Lessons on Leadership from HBO's Succession

When I was in coach training, homework included watching Daniel Day Lewis’ portrayal of Lincoln in the 2012 film, a case study of extraordinary leadership. These days, with article after article of post-mortem analyses of HBO’s “Succession,” I offer a sliver of Episode 9, “Church & State,” as a leadership case study of what NOT to do if you’re the boss and your direct report tells you she’s thinking of leaving.

Initially, the boss (Kendall Roy, on the left) responds with “fine, of course you can leave,” with a passive tone that quickly descends into aggression. Then, he turns on her and makes it all about him, assuring her she won’t ever get the kind of opportunity she got from him. Then, he insults her by declaring her actions to be “very juvenile” and that she’s being “dumb.” Finally, he adds further insult to injury by chastising her for giving him this news on the way to his father’s funeral, when in fact, she had suggested they not discuss the matter till the following week. His petulant response? “This is a lovely day to tell me this. Very thoughtful.”  Sometimes, learning what NOT to do can be a powerful lesson.