the temptations of power.

For Development: We should be able to see leadership lessons in our daily lives, and also depicted on the silver screen. Movies are a terrific way to impart leadership lessons if we know what to look for. The next time you watch a film, or binge watch a TV series, see if you can extract any leadership lessons.