In complex social arrangements, such as exist in governments,
business firms, and religious organizations, a person must climb through many
levels before reaching persons of sufficient height and occupational breadth that
what had been said to be binding requirements suddenly become as though
unfettered butterflies. Astoundingly, the mid-level subordinates may even
object as the rules are relegated back to their true status as guidelines. Beyond
the element of greater authority, a greater perspective in terms of what truly
matters is profoundly important in this regard. Having many decades of lived
experience, plus a certain maturity in place of pettiness, is also in the mix.
A Pope of the Roman Catholic Church, for example, may be more likely to pick up
on a sincere heart of the sort Jesus would praise than run through a laundry
list of doctrinal requirements.
In the film Emperor
(2012), religion and government are intertwined in the Japanese emperor,
who was until shortly after World War II also officially a living god. Although
his aides attempt to put General MacArthur into a straightjacket of protocol
for the meeting with the emperor at the end of the film, both the general and
the emperor are off sufficient maturity and perspective to disabuse themselves
of the protocols and focus on the truly important stuff. To discern the petty
from the profoundly important is a key feature of upper-echelon leadership.
In the film, Teizaburo Sekiya forewarns General MacArthur
before the meeting with the emperor. “there are certain proprieties I’d better
make you aware of. You may not shake His Majesty’s hand or touch him. You must
never look His Majesty directly in the eyes. You may not step on his shadow.
When you sit down with His Majesty, you have to sit on his left. You must never
call His Majesty by his name.”
Upon greeting the emperor, General Bonner Fellers obeys the
protocol, assiduously avoiding eye contact with the shorter man. General
MacArthur begins likewise, looking above the emperor, and says, “It is indeed a
pleasure to welcome you here, Your Majesty.” The emperor thanks the general, to
which MacArthur thanks the emperor, making eye-contact with a warm-hearted
expression and outstretching his hand. The emperor wears a confused look at
first, but then gently shakes the general’s hand.
As if the general had not broken enough with protocol, he
announces that he has arranged for a picture. The emperor motions to his aide
not to object, and moves into position for the picture—the general standing on
the emperor’s right.
After the picture is taken, the general announces that the
translator is to stay but everyone else in the room is to go to the library
while the general and emperor talk. Being excluded, and thus unable to enforce
the protocol, Sekiya blurts out, “But that was not part of the plan.” The
emperor says “Sekiya” in a way that lets his compatriot know that he is to
comply with the general’s wishes. Only the general and the emperor appear aware
of the political reality: the general rather than the emperor is running Japan.
To the victor goes the task of rebuilding the foe.
The emperor takes his seat, with the general already seated
to the left. The emperor then rises, and offers himself as solely responsible
and as willing, therefore, to take all the punishment. “This has nothing to do with
punishment,” the general replies. Even among two leaders in high places, one
can lose sight of the truly important. The general had cut through the morass
of thou shalt nots, which the lower
and mid-level functionaries hold onto so tightly, to establish a sort of
collegial intimacy that renders the two men much more alike than either to his
respective subordinates. Only at that
high level can the sun shine above the clouds of minutia, such that eve the
gods on Mount Olympus might be jealous of what man can accomplish. “I need your
help,” the general beseeches with heart-felt concern for the emperor’s subjects
as he looks directly into the man’s eyes. “So let’s see what we can do to get
Japan back on its feet.” Both men doubtlessly know that this task lying before
them is vitally important, as many Japanese are starving at the time.
The movie thus provides a good snapshot of organizational
life being appreciably freer on the top floor and unnecessarily petty on the
floors below. How to convince the narrow-minded gate-keepers that their levers
are not so vitally important after all is a question in need of an answer. It
is telling that Sekiya is so greatly disturbed by the general’s change of plan.
MacArthur has used his experience wisely in not having argued with Sekiya as he
promulgated the forbidden conduct; the general undoubtedly knew the true
pecking order in Japan then, and that he could appeal directly to the emperor
as both were unique having responsibility for the whole of Japan and thus would
undoubtedly relate.
