Spoiler alert! I finally got around to watching the 2012 movie, Flight, starring Denzel Washington. I really enjoyed the movie and I think that Mr. Washington is a great actor. It is a story about an airline pilot who saves a plane from crashing and killing everyone. The plane does have a crash landing and six people die. However, it turns out that the pilot, Whip Whitaker (played by Mr. Washington) was high on drugs at the time. The pilot union hires a hotshot lawyer and tries to cover up the fact to save the union and to keep the airlines from going under because of large settlements. In the end, Whip turns honest and tells the truth for which he does prison time.
The movie depicts the struggles someone that is addicted must go through to hide their addiction while trying to continue to function at work. In the movie, the pilot finally comes clean after years of telling lies. That is not only very rare but it is very difficult. It is easier to lie than to face the reality. Richard Nixon is a good example. He lied to the American people. It was easy for him to tell the big lie because he had a lot of practice telling little lies all his life. Practice makes the big lie easier.
An interesting part of the movie, for me at least, occurs as the pilot union rep and whip’s lawyer decide to let Whip have cocaine just before testifying to the NTSB in an effort to sober him up enough to look presentable. They both knew he was drunk or high when the plane crashed, but they were willing to cover it up. That was dishonest, but they drew the line there. Now, when confronted with a drunken pilot, they crossed the line by helping him get cocaine. They struggled with their decision, but having gone so far with the cover up, they were committed with continuing their dishonesty. The pilot’s confession left them out in the cold.
I wrote about values and honesty in my e-book, Leadership for New Managers: Book Two. It is not easy to be totally honest all the time. Ask Santa Claus if you don’t believe me. Here is part of what I
wrote:
Leader/managers of integrity consistently follow clear principles. Organizations rely on
leader/managers of integrity that are honest in word and deed. Leader/managers are honest to others by not presenting themselves or their actions as anything other than what they are, remaining committed to truth. To instill values in others, leader/managers must demonstrate them.
The movie depicts the struggles someone that is addicted must go through to hide their addiction while trying to continue to function at work. In the movie, the pilot finally comes clean after years of telling lies. That is not only very rare but it is very difficult. It is easier to lie than to face the reality. Richard Nixon is a good example. He lied to the American people. It was easy for him to tell the big lie because he had a lot of practice telling little lies all his life. Practice makes the big lie easier.
An interesting part of the movie, for me at least, occurs as the pilot union rep and whip’s lawyer decide to let Whip have cocaine just before testifying to the NTSB in an effort to sober him up enough to look presentable. They both knew he was drunk or high when the plane crashed, but they were willing to cover it up. That was dishonest, but they drew the line there. Now, when confronted with a drunken pilot, they crossed the line by helping him get cocaine. They struggled with their decision, but having gone so far with the cover up, they were committed with continuing their dishonesty. The pilot’s confession left them out in the cold.
I wrote about values and honesty in my e-book, Leadership for New Managers: Book Two. It is not easy to be totally honest all the time. Ask Santa Claus if you don’t believe me. Here is part of what I
wrote:
Leader/managers of integrity consistently follow clear principles. Organizations rely on
leader/managers of integrity that are honest in word and deed. Leader/managers are honest to others by not presenting themselves or their actions as anything other than what they are, remaining committed to truth. To instill values in others, leader/managers must demonstrate them.
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