Ensemble Casts: A Veritable Buffet

I love Lost. It is infuriating and fascinating and clever and keeps me coming back.  I also love that the title works on so many levels.

It is not, however, a particularly good case study for management technique. With an ensemble cast, there are lots of case studies on good and bad management techniques.

I can't begin to cram everyone in here, and much as I love like Sun, Jin, Frank, Charlotte, etc. a lot of those story arcs aren't really relevant to my field of interest here.

Other characters are clearly not leaders or managers but you can watch their story development to see how management decisions unfold on the backs of those required to carry them out. Charlie is the perfect example of the flunkie who has some hidden talents but is largely ineffective and most enjoys complaining about his station in life, Sawyer and Kate might be good managers -- they certainly have some fine leadership qualities. But they have never inserted themselves into the role, and for the most part tend to represent those who function best outside a team until circumstance forces them to cooperate. Juliet is mostly a model employee -- skilled and competent, generally willing to go along with decisions rather than make them. Problem is, once she starts disagreeing, she doesn't assert herself; she just gets subversive and dangerous.

Hurley: Actually, of all the characters, Hurley probably has the best managerial skills. He is a strong lieutenant; he demonstrates compassion and keeps an eye on things and lets the brass know when something needs to be done. But he also knows his limitations. He recognizes he's not equipped to lead the charge, and he's perfectly OK with that. Tip: Find your niche and excel in it.

Richard: I would place Richard second in managerial ability. He is a trove of institutional knowledge. He has the ability to get hysterical people to calm. The fuck. Down. He has his finger on the pulse of the group and alerts those in charge when trouble is brewing. But, like Hurley, he is a consigliore. He has great power, his will often carries the day, but he does not carry out missions and he is not Boss. Tip: The longer you stick around, the more knowledge you have of where bodies are buried, and the more valuable you become.

Sayid: Where Hurley is the heart, Sayid is the mind. Smart, shrewd, and thanks to his training a damn fine judge of character. But he's also a loner, and his history inclines him to passivity. He often has the best ideas, but he doesn't stand up for them if they're challenged. He is content to be a project manager, and invaluable in the slot. Had he taken over the group when the plane crashed, it would have been a very different show. Tip: You can learn a lot from a stint in the militiary -- including that you'd rather not run the show.

Jack: Jack is a leader, but he is not what I'd call a manager. He looks around, chooses a course, and people follow him because he's making decisions. But he's not generally strategizing and he doesn't always make the best use of his resources. He reminds people that they need to function as a team, but his modus operandi is too hands-off for him to be team captain or coach. Put bluntly -- his interpersonal skills are often for shit. And he commits the cardinal sin of resenting his position and letting others know. But I don't think we can blame him, really. Kickass surgeons are not usually renowned for their team-player attitudes or for giving much credence to differing or second opinions. Tip: Know your people. You can be a strong and good leader without management skills or trust in your team, but eventually you will face dissension and your job will get a lot harder.

Locke: (I'm only counting the real Locke here. Not-Locke is a different character altogether.) Much has been made of the man-of-science/man-of-faith dichotomy between Jack and Locke. You don't need either to be a good manager, so I'll leave that exploration to others. But Locke also takes a different tack in his social role. He's not a leader per se, in that he doesn't stand up and direct people. He's a confident pragmatist who leads by example -- hunting, finding water, so on. He also has determination in himself and others, taking a personal interest in individuals such as Walt and Boone and pushing them to do more than they thought they could Charlie quits heroin! Walt gives his dad a chance! Boone builds stuff! But, of course, Locke is also gullible as all get out, and that blind faith has devastating consequences. Boone winds up dead. Heck, Locke winds up dead and by the time of his death, he is back to square one: broken, afraid, alone. Tip: "Don't tell me what I can't do" might be a good personal motto but it sucks as a leadership strategy. 

Ben: Oh, Ben.  Ben is such a mess. He is the Peter Principle at work in spades. A very smart person who probably truly believes he has the best of intentions, he is nonetheless more image than substance. He wants to do right by his leadership role, but he's bad at it. He wants to manage, but he makes bad decisions. He is petty and shrill. He is afraid and maintains his position by making other people afraid too. His team can't depend on him, his superior doesn't think he is worthy of advancement, and he gets lots of people killed, including his own daughter. I think he was probably pretty relieved when it all came crashing down on him. Tip: Know your limits. Weakness in a position of strength is death. 

Ana: Cop who got shot, and all the baggage that goes with that. Bossy, bitchy, vengeful. Fail. Tip: Don't shoot Shannon. Duh.

Eko: I find him fascinating. He can be selfless, but will kill without compunction if he has moral certainty on his side. He has learned from painful experience. He is the counterpoint to Ana. He's Sayid on the wrong side of the law. Tip: Confess your sins when called upon to do so.

Charles Widmore: Not a manager. He's the penthouse executive who hires other people to dirty their paws with management. Tip: Nice work if you can get it. 

But of course, the two who are really running the show are Jacob and Not-Locke. Well-matched in determination, wits, bravery and power, they are obviously two sides of the same coin. Not-Locke is, to all appearances, a tad sadistic and homicidal. Jacob is manipulative and kind of a dick about playing favorites. And to date, neither of them appears to have really clued anyone else into any of their long-term plans. I sure as hell wouldn't want to work for either of them.