Introduction
To a great extent, leadership refers to a process of social influence exhibited by superior individuals that optimizes the efforts of others toward attaining a specific objective. The film Hotel Rwanda by Terry George elaborates on the powerful story of Paul Rusesabagina, a restaurant manager who deployed his leadership capabilities to protect the lives of approximately 1,200 Tutsi refugees during the 1994 Rwandan massacre (Beloff, 2022). Even though Rusesabagina encountered immense pressure and obstacles, he remained dedicated to safeguarding his societal members’ lives. Through his adaptability, resourcefulness, courage, and prowess to motivate others, he acts as an authentic leader in times of adversity. Effective leadership positively impacts people’s independence and freedom, making them adapt to transforming situations and make pragmatic decisions.
Protagonist Traits
In the movie Hotel Rwanda, the protagonist Rusesabagina possesses several traits that positively contribute to his leadership effectiveness. A leader must remain confident regarding his decision power and leading his followers. The Tutsi refugees sought guidance and assistance from Rusesabagina since he was courageous about promoting his humanitarian manifestos. For example, to promote his philanthropic actions, Rusesabagina bribed the Rwandan army with money and alcohol to protect people from the attack of the Hutus. He gave his neighboring asylum seekers refuge irrespective of their ethnicity and nationality. Another outstanding attribute that Rusesabagina had is that he had exemplary communication skills. Notably, Hotel Rwanda showcases the political concerns between the Tutsi and Hutu tribes of Africa (Hitchcott, 2021). Rusesabagina’s influence to convey with displaced individuals effectively and eliminate fear from their minds proves his communication prowess. In addition, even though Rusesabagina was a Hutu, he married Titiana, a Tutsi, making him comprehend communal issues and spearhead the spirit of human bond over racism. He maintained a healthy conveyance relationship with hotel staff, which enhanced their morale, and through his personality, Rusesabagina engaged with conflicting groups without escalating disputes.
Furthermore, Paul Rusesabagina was a resourceful and tactful leader as he used his rank as a hotel manager to acquire items, including medicine, water, and food for the refugees, under his custodian. Notably, Rusesabagina bribed the Hutu tribe residing around his restaurant to safeguard the Tutsi asylum seekers (Beloff, 2022). Nevertheless, he deployed his social networking to the Rwandan government and the international community (the Red Cross and the United Nations) to assist refugees by sheltering them. Rusesabagina managed his subordinates to keep the hotel operating while he cared for displaced individuals, making them respect and admire him as a servant leader. Additionally, Rusesabagina was committed to saving the lives of Rwandese against the brutal killings. Through his dedicated leadership quality, he helped refugees towards the safety of the Tutsi people while his family was threatened.
The Followership-Leadership Style
In the film Hotel Rwanda, I would describe the protagonist’s followership style of Paul Rusesabagina to be characterized by his skills to guide and inspire others while being adaptable to transitioning circumstances and making difficult choices. To a great extent, Rusesabagina is a servant leader who first considers the interests of others before his and is committed to leading his followers during troubled times (“Center for leader development”, 2022). Even though Rusesabagina had a high social status in the community as a hotel manager and had connections with international organizations, such as the United Nations, he was not encouraged to acquire wealth or recognition. He was geared by the urge to serve the needy Tutsi individuals and build a society grounded on justice and human values. Even though Rusesabagina was a Hutu, who attacked the Tutsi people, he married a Tutsi lady and safeguarded the refugees while risking and threatening the lives of his family members.
As a hotel manager, he risked bribing and forming coalitions with neighboring Hutu societal members to protect other individuals, making him acquire colossal followership. The hotel staff members, the Rwandan army, and the people from reputable international community organizations followed Rusesabagina’s footsteps to offer shelter, food, and water to the asylum seekers. Rusesabagina was concerned about social development and avoiding civil wars and genocide that created hostility and poor economic progress in the country. Due to his followership-leadership style, Rusesabagina actively engaged with foreigners to promote the welfare of the affected individuals. Instead of allocating his hard-earned resources towards the restaurant operation to acquire revenue, Rusesabagina gave such items to safeguard the refugees (Beloff, 2022). Rusesabagina’s admirable and humanitarian leadership quality enabled him to make crucial moral and ethical decisions during adverse uncertainties. Influential leaders display an exceptional experience and emotional attachment with their followers while making impactful judgments. Rusesabagina substantially comprehends displaced people’s conditions and considers their feelings while making choices. Rusesabagina declined to join Hutus in killing Tutsis but sheltered them demonstrating his confidence in standing against moral decay and societal evilness.
Even though Rusesabagina was not a royal descendant to exhibit exemplary leadership qualities during calamities in leading his followers, he decided to protect refugees, earning their trust and confidence. Rusesabagina trained and educated his staff members on how to take necessary actions during the occurrence of severity. He directed and assigned his subordinates different roles and responsibilities, including acting as a spy to protect the Tutsis from being killed. As a strong leader, Rusesabagina performed his undertakings systematically and participated actively with team members to divide work among themselves (Hitchcott, 2021). Rusesabagina influenced the Hutu military to offer accessories and essentials to the people seeking shelter at his hotel for safety and protection. Through his manipulative capabilities, he acquired massive followers to stop the genocide.
How Different the Film Would be If Protagonist were Old or Female, or of a Different Ethnicity
If the protagonist in the movie Hotel Rwanda, Paul Rusesabagina, were old, the story would likely be different. The character would have a reduced physical stamina to undertake the demanding and hostile tasks anticipated, including acquiring resources, moving asylum seekers around the restaurant, and negotiating with the Hutu militia. Rusesabagina would have minimal energy to manage the hotel and motivate the staff effectively, thus not being able to protect the refugees (Beloff, 2022). In addition, an older Rusesabagina might have had diverse correlations and connections with the international community, such as the Red Cross, which could have negatively impacted how he could have helped the displaced individuals. Furthermore, the movie director, George, would have portrayed a different viewpoint on Rwandan genocide events since an older Rusesabagina would have a varied life experience and stand on the circumstances contrasted to the young himself.
Notably, if Rusesabagina were a woman, he would have encountered various obstacles than a male character performing a similar role. For instance, a female persona would have had to navigate gender-specific prejudices, stereotypes, and biases for the societal members to acknowledge her as a servant leader to protect the refugees at the hotel (Sinaga et al., 2020). In addition, being a lady, Rusesabagina would have different interactions and networking within the society, as women in Rwanda historically had less influence and authority than men. Therefore, he would not have been capable of assisting asylum seekers since she was mandated to be creative and resourceful to succeed in humanitarian actions.
To a great extent, the Hotel Rwanda film story and lead character would have changed tremendously if Rusesabagina, a hotel manager, was a female. A female lead character would have supplemented a diverse viewpoint on the Rwandan massacre, as depicting a lady as a decisive and influential person would have created a significant deviation from the traditional norm. In the movie, Paul Rusesabagina is described as a family man and a loving and caring father and husband (Hitchcott, 2021). Therefore, if the lead character were a lady would have changed the focus on her responsibilities as a wife, mother, and daughter and how such roles impacted actions and decisions during the genocide. In society, women encounter challenges attempting to balance family, work, and family and efforts to protect the welfare of other people.
Furthermore, if Rusesabagina were of a different community tribe, such as Tutsi, he might not have had the same connection and empathy with the Tutsi refugees. Therefore, it would be highly challenging for him to motivate and instruct them, as Rusesabagina would face the same concerns of lacking basic needs, including water, shelter, and food. The people would have declined his trust and confidence, resulting in escalated genocide (Sinaga et al., 2020). In addition, Rusesabagina would not have equal access to his resources as a Hutu. As a Hutu, Rusesabagina communicated effectively with the militia groups, making them protect the Tutsi people sheltered in his hotel. As an outsider, the Hutu rebels would not have listened to him, leading to the attack on the Tutsi community, which could have resulted in the death of his family members, including her wife, Titiana.
Most Effective Leadership Style
Grounded on the challenges faced by the characters in the film, including limited food supply, murder threats, and community differences, the servant leadership style would be the most effective. A leader must concentrate on serving the needs of the societal members first above their self-interests. In the film Hotel Rwanda, Rusesabagina, the protagonist, embraces the servant leadership approach through his decisions and undertakings as a manager of Hotel des Mille Collines (Hitchcott, 2021). The Tutsi refugees lack adequate resources, including water, and characters like Rusesabagina and Gregoire witness women being raped by Hutu militia. Rusesabagina faces pressure and threats from the Rwandan government and Hutu extremist groups but remains dedicated to promoting the safety and well-being of others despite their obstacles.
As a leader, Rusesabagina participates in bribing officials to acquire much-needed food for the refugees. One barrier the character encounters in the film is the lack of providing adequate security for the Tutsi asylum seekers (Beloff, 2022). Notably, personalities like Colonel Oliver, General Augustin Bizimungu, and Rusesabagina worked together to stop the Rwandan genocide. Even though Rusesabagina encountered the challenge of having minimal staff to cater to the needs of refugees, he empowered and motivated them to help address the impending needs of displaced people.
How Other Characters in Hotel Rwanda Film Perceive the Protagonist
To a great extent, to the Tutsi asylum seekers in Hotel des Mille Collines, Rusesabagina is viewed as a hero and a savior. Rusesabagina uses his rank as restaurant manager to obtain resources and safeguard them from the Hutu extremist group. His generosity and empathy toward displaced individuals inspire their loyalty and trust (Sinaga et al., 2020). Therefore, Tutsi refugees consider Rusesabagina as a person who cares for them and takes necessary measures to protect them. The Hutu militia and Hutu Lieutenant view Rusesabagina as an obstacle and a threat to their objectives. Rusesabagina actively works against their efforts to massacre the Tutsi people and deploys his network to secure help for the asylum seekers. In addition, the Hutu militia perceives Rusesabagina as a traitor to his community members and as an individual undermining the cohesiveness of the Hutu tribe against political impunity.
In addition, to the government officials, such as Colonel Oliver and General Augustin Bizimungu, Rusesabagina is viewed as a nuisance, making their job responsibilities more challenging. Rusesabagina repetitively defies federal orders to safeguard them against harming Tutsi refugees. Colonel Oliver perceives Rusesabagina as a rebellion, undermining his authority and making it harder for him to execute his military assignments (Hitchcott, 2021). At the same time, to his wife, Titiana, and child, Elys, he is perceived as a caring and loving husband and father, willing to risk his life to protect others and abolish moral decay in society. Therefore, to Titiana and Elys, Paul Rusesabagina is a servant leader, doing the right thing, despite the Interahamwe militia threatening to kill him, and they are willing to support his actions (Sinaga et al., 2020). In addition, to the United Nations and Red Cross officials, Paul Rusesabagina is viewed as an advocate and social activist willing to bring attention to the atrocities existing in Rwanda. He is a generous individual who uses his connections to secure assistance for asylum seekers, stop the massacre, and promote economic development in society while enhancing Hutu and Tutsi community cohesiveness.
Leadership Approach best Explaining the Protagonist’s Management (Traits, Skills, Styles)
The transformational leadership approach best elaborates on Paul Rusesabagina’s management in the Hotel Rwanda movie. To a great extent, transformational leaders motivate and guide their followers to achieve a specific goal while adapting to changing situations. Rusesabagina ensures peace prevails in Rwanda by uniting the government, extremist groups, and international community organizations despite their differences to protect the welfare of Tutsi refugees (Hitchcott, 2021). There are multiple core traits of transformational leadership exhibited by Rusesabagina in the film. Rusesabagina showcases a strong sympathy towards the Tutsi asylum seekers in his hotel, treating them with kindness and compassion and ensuring they are cared for by providing food and water to them.
In addition, Rusesabagina is a visionary leader, as he has a clear work plan for collaborating with his hotel staff and Hutu societal members to safeguard the welfare of the Tutsi people. Notably, Rusesabagina possesses decisiveness and adaptability traits, where he negotiates with extremist group leaders to ensure that Tutsi women are not sexually abused. He critically engages in alternative dispute resolution, and through his charisma, Rusesabagina convinces other individuals to help and protect the refugees, thus promoting his humanitarian agenda (Beloff, 2022). Nevertheless, several transformational leadership skills are possessed by Paul Rusesabagina to continue safeguarding the well-being of the Tutsi people. Rusesabagina is an active listener to help him comprehend the societal problems displaced people encounter and how he can work with Hutu militia and hotel staff to provide resources. Rusesabagina has outstanding interpersonal communication skills, making him collaborate with Colonel Oliver and Hutu lieutenants to curb the escalation of disputes between Hutu and Tutsi community members.
Leadership Tropes Represented by the Film and the Ones Offering Alternative Visions of Leadership Relationship
One of the typical leadership tropes in the film Hotel Rwanda is good overcomes evil. The Protagonist, Paul Rusesabagina, serves as a heroic and ethical leader who actively deploys his management capabilities to protect the Tutsi refugees from the wrong motives of the Hutu militia and Rwanda government. Even though Rusesabagina was a Hutu, he never supported his tribespeople in raping and killing the Tutsi people (Hitchcott, 2021). As a result, he collaborated with opposing groups and international community officials to promote the welfare of the Tutsi refugees. Another overused theme in the Hotel Rwanda movie is the ends justify the means. To a great extent, Rusesabagina is willing to deploy various methods, including bribing, manipulating, and lying to the Hutu extremist groups with alcohol and money to protect the displaced people. Rusesabagina believes that the end goal is saving the lives of Tutsi asylum seekers, thus justifying his undertakings.
Furthermore, another crucial leadership trope manifested in the film is love always wins. Rusesabagina has excellent care for and empathy for the refugees. He overcomes many obstacles, including facing death threats from Hutu militia and inadequate resources. Still, Rusesabagina remains dedicated to eliminating stereotypes that people from another ethnic group cannot help Tutsi societal members (Sinaga et al., 2020). Lastly, in the film Hotel Rwanda, another common theme is that sometimes leaders must be uncompromising in their decision-making and actions. Rusesabagina highlights the atrocities in Rwanda and actively engages with international community members to ensure the genocide events do not prolong.
Nevertheless, the leadership tropes that provide an alternative vision of management-relationship include love always wins and ends justify the means. Regarding ends justifying the means, Rusesabagina engages in active collaboration to build alliances with other leaders, including Colonel Oliver, to ensure he creates a support network for the refugees (Hitchcott, 2021). Rusesabagina remains resilient to control the pressure and engage in alternative dispute resolution to develop solutions to curbing the massacre in Rwanda. On the other hand, due to Rusesabagina’s love for the Tutsi asylum seekers, he persuaded the Hutu militia and the hotel staff to provide security and offer them resources, including food and water.
Conclusion
Leadership is the process of social authority manifested by influential people that maximizes the efforts of community members toward achieving a common goal. Through his adaptability, resourcefulness, empathy, confidence, and prowess to motivate others, he acts as an authentic leader in times of adversity. Effective leadership positively affects individuals’ freedom, making them adapt to transitioning situations and make pragmatic decisions to improve their livelihood. To a great extent, transformational leaders instruct and inspire their followers to achieve a specific goal while adapting to changing circumstances. Paul Rusesabagina possesses multiple transformational leadership skills, including active listening and interpersonal communication, to safeguard the Tutsi people’s well-being. One barrier the character encounters in the film is the lack of providing adequate security for the Tutsi asylum seekers. However, as a leader, Rusesabagina participates in bribing, manipulating, and lying to Hutu and Rwandan government officials to acquire much-needed food for the refugees.
References
Beloff, J. R. (2022). The arrest and trial of Paul Rusesabagina and its impact on Rwandan foreign affairs. Journal of Strategic Security, 15(3), 39-61. Web.
Center for leader development circa 2013. (2022). Center for Leadership Development. Web.
Hitchcott, N. (2021). Seeing the genocide against the Tutsi through someone else’s eyes: Prosthetic memory and Hotel Rwanda. Memory Studies, 14(5), 935-948. Web.
Sinaga, K. D., Saragih, A., & Bahri, S. (2020). Racism in Terry George’s movie Hotel Rwanda. Linguistica, 9(1), 237-242. Web.