Mal and Leadership (***Spoilers***) by DonCoat

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Mal and Leadership (***Spoilers***)

POSTED BY: DONCOAT
UPDATED: Tuesday, November 8, 2005 10:41
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Monday, November 7, 2005 2:52 AM

Arguably, one of the main themes of the Firefly/Serenity saga is the nature of leadership. One part of leadership is decision making. So let's examine the major decisions Mal Reynolds makes during the events in Serenity.

1) Takes River on a job against Simon's wishes.

2) Refuses to allow settler to board the mule.

3) Kills said settler rather than allowing Reavers to capture him.

4) Allows Simon and River to leave Serenity.

5) Takes Simon and River back aboard after the Maidenhead incident.

6) Runs and hides on Haven.

7) Goes for Inara knowing it's a trap.

8) Reaverizes Serenity and risks trip through Reaver territory.

9) Commits crew to getting the truth out, at risk of all their lives.

10) Draws out the Reavers.

11) Agrees to leave the crew in danger as rear guard/diversion.

12) Puts own life on the line in hand-to-hand combat against the Operative.

13) Leaves the Operative alive.

I have some thoughts about this list, specifically about Mal's growth as a leader as the film progresses. As I see it, up to about (6) Mal is making primarily self-interested choices (though 3 and 5 are exceptions). From (7) onward, though, he seems to be taking an increasingly broader view as the stakes get higher. In other words, as the risks increase, he seems to be increasingly inclined to make the "right" decision rather than the safest one.

In other words, the more dangerous the situation, the more altruism Mal seems to show, and the more widely that altruism applies. For example, at decisions (9) through (11) he risks his own life, and the lives of the people he loves, for the sake of millions of strangers.

One other comment before I throw it open to the forum. Mal shows one excellent leadership characteristic: he rarely hesitates. For good or ill, he makes his choice and acts on it. There's almost nothing worse in a leader than indecision.

Your thoughts?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ain't about you, Jayne. It's about what they need.

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Monday, November 7, 2005 3:11 AM

EMBERS

Mal makes two statements to Inara which say it all (IMO) about his leadership 'skills'

'when it blows North I go North'
'I may not be the man to lead but they got to follow'

so here he is recognizing that he doesn't have a plan, no particular goal (except short term) in mind...but he is the one w/the ship, and they have signed on to join as his crew....

But Kaylee's complaint that 'you coulda made them family' gets to the heart of it,
because if Mal DOES make someone family then you know he'll die for them...

he is a complicated weird guy, our Captain Tightpants.

**********************************************
watch the R. Tam Session vids: http://www.hittarivertam.nu/
and buy the 'Serenity' comics published by Dark Horse,
and have you joined the Browncoats yet?
http://browncoats.serenitymovie.com/serenity/?fuseaction=tools.invlink
&u=embers&linkID=36

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Monday, November 7, 2005 5:24 AM

UNREGISTEREDCOMPANION

"if Mal DOES make someone family then you know he'll die for them"

Exactly. Once someone becomes "family" to him, he knows there s nothing he wont do for them. Big responsibility. He tries not to take on more, but can't help himself. Leadership is something that tends to be in the blood so to speak. You can fight it, but if leadership is in your nature, people will look to you for it regardless of your feelings. The Mal character illustrates this principal very well. (Great character development Joss!!!!)

~~~~~
"Funny and sexy. You have no idea. And you never will."

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Tuesday, November 8, 2005 12:06 AM

ZIGGY

I always wondered why Mal didn't allow the settler on the mule. He often displays a nobleness of spirit and a sense of honour that goes against these actions. He's risked the whole crew's lives on several occassions to save a stranger, and even Simon and River were strangers once, so why not this time?

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Tuesday, November 8, 2005 7:44 AM

DISKA

i havent read the comix yet but others have suggested that the comix show something that happens which causes mal to be a little bit more bitter in serenity at the begining (as the comics bridge the end of firefly to serenity.)

maybe this is why he wouldnt let the guy on the mule? when zoe questions him about this, saying that in the time of war they would have never left a man stranded, mal argues that maybe thats why they lost. a very defeatist tone for mal to take i thought.

but then book says something to him which seems to bring all these feelings up as mal says ' i could have left her there' in relation to river and the maidenhead incident. book replies 'no you couldnt its not your way'.
later when jayne asks why river and simon are still on the ship mal doesnt reply but there is a cut away as he exchanges sorrowful glances with zoe, as though he is regretful of not letting the guy on the mule.
im babbling too much sorry!

"Dear diary: Today I was pompous and my sister was crazy. Today we were kidnapped by hill folk, never to be seen again. It was the best day ever."

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Tuesday, November 8, 2005 7:52 AM

CHANNAIN

i DO aim to misbehave

Quote:
Originally posted by DonCoat:
One other comment before I throw it open to the forum. Mal shows one excellent leadership characteristic: he rarely hesitates. For good or ill, he makes his choice and acts on it. There's almost nothing worse in a leader than indecision.

Your thoughts?

There's no one on board Serenity with an invisible tag that reads "somebody." That is to say, Mal's never been known to say "somebody needs to take charge of this" and then no decision is ever made as to who "somebody" is. It just falls to the administrator by default. On Serenity, there's only two options: Either Mal takes ownership of the task in question, or definitively assigns someone else to do it.

Speaking as one who wears the tag at work, I can get behind a leader like that.

I draw...therefore I am. http://www.mnartists.org/Nora_Leverson
Live in Minnesota? Join the Group! Yahoo Group, that is...
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Tuesday, November 8, 2005 9:04 AM

DONCOAT

Hmmm, the guy on the mule...

I can think of several explanations, working at different levels.

1) The psychological explanation: the guy is not "on the crew", i.e. not family. As others have pointed out, Mal seems to focus his loyalties on those close alongside him, not on "people in general" -- at least at that point in the story line. See my OP for observations about how that changed.

2) The character establishment explanation: Joss needed to show how cold Mal could be when necessary. Arguing with Simon is one thing, but leaving a man to the mercy of the Reavers is a whole other level.

3) The plot point: We learn (in the aftermath of the heist) that times have been tough for Mal and co. lately. Mal had to hang on to the loot, even if it meant sacrificing a stranger. This is part of what drives the subsequent events, so some dramatic event was needed to drive home the point of how desperate things have become.

4) The character development explanation: for Mal to grow, there had to be a starting point. This sequence shows that Mal cares only about himself and his crew at the beginning. Of course, we who know Mal from the series are aware that he has an altruistic side, but for a "virgin" movie audience, this sets the tone for the "before" Mal. That sets up the eventual payoff when the "after" Mal says he's willing to die to get the word out, and backs up that statement.

5) The practical explanation: Mal knew the mule wouldn't carry five people to safety. Four were already aboard. It's a no-brainer to keep the fifth from climbing on. (He probably never even considered dumping the loot until later, when Zoe brought it up.)

Actually, I would imagine that Joss was thinking about all these levels when he wrote that scene. We all know that his scripts (and this one in particular) are very carefully wrought, and I doubt he overlooked any of these points.

I'm glad this thread has stirred some interest. I enjoy picking a story apart, especially as intricate and nuanced a story as this one.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ain't about you, Jayne. It's about what they need.

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Tuesday, November 8, 2005 9:16 AM

DONCOAT

Quote:
Originally posted by Channain:
There's no one on board Serenity with an invisible tag that reads "somebody." That is to say, Mal's never been known to say "somebody needs to take charge of this" and then no decision is ever made as to who "somebody" is. It just falls to the administrator by default. On Serenity, there's only two options: Either Mal takes ownership of the task in question, or definitively assigns someone else to do it.

A perfect example of this is on Haven, when Mal has made up his mind to Reaverize Serenity. He strides down the cargo ramp, shooting out orders rapid fire: Zoe, rope the bodies together; Kaylee, mung up the engine; Jayne, mount the gun. No explanation, no messing around, just... "Get to work!"

Of course, he has to slow down a little and let the others catch up to him, emotionally -- but they all do. In about 20 seconds he brings them right into his vision, and when the really fateful decision comes (on Miranda), there are no dissenters.

"Wind blows northerly, I go north." Yeah, right.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ain't about you, Jayne. It's about what they need.

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Tuesday, November 8, 2005 10:41 AM

CHANNAIN

i DO aim to misbehave

Quote:
Originally posted by DonCoat:
"Wind blows northerly, I go north." Yeah, right.

When he's going in the same direction as that northerly wind? Then he goes North. Otherwise, Mal is his very own Zephyr.

I draw...therefore I am. http://www.mnartists.org/Nora_Leverson
Live in Minnesota? Join the Group! Yahoo Group, that is...
http://tv.groups.yahoo.com/group/MN-Firefly

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