Harvey and Elwood

Have you every seen Harvey??

If you have, I hope you enjoy it as much as me, and if not, please do. Its a wonderful film, an uplifting comedy.

The story is that of Elwood P. Dowd, played by Jimmy Stewart, an eccentric man of means, whose best friend is an invisible 6 foot 3 1/2 inch tall rabbit named Harvey.  Harvey is a pooka, a mischievous mythological Celtic creature.  Elwood is a cheerfully pleasant gentleman who takes great pleasure in helping those around him.  While Elwood's sister tries to commit him to a mental institution, Harvey and Elwood help those around them in one comedic situation after another.

So what's Harvey got to do with leadership? I'm not sure, but I know it has a lot to do with life.

So far my blog has covered

Patience
 Listening
  Enthusiasm
   Accountability
     Self-Mastery
       Asking of others
         Never Settling
           Thanking the team

And all that adds up to PLEASANT.  No, leadership isn't about being pleasant, sometimes it can end up being downright unpleasant. But that doesn't mean that a leader can't aspire to better things.  Having a generally bright, optimistic, and pleasant demeanor makes for better leadership.  It gives the team an example to live up to, and it helps push the biggest team killer, fear, off the stage.

It also makes for a better life at work and at home.  Pleasant people are approachable people, pleasant people lift the spirits of those around them, and pleasant people can often shed a new light on the most difficult situations. The thing that always strikes me about Harvey is how Elwood and Harvey touch the lives of all they meet, mostly in simple ways, and yet in lasting ways.

Near the end of the movie Elwood gives a very succinct picture of his life philosophy :

"Years ago my mother used to say to me, she'd say, "In this world, Elwood, you must be" -- she always called me Elwood -- "In this world, Elwood, you must be oh so smart or oh so pleasant."  Well, for years I was smart. I recommend pleasant. You may quote me."

If only more of us held this view, just think of what we could accomplish!