Once he retired, he used his savings to buy the SS Minnow, and hired his “little buddy” as first mate. Skipper served in the United States Navy and saved Gilligan from being struck and killed by a runaway depth charge. While the island is close enough to clearly pick up Hawaiian AM radio transmissions, they’ve spent nearly three years on the island, waiting to be rescued. Skipper, his one-man crew, and his passengers were on a three-hour tour from Honolulu when a tropical storm left them shipwrecked and stranded. Tomorrow, I’ll continue my analysis of the characters, this time by looking at the show’s namesake, Gilligan himself.Living… on an uncharted island three hours off the coast of Honolulu. The WOWs among us, like the Skipper, keep trying, despite setbacks or failures, until they get it right. Being a successful leader often means encouraging and backing up your team, and continuing to push the boundaries to try new methods for achieving your goals. ![]() While on the surface, a positive, encouraging outlook may seem like a trivial or insignificant attribute, but in the business world, it can make all the difference in the world. He doesn’t give up and he doesn’t shoot down or belittle the suggestions and schemes from the team of islanders. Imagine how different the show would be if he was portrayed as a depressed, angry, or cynical leader who constantly reminded everyone how bad they had it and how they might never see civilization again.īeyond his overall positive demeanor and attitude, the Skipper displays positivity through his actions: every time there’s a remote possibility of devising a solution to get off the island, he excitedly gets behind the opportunity. The Skipper’s positive attitude and quirky smile gives him the amazing ability to keep a desperate situation from reaching paralysis. We’re often told about the benefits of a positive attitude, but the concept is often swept under the rug of negativism because it seems too simple to be a key leadership ability. Perhaps the most impressive WOW trait the Skipper demonstrates is his ability to remain positive, even under the most dire circumstances. The Skipper pushes for the positional leadership he possessed on the SS Minnow on the deserted island, but fails to persuade the others of the importance of a singular, strong shelter rather than numerous weaker, individual dwellings. Before The Skipper can convince the group to plan a strategy, the castaways set out to build their own huts, which can’t stand up to even a moderate storm. Early in the first season (Season 1, Episode 2: Home Sweet Home), he states, “We’ve got to function as a group.”īut while The Skipper’s WOW qualities include humility, caring, vision, compassion, and trustworthiness, he lacks an authoritative presence and voice. It’s apparent that he not only feels a sense of duty as the captain, but he has a genuine concern for the safety and well-being of the others. The Skipper, although not always taken seriously, tries to lead and keep the group safe. Although circumstances at sea prevented The Skipper from returning the passengers safely back to port after the storm, he was able to save the group as they were washed up on a deserted, uncharted island.Įven the show’s theme song backs up the importance of that fact, stating “If not for the courage of the fearless crew, The Minnow would be lost.” In addition, the lyrics, “The Skipper brave and sure,” remind us that the captain is in fact, a WOW leader in many ways. ![]() ![]() After all, the captain of any ship should serve as the ceremonial, positional leader of any team. The Skipper: As the captain of the SS Minnow when the group set sail on the infamous 3-hour tour out of Honolulu, it would stand to reason The Skipper would emerge as the group’s leader. Today, I’ll continue by highlighting some of the attributes of one of the most memorable of the castaways, The Skipper. I began my discussion of Gilligan’s Island leadership in yesterday’s post. Leadership lessons can be found anywhere, even in the most unlikely of places.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |