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In Disney’s the Lion King, there are a number of characters that could be considered transformational or great leaders such as Mufasa, Simba or Rafiki. However, one character that stood out on the opposite end was Scar, who used strategy and calculation to take on the role of leader within the tribe. Northouse (2016) notes that the toxic side of leadership takes place when a leader uses their leadership for personal ends. In the movie Scar hatches a plan to get take the leadership role from Mufasa through several strategic actions. First, he persuades Simba to go to a place where stampedes are common, then he gets the hyenas to spark a wildebeest stampede, and finally tells Mufasa where his son is in hopes they would both perish and he could take the throne (IMDB.com, 1994). While Mufasa was able to save Simba and appeared to be almost to safety, Scar took matters into his own hands and pushes him off the mountain into the stampede. To ensure Simba would not take his rightful place, Scar told Simba the entire incident was his fault and encouraged him to run and never return (IMDB.com, 1994).
Scar’s coming to power is a clear example of destructive leadership at play. Destructive leaders have charisma and use both power and coercion for personal gain (Northouse, 2016), which are exactly the tactics Scar’s character used to take the throne. Padilla, Hogan, and Kaiser (2007) explain that destructive leaders use charisma, personalized use of power, narcissism, negative life themes, and an ideology of hate to pursue their goals. Scar used narcissism and an ideology of hate as motivators to kill his brother and take power of the tribe. In this way, Scar was extremely effective as a leader using manipulation to reach his main goal. However, he also was a clear example of how destructive leaders impact others around them. In the movie, Simba did run away and did not come back until he was an adult lion. Shaw, Erickson, and Harvey (2011) point out that many victims of poor leadership suffer from stress that is similar to post-traumatic stress syndrome (PTSD). In addition to feeling shame and guilt, Simba could have felt a form of PTSD, which helps explain why he was fearful to return to the tribe.
While Scar’s character really takes toxic leadership to the extreme, I think there are several takeaways I can apply in future leadership situations. Looking at all types of leaders provides us with different perspectives on our own leadership style and development. Developing an awareness of how a toxic situation can develop is key. When in a leadership role, what are my motives in any particular situation? There have been situations where I have had a tendency to develop an ideology of hatred, which resulted from being burned out and mentored by other destructive leaders. However, being self-aware has helped me to recognize when my behaviors are leaning more toward the destructive end. By continually reflecting and asking for feedback, we can ensure any toxic tendencies are corrected and replaced by constructive methods.
References
IMDB.com. (1994). Synopsis for the Lion King. Retrieved from http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0110357/synopsis?ref_=ttpl_pl_syn
Northouse, P. G. (2016). Leadership: Theory and practice (7th ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Padilla, A., Hogan, R., & Kaiser, R. B. (2007). The toxic triangle: Destructive leaders, susceptible followers, and conducive environments. Leadership Quarterly, 18(3), 176–194. http://doi.org/10.1016/j.leaqua.2007.03.001
Shaw, J. B., Erickson, A., & Harvey, M. (2011). A method for measuring destructive leadership and identifying types of destructive leaders in organizations. The Leadership Quarterly, 22(4), 575–590. http://doi.org/doi:10.1016/j.leaqua.2011.05.001
