LOST a Survival Guide to Leadership Theory

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DOI: 10.1177/1523422306298901 2007; 9; 251 Advances in Developing Human Resources

Billie Sudbrack and Sarah Trombley Lost: A Sur vival Guide to Leadership Theory

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Lost: A Survival Guide toLeadership Theory

Billie SudbrackSarah Trombley

The problem and the solution. Perhaps some of the most reveal-ing aspects about leadership can be evidenced through the examina-tion of leaders facing extreme challenges. J. J. Abram’s televisionprogram, Lost, provides a compelling backdrop for the study ofleadership during such times of trial. Each week millions of viewerstune in to watch the struggles of the passengers of the doomedOceanic Air Flight 815. Confronted with the constant struggle for sur-vival in the context of bizarre occurrences, the passengers begin todemonstrate and reveal their leadership qualities and skills.This articleanalyzes five different leadership theories (trait, skills, path-goal, leader-member exchange, and team) using eight different characters from thetelevision series to demonstrate leadership theory in practice. Thearticle concludes with different teaching activities for facilitators to usewhen teaching various leadership theories and practices.

Keywords: trait leadership theory; skills leadership theory; path-goalleadership theory; leader-member exchange theory; teamleadership theory; television

Take a minute to imagine that you are an airline passenger flying fromAustralia to the United States. Crossing over the Pacific Ocean, it is doubtfulthat you would be analyzing the leadership abilities of your fellow passen-gers. Now, imagine your airplane snapping into thirds—the tail, wing, andnose sections crashing miles apart on an isolated, uncharted island. At thispoint, your fellow passengers’ leadership abilities may become more impor-tant to you.

In the ABC television show Lost (Abrams, 2004), this scenario became areality for over 48 plane crash survivors. Their leaders’ abilities were criticalin providing guidance (Katz & Kahn, 1978) as they encountered the numerousday-to-day tasks and challenges of living on the island. According to NapoleonBonaparte (Famous-Quotes-And-Quotations, 2006, np), “A leader is a dealerin hope.” All of the leaders in Lost are true dealers in hope—hope for survival

Advances in Developing Human Resources Vol. 9, No. 2 May 2007 251–268DOI: 10.1177/1523422306298901Copyright 2007 Sage Publications



and hope for rescue. To create this hope, they engage in supportive,goal-achieving processes by influencing the survivors based on the situations’circumstances while in pursuit of their ultimate goals (survival and rescue).

According to Northouse (2004), “Leadership is a process whereby anindividual influences a group of individuals to achieve a common goal” (p. 3).This definition in combination with different leadership theories provides aleader with flexibility depending on the leader’s style, followers, and situation.This article analyzes five leadership theories (trait, skills, path-goal, leader-member exchange, and team) using eight characters (Jack, Locke, Sayid, Kate,Sun, Jin, Ana Lucia, and Eko) from Lost to demonstrate leadership theory inpractice. The article concludes with a lesson plan for instructors to teachleadership theory using Lost episodes as the visual medium. Before discussingleadership theory in the television show Lost, it is necessary to introduce youto the show and its main characters.

Synopsis: LostOn a beautiful day in Australia, passengers board Oceanic Air Flight 815

for what should be an uneventful trip over the Pacific Ocean. But midwaythrough the flight, the tail of the plane is ripped off and the plane crashes on alarge, remote island in the Pacific. Chaos and fear ensue. Passengers are dead,injured, and trapped in both the plane and under debris from the crash. As thesurvivors regroup, they hear a deafening animal roar from the interior of thejungle—they begin to fear that they are not alone on the island.

To uncover its secrets, the survivors explore a portion of the enormousisland’s steep mountains, dense jungle, and miles of beaches. The 48 wing-section survivors encounter genetically altered polar bears, a mysterious blackmonster, a group of kidnappers known as The Others, and a hatch that leads toan experimental bunker. Unbeknownst to these survivors, 23 tail-section sur-vivors are encountering the same challenges on the other side of the island ata far greater cost. When the two groups unite after 48 days, only four of thetail-section members remain.

As viewers watch the survivors’ daily struggle for survival, they glimpse,through flashbacks, the characters’ lives before boarding Flight 815. The flash-backs provide insight to the survivors’ thought processes and actions. In addi-tion, they show the survivors’ interwoven lives, leaving viewers with therealization that the survivors are all connected by “six degrees of separation”(Kleinfeld, 2002, p. 61). Ironically, the survivors are unaware of most of theseconnections; their concern lies in the present and the abilities of their leaders.Eight of Lost’s leaders include Jack Sheppard, John Locke, Sayid Jarrah, KateAusten, Sun Kwon, and Jin-Soo Kwon from the wing section of the plane andAna Lucia Cortez and Mr. Eko from the tail section.

Dr. Jack Sheppard (Jack), a spinal surgeon, brings integrity, foresight, andstrategic and medical skills to the survivors. He is torn by his altruistic instinct

Advances in Developing Human Resources May 2007252



to help others and his difficult relationships with those he loves. Howeveraltruistic, Jack is willing to do whatever it takes to ensure the health and safetyof his group, including manipulation, torture, and confronting The Others.

John Locke (Locke), a collections supervisor for a box manufacturing com-pany, has strong survival, hunting, tracking, and strategic planning skills. He isvery influential in his words and actions and is driven by a deep faith that fatecontrols the lives of the survivors and that the island chose them for a purpose.As a past victim of deception, manipulation, and control, he surrounds himselfin privacy and mystery to protect him from being victimized ever again.

Sayid Jarrah (Sayid) is an international military professional whoseemployers have included the Iraqi Republican Guard, U.S. Armed Forces,Australian Secret Intelligence Service, and U.S. Central Intelligence Agency.He is a very passionate man who listens to his heart and instincts, be it whiletorturing a traitor or in giving his heart and soul to a woman. Sayid’s military,interrogation, torture, electronic, and technological skills make him an idealleader during critical situations on the island.

Kate Austen (Kate) is a fugitive on the run for killing her abusive father.Independent, strong-minded, and not afraid of the unknown, Kate takes actionwhile others are contemplating options. She is a master at adapting to quicklychanging circumstances and influencing people. Kate’s mediation skills arecritical in combating the survivors’ greatest weakness: the inability of three oftheir primary leaders (Jack, Locke, and Sayid) to agree upon anything.

Sun Kwon (Sun), a housewife and member of the social elite from SouthKorea, appears to be a very passive, meek character; however, with time, herstrong, persuasive, natural leadership style emerges. Sun is torn by a desire tolive a life of independence and freedom and her love for her husband Jin-SooKwon. Sun’s ability to translate for her husband, her knowledge of herbal med-icine, and her social skills are invaluable as the survivors encounter challengeson the island.

Jin-Soo Kwon (Jin) is an enforcer for Sun’s father, a powerful South Koreanbusinessman who engages in blackmail, extortion, and murder to attain hisgoals. Raised a fisherman’s son, Jin brings ocean navigation, fishing, and sail-ing skills to the island. At first glance, he is very domineering and demanding;however, Jin is also a very caring, loyal individual whose skills and work ethicmake him a very effective leader when the situation arises.

Ana Lucia Cortez (Ana Lucia), an ex-police officer, is the unquestionedleader of the group of survivors from the tail section of the plane. She is out-spoken and distrustful and leads in a very militant style, providing informationon a need-to-know-only basis. Ana Lucia’s police officer training provides herwith experience in investigation, interrogation, and strategic planning.

Mr. Eko (Eko), a member of Ana Lucia’s group, is a powerful Nigerianwarlord who disguises himself as a priest to escape authorities. As a teenager,he saved his brother Yemi’s life by killing a man; as an adult, he inadvertentlycauses Yemi’s death during a drug run. Eko’s sheer power, tracking skills, and

Sudbrack,Trombley / LOST 253



deep faith that people are saved (spiritually, emotionally, and physically) indifferent ways lends to his strength as a leader. Instead of seeing evil in aperson’s actions, he seeks to understand purpose for the action and asks if theperson is able to forgive himself.

These eight characters’ strong leadership abilities are the key to saving thesurvivors from themselves and the dangers that lurk on the island. Through theiractions, this article analyzes five leadership theories. These include two leader-focused (traits and skills), one situation-focused (path-goal), and two socialdynamic–focused (leader-member exchange and team) leadership theories.

Traits Approach to Leadership TheoryTrait leadership theory explores the traits, qualities, and characteristics that an

individual must have in order to be a great leader (Northouse, 2004). Whileresearchers agree numerous traits are considered to be essential for an effectiveleader, Northouse (2004) identifies “intelligence, self-confidence, determina-tion, integrity, and sociability” (p. 19) as key leadership traits. In Lost, Sun, Eko,and Jack engage in leadership situations in which these five traits are visible.

Intelligence

Intellectual traits are a leader’s ability to use reason (Northouse, 2004).Jack’s intelligence was vital to the survivors’ health and safety. He moved themain camp away from the beach into a cave for shelter and protection (Episode106), and he subtly challenged Sawyer, a con man, to a game of poker toregain control of valuable medical supplies Sawyer hid (Episode 217). Anotherexample of Jack’s intelligence is when proper surgical supplies and medicinewere not available; he determined the only option was to keep two of the sur-vivors comfortable until their inevitable deaths (Episodes 119, 208).

Jack also used extreme intelligence in his confrontations with The Others(Episodes 212, 306). When The Others held Jack, Kate, and Sawyer prisoner,Jack created a situation in which the life of The Others’ leader (Ben) literallylied in Jack’s hands (Episode 306). During surgery to remove a tumor fromBen’s spine, Jack intentionally cut into Ben’s kidney sack, leaving Ben withone hour to live. Jack offered a trade: if The Others’ would release Kate andSawyer, he would repair Ben’s kidney sack and let him live. This move by Jackrequired not only intelligence but also a great deal of self-confidence.

Self-Confidence

Self-confidence is a leader’s belief in himself and his abilities (Northouse,2004). Jack demonstrated self-confidence immediately after the crash when hebegan organizing passengers, and it continues as he makes decisions throughout




the series. He portrayed an image that nothing could shake his self-confidence,which provided strength, courage, and hope to his followers.

Another example of self-confidence as a leadership trait can be seen in Eko.Confidence in himself and his abilities enabled him to overthrow a Nigerian war-lord. Once Eko became the warlord, his self-confidence had to be absolute andunwavering lest he be murdered by his followers and his enemies. On the island,these traits saved his life several times. During The Others’ second attack uponhis group of survivors, Eko killed one of his attackers in self-defense, a featenabled by his confidence in his fighting abilities and his will to live (Episode 207).It was this same confidence in himself and his innocence that enabled a deter-mined Eko to face the mysterious black monster without fear (Episode 305).

DeterminationIn addition to being an example of self-confidence, Eko is a prime example

of how a leader uses determination to meet a goal or finish a project at all costs(Northouse, 2004). When a bullet wound infection rendered Sawyer uncon-scious, Eko realized he had to take Sawyer to the doctor (Jack) as quickly aspossible. Determined to save Sawyer’s life, Eko risked his own life by takinga shortcut through The Others’ territory (Episode 208).

When Eko discovered that Charlie, a drug-addicted rock star, found a heroin-filled statue in a plane crash, he forced Charlie to take him to the crash site.Despite Charlie’s resistance, Eko’s determination was unavoidable and Charlietook him to the plane. Flashbacks revealed that this was Eko’s drug traffickingplane and that it contained his brother’s body. After burying Yemi’s body, Ekofound resolution and a determined purpose to build a church as a place for hopeand forgiveness for the survivors (Episode 219). Later, despite severe injuriesfrom a polar bear attack, Eko’s determination ultimately drove him to confrontthe mysterious force known as the black monster (Episode 305).

Integrity

Integrity refers to a leader’s ethical standards and abilities to be truthful (Nort-house, 2004). Before the crash of Flight 815, Jack made a difficult decision toreport his own father to the medical board after he realized his father performedan operation while intoxicated, which resulted in the death of a patient (Episode111). Once on the island, Jack provided medical care to individuals, regardless ofhis feelings toward them. When Sawyer was on the brink of death from a bulletwould infection, Jack’s 24-hour medical attention saved Sawyer’s life. The factthat Sawyer was Jack’s nemesis in the group of survivors attests to Jack’sunwavering integrity to do what is just, regardless of personal issues or feelings.

Jack continually did what he believed was ethical and best for the group,regardless of whether it required a personal sacrifice on his part. During thestandoff with The Others, Jack knew that the survival of the remaining survivors




was in part dependent upon Kate’s leadership and Sawyer’s skills (Episode 306).Jack also knew that by threatening Ben’s life, he would face severe conse-quences once Ben regained consciousness from his surgery. Yet Jack’s ethicsand integrity forced him to sacrifice his own life for the well-being of theremaining survivors.

Sociability

Sociability is the leader’s ability to create pleasant relationships with others(Northouse, 2004). Sun took the time to get to know the other survivors, anaction that significantly impacted the lives of those she loved on more than oneoccasion. Her ability to mediate and communicate with others was key to dis-mantling an explosive situation when Jin was accused of burning an escaperaft that was being built by several of the survivors. After Kate was exposed asa fugitive and ostracized by the survivors, Sun continued to be Kate’s friendand confidant (Episode 122). Sun’s sociability allowed her to become a cata-lyst in the re-creation of a trusting relationship between Kate and the other sur-vivors. While Sun’s leadership traits were subtler than Jack’s or Eko’s, she wasequally as important to the passengers that sought her out as a leader.

All three leaders had very different lives before they met and yet, despitetheir differences, they shared similar leadership traits. Traits alone, however,do not necessarily make great leaders. Because the leaders of Flight 815 strug-gled for the survival of themselves and their followers, their skills also becameapparent. Many of the characters demonstrated leadership abilities associatedwith the skills approach to leadership.

Skills Approach to Leadership TheoryAnother leader-focused theory is the skills leadership theory. This theoret-

ical approach describes the tangible skills that a leader must have in order tobe effective (Northouse, 2004). Three primary types of skill (technical, human,and conceptual) are necessary for leadership to occur and their level of impor-tance varies, depending on the situation (Katz, 1955; Northouse, 2004).

Technical Skills

Many of the leaders in Lost demonstrated technical skills, which tend to behands-on types of activities (Northouse, 2004). Sayid’s extensive technicalskills allowed him to create a transistor radio and radar system with which hehoped to contact civilization. Locke’s technical skills included hunting wildboars for food, gathering edible plants and, like Eko, tracking skills. Jin’s tech-nical skills provided food for the survivors and his sailing skills were used ina plot to attempt to overcome The Others.




Born a fisherman’s son, Jin’s fishing and sailing skills were invaluable tothe survivors. Jin’s fishing provided seafood for the survivors and in time, hetaught others how to fish, including Hurley, the uncoordinated lottery winnerof the group (Episode 113). Jin’s sailing abilities were requisitioned by Sayidto assist in a plot against The Others (Episode 223). Because Sayid did notknow how to sail and the sailboat’s owner, Desmond, was unwilling to help,the success of the mission was directly dependent upon Jin’s sailing andnavigation skills. In addition to technical skills, Jin and the other leaderspossessed invaluable human skills.

Human Skills

All of the Lost leaders demonstrated exceptional human skills. These skillsinvolved being able to communicate and work effectively with the other sur-vivors and The Others (Northouse, 2004). On numerous occasions, Kate’s com-munication and negotiation skills settled arguments between Jack, Sawyer,Sayid, and Locke. Locke’s skills empowered Charlie to face and conquer hisheroin addiction, not by forcing Charlie to quit but by giving Charlie the heroinand allowing him to choose his own path (Episode 107).

Jin’s human skills were remarkable. He was the only person on the islandthat did not speak English, yet he taught others how to fish (Episode 119) andassisted in constructing two escape rafts (Episodes 114–119). He also led asearch party for his friend, Michael, who was in the jungle looking for his son,Walt, who had been kidnapped by The Others (Episode 205). Sayid used hishuman skills to win the trust of Danielle, a woman who had lived in hidingfrom The Others for decades on the island (Episode 109). From her, Sayidlearned invaluable information about The Others and the island, which provedto be life-saving information when combined with conceptual skills.

Conceptual Skills

Though many of the leaders demonstrated conceptual skills, which involvedeveloping and understanding abstract concepts and ideas (Northouse, 2004),Sayid’s were the most notable. His skills ranged from developing a transistorradio and antennae receivers (technical skills) to creating effective strategicplans (conceptual skills). In the show’s second season, Sayid was involvedin several critical strategic plans that affected the lives of the entire group,whether they knew it or not.

After capturing a man in one of her traps that she set across the island inorder to protect herself from capture, Danielle turned the captured man overto Sayid. Sayid covertly interrogated the captured man, who called himselfHenry Gale (Henry), to determine if he was an innocent man or one of TheOthers (Episodes 214–218). At face value, Henry appeared to be a helpless




victim, yet Sayid’s experience, gut instinct, and abstract skills told him theman was lying. To prove the man’s guilt or innocence, Sayid went to find thecrash site where Henry indicated that he had buried his wife. Unfortunately forthe man who called himself Henry Gale, Sayid had the foresight to dig up thewife’s body. Instead of finding a woman’s body, he found the body of the realHenry Gale, exposing the captured man (Ben) as one of The Others. Sayidused the conceptual skills he developed over the years to be an effective leaderto prevent Ben from infiltrating the survivors.

Whether the leader uses learned skills or inherent traits, these leader-focused theories help provide insight about the leader. However, these theoriesdo not take into account how situations influence leadership. Situational theo-ries, such as the path-goal leadership theory, suggest that circumstances havea significant impact on what the leader does and how effective the leader is inany given situation.

Path-Goal Leadership TheoryPath-goal leadership theory, which focuses on the leader-follower relation-

ship, examines how a leader motivates a follower in order to accomplish a goal(Northouse, 2004; Schriesheim & Schriesheim, 1980). Path-goal theory isdependent on the leader’s ability to use directive-path, goal-clarifying, support-ive, participative, achievement-orientated tasks, and relationship-related behav-iors (Ayman, 2004; House, 1971; House, 1996). Ana Lucia, Locke, and Kateprovide excellent examples of how leaders use these behaviors to clarify goals,remove obstacles, and support their followers (Northouse, 2004).

Clarifying Goals

Ana Lucia is a prime example of a leader that clarified goals and kept herfollowers focused when pursuing their goal (Northouse, 2004). She was instru-mental in leading the tail-section survivors. After finding a list of names anddescriptions of the survivors that were kidnapped by The Others, Ana Luciaclearly defined two goals that were essential to the remaining group member’ssurvival: staying on the move and uncovering the traitor (one of The Others)among them (Episode 207).

The first goal was to move their camp on a continual basis to avoid beingambushed by The Others. Second, because there was a traitor among them, itwas imperative to discover who the traitor was before The Others captured theirremaining members. As they grew weary and tired of constantly living on themove, the survivors began to question Ana Lucia. She quickly reminded themof the children and adults that were kidnapped by The Others. She clarified thegoal, explaining that, until the traitor was exposed, they had no choice butto be on the constant move. Ana Lucia was ever vigilant in clarifying theirgoals to ensure the survival of the four survivors.




Removing Obstacles

According to path-goal theory, as followers pursue goals it is the leader’sresponsibility to remove obstacles that would prevent the follower from attain-ing the goals (Northouse, 2004). When the leader cannot remove obstacles, itis the leaders’ responsibility to guide the followers on a path around the obsta-cles or to introduce skills and knowledge so the followers can overcome theobstacles.

These are skills at which Locke excelled; he recognized the need for every-one to live off the land in order to survive, but he also recognized one majorobstacle that stood in the way. Most of the survivors did not know how to liveoff the land; therefore, Locke taught them the required knowledge and skillsto do so. Locke included people in his decision-making processes, thus remov-ing the barriers created when people felt they had no control. To remove self-doubt, Locke encouraged high performance in everyone. Whether it wasconstructing a baby crib, ending a drug habit, or recovering from the loss of aloved one, Locke encouraged people to face their fears and he challenged themfind the best solution to accomplish their goals. Locke’s actions in removingobstacles involved supporting his followers; however, Kate was also a key sup-porter and motivator for the survivors.

Supporting Followers

To be an effective path-goal leader, one must support and motivate follow-ers and demonstrate the expected behaviors and attitudes that are appropriateto achieve established goals (Northouse, 2004). The leader must find a way tomotivate and connect with followers to help them complete a task. Kate sup-ported her followers in a variety of ways, depending on the individualfollower.

Interestingly, Kate’s greatest impact was in supporting another leader, Jack.At one point, Jack gave up hope of rescue and in his abilities as the group’sprimary leader. It was through Kate’s support that he regained belief in him-self. Instead of giving Jack a pep talk, she took Jack to play a game of golf withother survivors (Episode 109). In doing this, she rejuvenated a connectionwithin Jack between himself and his followers. Jack realized how much theylooked to him for support and guidance; he realized that if he gave up hope,they would all give up hope. In this manner, Kate did not force Jack to con-tinue being a leader for the sake of the other survivors; instead she found a wayto connect with Jack and help him rediscover his own belief in both himselfand their goals of rescue and survival.

The survivors held Kate, Locke, and Ana Lucia in high regard, because theyenabled success in their followers by focusing on the individual followers andtheir circumstances (Elkins & Keller, 2003). Although the situation-focusedpath-goal leadership theory is more inclusive than the leader-focused theories,




it still does not take into account the influence and responsibilities of thefollowers. Theories that focus on the social dynamics between the leader,follower, and situation include leader-member exchange and team leadershiptheories.

Leader-Member Exchange TheoryLeader-member exchange (LMX) theory suggests that effective leadership

occurs when leaders and followers develop strong relationships with socialexchanges or transactions in which each party benefits (Burns & Otte, 1999;Graen & Uhl-Bien, 1995). Cooperation and communication are crucialbecause the leader has limited time and resources and must decide how toshare that with followers (Lee, 1997). This lack of time leads to the creationof in- and out-groups. According to LMX, there are three stages of leadership:the stranger, acquaintance, and partnership phases (Graen & Uhl-Bien, 1995;Northouse, 2004).

Phase 1: Stranger

The stranger phase is characterized by low-quality exchanges, contractualrelationships, leader-down exchanges, and self-interest motives by the groupmembers (Northouse, 2004). In this phase the followers do not necessarilytrust the leader, but they are willing to follow the leader. This phase is exem-plified by Kate’s non-negotiable actions during her initial encounters withthree of her in-group members, Jack, Sayid, and Sawyer.

When Sawyer pulled out a gun to shoot a polar bear that was chasingthem, Kate seized the gun as soon as the threat of the polar bear was gone(Episode 102). Due to her past as a fugitive, Kate refused to give the gun toany of the men. Kate was unrelenting and would not negotiate in this instance,despite their attempts to win her confidence and gain possession of the gun.Refusing to give possession of the gun to any one person, she dismantled itand gave them each a piece of the firearm. Kate took charge and defined theirrelationships; she was the leader and they were her followers. With time, Katebegan to offer resources and share personal information with each of the in-group members, leading to the development of a phase two relationship.

Phase 2:Acquaintance

The acquaintance phase is characterized by medium-quality exchanges, thetesting of relationships, mixed influences and exchanges, and a developingfocus on the overall good of the group (Northouse, 2004). In this stage,members begin to trust one another, while at the same time they test theirrelationship boundaries to determine if they can depend on one another.




During the acquaintance stage, Kate traded personal information with Jackand Sawyer, including the situation that led to her flight as a fugitive. A strongemotional bond began to form between Kate and the two men; a bond sostrong that at times each man was willing to give his life to save Kate. As ischaracteristic of phase two, this was not an entirely smooth process due to thetesting of roles and relationships. When Jack, Locke, and Sawyer excludedKate on a mission to confront The Others, Kate followed and was captured byThe Others (Episode 211). Over time, Kate, Sawyer, Sayid, and Jack learnedthat they could trust and depend on each other and that leaving any one of themout of the loop was disadvantageous to the lives of all of the survivors. As theybecame more highly regarded by one another, they moved to the third phase,partnership.

Phase 3: Partnership

The partnership phase is characterized by high-quality exchanges, negotia-tions, reciprocating influences, and group-interested motives (Northouse,2004). On the island, Jack and Sayid entered this LMX relational phase anddeveloped a valuable partnership. As partners, Jack and Sayid developeda strategic plan to attempt to overcome The Others. Their plan was highlydependent on trust and reliance in each other as well as the other followers andleaders involved in the attempt. Jack, Kate, and Sawyer began a journey acrossthe island to rescue another survivor who had been captured by The Others.In this journey, they realized one of their fellow survivors accompanying themon the rescuer mission could not be trusted and was leading them into a trap.Ultimately they made the decision, under Jack’s leadership, to not abort thejourney and be lead into the trap. As a result, The Others captured the three andtheir initial rescue attempt failed (Episodes 223–306). This instance is strongevidence that the three, along with Sayid, entered into the LMX partnershipphase. Their willingness to trust in each other and put their own fears andneeds aside for the greater good of the group is strongly seen through theirwillingness to knowingly be lead into captivity. While in captivity, Kate andSawyer were held in adjacent outdoor zoo enclosures and Jack was held in anisolated underground cavern. Despite their isolation while imprisoned, thethree remained loyal to one another and ultimately to the larger group of sur-vivors in their actions and the ways in which they communicated and dealtwith the actions of their captors, The Others (Episode 306).

In every instance that Jack, Sawyer, and Sayid complete a task thatimproves Kate’s and the other passengers’ chance of survival, the leader-follower relationship grows stronger. This supports Elkins and Keller’s (2003)idea that the followers’ reactions to the requests of the leader influences theleader’s perceptions of follower trust and loyalty. The more the followers actaccording to the leader’s request, the more highly the team leader regardsthem.




Team Leadership TheoryTeam leadership theory explains how a team leader understands and creates

a team, while guiding and maintaining team cohesiveness, that is effective inreaching an organization’s goal (Hill, 2004; Northouse, 2004). By monitoringinternal and external forces and taking action when necessary, the leader cre-ates a balance that enables teams to function at the highest possible level(McGrath, 1962). The leader and the group members do this by diagnosinggroup problems, repairing or remedying the problems, foreseeing environ-mental changes that would affect the group, and preventing negative changes(Northouse, 2004).

Diagnosing Group Problems

The team monitors how the internal group is functioning through informa-tion searches. They organize, analyze, and interpret that information to diag-nose problems within the group (Northouse, 2004). As team leaders, Jack, Kate,Sayid, and Locke continuously monitor each other and the survivors. They usethe gathered information to diagnose group problems. A key problem facing theentire group of survivors is not only their physical well-being but also theirmental health. When the survivors became restless and panicked, the teamleaders monitored and interacted with the group to determine the root causeof the panic. After discovering the group’s problem was created out of fear oftheir own safety, the team analyzed their options to determine how to repair theproblem and reinstated a feeling of security on the island (Episode 200).

Repairing the Problems

Once a problem is identified, the team must take the proper actions to repairor remedy the problem. They do this through facilitation, decision processes,interpersonal relationship management, and task accomplishment (Northouse,2004). After determining the problem was fear for their lives from the threatof The Others and the mysterious black monster, Jack delivered a motivationalspeech in an attempt to repair the problem. He promised the survivors that theywould all be safe and that they would all be alive to see the morning sunrise(Episode 201).

Forecasting Environmental Changes

In this stage, the team engages in networking, forming alliances, anddeveloping resource negotiations with others outside of their team (Nort-house, 2004). Through these actions, the team members are able to gainawareness of their surroundings and predict environmental changes. Sayid’salliance with Danielle provided insight to the mysterious black monster and




led to the capture and exposure The Others’ leader. Danielle explained thatthe mysterious black monster was the island’s security system (its way of pro-tecting its secrets) and that there were consequences if the monster wascrossed (Episode 109); she also explained the presence of The Others on theisland. Later, she contacted Sayid after capturing one of The Others in oneof her traps that she had set across the island in order to protect herself fromcapture (Episode 214). Through the networks formed with the survivors andalliances with outside individuals, such as Danielle, the team was able to fore-cast pending dangers and take action to prevent the negative changes fromoccurring.

Preventing Negative Changes

As the team predicts environmental changes, they are better prepared toadapt to upcoming changes. This preparation and adaptation allows the teamto prevent, or at least minimize, negative changes to the group. Daniellewarned Sayid that Henry Gale, the man Danielle had captured in one of hertraps, would deny his association with The Others, and it was this tip thatpushed Sayid to dig up the grave of Henry Gale’s “wife” and expose the cap-tured man as Ben, one of The Others (Episodes 218). If the team had releasedBen and taken him in as another survivor, the negative consequences to thesurvivors could have been devastating.

Whether analyzing through team, leader-member exchange, path-goal,skills, or trait leadership theory, there are an abundant number of examples thatillustrate leadership in the television series Lost. Jack, Locke, Sayid, Kate, Sun,Jin, Ana Lucia, and Eko all played key roles in the safety and health of the crashsurvivors from Flight 815. The combination of theory and a visual medium,such as Lost, can be used to effectively teach leadership development.

Leadership Development and LostPopular culture artifacts, such as this television series, can be powerful

instructional tools that provide visual examples of various leadership theories.Lost provides leadership course participants with numerous opportunities toview leadership theory in action. There are a variety of approaches that couldbe used to demonstrate trait, skills, path-goal, leader-member exchange, andteam leadership theories through this series. Table 1 (Leadership DevelopmentActivities Using Lost) provides examples of instructional activities that couldbe used in conjunction with Lost.

Viewing certain episodes or clips from the series can provide an understand-ing of how various leadership theories could be applied. In addition, reflectionquestions based on the clips enable participants to gain a richer understanding ofthe nature of these theories in practice. These questions should not only focus onthe different theories and Lost characters but also encourage the learners to




TA

BL

E 1

:L

eade

rshi

p D

evel

opm

ent

Act

ivit

ies

Usi

ng L

ost

Act

ivit

y L

eade

rshi

p Lo

stA

ctiv

ity

Type

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ivit

y D

escr

ipti

on

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ncep

tR

efer

ence

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ecti

ve

Wat

ch

Stud

ents

vie

w e

piso

des

LMX

Epis

ode

101:

Jack

;Tra

it th

eory

Faci

litat

ors

assi

st a

nd

epis

odes

tha

t of

Los

ttha

t sp

otlig

ht m

ain

Path

-goa

l the

ory

Epis

ode

107:

Lock

e;Tr

ait

theo

ryas

sess

par

ticip

ants

’ hi

ghlig

ht e

ach

char

acte

rs’ l

eade

rshi

p Te

am le

ader

ship

Epis

ode

102:

Kat

e;LM

X t

heor

yle

arni

ng.

lead

erab

ilitie

s.U

tiliz

ing

thes

e Tr

ait

theo

ryEp

isod

e 21

8:Sa

yid;

Team

lead

ersh

ip t

heor

yep

isod

es,f

acili

tate

a

Skill

s th

eory

Epis

ode

119:

Jin;S

kills

the

ory

disc

ussi

on u

sing

the

Ep

isod

e 12

2:Su

n;Tr

ait

theo

rydi

scus

sion

que

stio

ns

Epis

ode

208:

Eko;

Trai

t th

eory

prov

ided

in T

able

2.

Epis

ode

207:

Ana

Luc

ia;P

ath

goal

the

ory

Wat

ch s

cene

s St

uden

ts v

iew

clip

s fr

om

LMX

Epis

ode

306:

Jack

hav

ing

cont

rol o

ver

the

Faci

litat

ors

assi

st a

nd

that

hig

hlig

ht

the

show

allo

win

g fo

r Pa

th-g

oal t

heor

ysu

rviv

al o

f the

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ers’

lead

er;T

rait

theo

ryas

sess

par

ticip

ants

’ th

e fiv

e nu

mer

ous

lead

ersh

ip

Team

lead

ersh

ipEp

isod

e 22

3:Jin

’s ab

ility

to

sail

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at;

lear

ning

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ader

ship

th

eori

es t

o be

cov

ered

in

Trai

t th

eory

Skill

the

ory

theo

ries

a

rela

tivel

y sh

ort

peri

od

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s th

eory

Epis

ode

207:

Ana

Luc

ia d

efin

ed t

wo

key

feat

ured

in

of t

ime.

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cuss

ion

stra

tegi

es in

ord

er t

o su

rviv

e;Pa

th-g

oal t

heor

yth

is le

sson

ques

tions

list

ed in

Ep

isod

e 21

1:K

ate

is c

aptu

red

by T

he O

ther

s an

d Ta

ble

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n be

use

dJa

ck a

nd S

awye

r ar

e w

illin

g to

ris

k th

eir

to fa

cilit

ate

lives

to

save

her

;LM

X t

heor

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scus

sion

.Ep

isod

e 21

8:Sa

yid

disc

over

s th

e fa

lse

grav

e of

Hen

ry G

ale

and

expo

ses

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astr

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r;Te

am le

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ory

Ref

lect

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Stud

ents

vie

w c

lips

from

LM

XEp

isod

e 11

1:Ja

ck r

epor

ts R

epor

ts h

is

Stud

ents

hav

e th

e fa

ther

to

the

med

ical

boa

rd fo

r op

port

unity

to

jo

urna

lva

riou

s Lo

step

isod

es

Path

-goa

l the

ory

cond

uctin

g a

surg

ery

whi

le in

toxi

cate

d re

flect

on

thei

r

high

light

ing

each

lead

er.

Team

lead

ersh

ipow

n le

ader

ship

264



The

n st

uden

ts r

efle

ct

Trai

t th

eory

Epis

ode

306:

Eko

conf

ront

s C

onfr

onts

th

e bl

ack

mon

ster

thro

ugh

wri

ting

exer

cise

s Sk

ills

theo

ryEp

isod

e 20

5:Jin

lead

s Le

ads

sear

ch p

arty

for

char

acte

rist

ics

and

whi

ch le

ader

and

fr

iend

Mic

hael

re

late

the

m b

ack

to

lead

ersh

ip s

tyle

the

y Ep

isod

e 10

2:K

ate

dism

antle

s D

ism

antle

s ex

peri

ence

s th

ey

emul

ate

and

the

posi

tive

gun

to p

reve

nt fu

ture

pro

blem

s as

soci

ated

m

ay e

ncou

nter

in t

he

and

nega

tive

aspe

cts

of

with

hav

ing

a de

adly

wea

pon

futu

re o

r ha

ve

thei

r ow

n le

ader

ship

Ep

isod

e 12

2:R

emai

ns fr

iend

s w

ith K

ate

follo

win

g en

coun

tere

d in

the

st

yle.

Kat

e’s

expo

sure

as

a fu

gitiv

e;Su

n th

eory

pa

st.

Epis

ode

109:

Sayi

d’s

allia

nce

with

Dan

ielle

tha

t al

low

s

for

mor

e in

form

atio

n re

gard

ing

the

Oth

ers

Epis

ode

104:

Lock

e in

stru

cts

Inst

ruct

s th

e ot

her

pass

enge

rs h

ow t

o liv

e of

f of t

he la

nd;

Lock

e th

eory

Epis

ode

207:

Ana

Luc

ia p

rovi

des

Prov

ides

m

outh

-to-

mou

th r

esus

cita

tion

to s

ave

a yo

ung

pass

enge

rSt

rand

ed o

n a

Stud

ents

sim

ulat

e th

e LM

XT

his

coul

d be

a u

sefu

l ice

brea

ker

to b

egin

St

uden

ts b

egin

to

Des

ert

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nd

actio

ns n

eces

sary

to

Path

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l the

ory

disc

ussi

ons

rega

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ader

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in

fam

iliar

ize

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ulat

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surv

ive

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d Te

am le

ader

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conj

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with

ano

ther

act

ivity

to

them

selv

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ith

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land

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y ar

e pr

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ed

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t th

eory

rein

forc

e th

e di

fficu

lties

of l

eade

rshi

p in

st

rugg

les

asso

ciat

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with

spe

cific

atio

ns a

bout

Sk

ills

theo

ryha

rsh

cond

ition

s an

d ch

alle

ngin

g si

tuat

ions

.w

ith le

adin

g th

e is

land

and

obj

ects

in

divi

dual

s th

ey h

ave

at t

heir

in

diff

icul

t si

tuat

ions

.di

spos

al.S

tude

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mus

t cr

eate

she

lter,

find

food

an

d w

ater

,and

dev

ise

a re

scue

pla

n.

265




TABLE 2: Questions for Discussion

Leadership Outcomes of DiscussionConcept Discussion Questions (Bloom’s Taxonomy)

LMX Which character provides Comprehension of key Path-goal theory the best example of each leadership theoriesTeam leadership of the leadership theoriesTrait theory covered in this lesson? Skills theory Support your choice

with examples from the series.

LMX Motivation plays a critical Comprehension of motivationPath-goal theory role in LMX, path-goal, and and appropriate motivation Team leadership team leadership theory. techniques as they relate totheory In the scenes viewed, what key leadership theories

tactics, skills, or phrasesdid the leaders utilize tomotivate other passengers?

LMX What are the similarities and Analysis of leadership Path-goal theory differences in LMX, path-goal, theoriesTeam leadership team leadership, trait,Trait theory skills theory? HowSkills theory do the leaders in Lost

demonstrate the theories’similarities and differences?

LMX What are your personal Application of leadership Path-goal theory leadership characteristics? characteristicsTeam leadership Which Lost leader do you Trait theory relate best to in regards toSkills theory leadership characteristics?

Why?LMX What could each Lost character Evaluation of leadership Path-goal theory do to change or improve to characteristicsTeam leadership become a better leader?Trait theory What can you change orSkills theory improve to become a better

leader?

reflect on which leadership theory best describes them. Table 2 (Questions forDiscussion) provides suggested discussion questions to use in conjunction withteaching leadership theories through examples as seen in Lost.

ConclusionJack, Locke, Sayid, Kate, Sun, Jin, Ana Lucia, and Eko are all crash sur-

vivors who were struggling with personal issues after surviving a harrowing



ordeal in addition to being responsible for the survival of the remaining pas-sengers. Though each leader personified a variety of leadership theories, thisarticle focused on specific examples of traits, skills, path-goal, LMX, andteam leadership theories. In this work, trait leadership was demonstratedthrough the actions of Jack, Sun, and Eko. Skills leadership was demon-strated using Jin’s, Locke’s, and Sayid’s abilities. Ana Lucia, Locke, andKate were used to demonstrate path-goal leadership in action. Jack, Sayid,Sawyer, and Kate were used as examples in both the LMX and teamleadership theories.

Each demonstrated a variety of leadership theories, but no leadership stylecan be considered better or stronger than another. With multiple leadersdemonstrating different leadership theories, the survivors were able to workwith a leader that best complemented them and their needs. By understandingeach of these characters, leadership theories can be taught using creative andengaging methods. Through the combined use of lecture, popular culture arti-facts, and reflection questions, students are provided with multiple learningopportunities. They have an opportunity to not only learn about leadership the-ories and see them in action but also determine what leadership theory they,themselves, might be able to utilize.

References

Abrams, J. J. (Producer). (2004). Lost [Television series]. New York: ABC.Ayman, R. (2004). Situational and contingency approaches to leadership. In

J. Antonakis, A. T. Cianciolo, & R. J. Sternberg (Eds.), The nature of leadership(pp. 148–170). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

Burns, J. Z., & Otte, F. L. (1999). Implications of leader member exchange theory andresearch for human resource development research. Human Resource DevelopmentQuarterly, 10(3), 225–247.

Elkins, T., & Keller, R. T. (2003). Leadership in research and development organiza-tions: A literature review and conceptual framework. The Leadership Quarterly, 14,587–606.

Famous-Quotes-And-Quotations. (2006). Napoleon Bonaparte’s quote. RetrievedNovember 24, 2006, from: http://www.famous-quotes-and-quotations.com/leadership-quotes.html.

Graen, G. B., & Uhl-Bien, M. (1995). Relationship-based approach to leadership:Development of leader-member exchange (LMX) theory of leadership over 25years: Applying a multi-level multi-domain perspective. Leadership Quarterly,6(2), 219–247.

Hill, S. E. K. (2004). Team leadership. In P. G. Northouse (Ed.), Leadership theory andpractice. (pp. 203–234). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

House, R. J. (1971). A path-goal theory of leader effectiveness. Administrative ScienceQuarterly, 16, 321–338.

House, R. J. (1996). Path-goal theory of leadership: Lesson, legacy, and a reformulatedtheory. Leadership Quarterly, 7(3) 323–353.




Katz, D., & Kahn, R. L. (1978). The social psychology of organizations (2nd ed.). NewYork: John Wiley.

Katz, R. L. (1955). Skills of an effective administrator. Harvard Business Review, 33(1),33–42.

Kleinfeld, J. S. (2002). The small world problem. Society, 39(2), 61–67.Lee, J. (1997). Leader member exchange: The “Pelz Effect” and cooperative commu-

nication between group members. Management Communication Quarterly, 11(2),266–287.

McGrath, J. E. (1962). Leadership behavior: Some requirements for leadership train-ing. Washington, DC: U.S. Civil Service Commission.

Northouse, P. G. (2004). Leadership theory and practice. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.Schriesheim, J. F., & Schriesheim, C. A. (1980). A test of the path-goal theory of

leadership and some suggested directions for future leadership. PersonnelPsychology 33, 349–370.

Billie Sudbrack is the technical trainer for Crossroads Systems, Inc., in Austin, Texas.Her business functions have included trainer, technical writer, business analyst, projectmanager, and quality control/assurance analyst. Her training classes have includedhuman resource policies and benefits, OSHA safety, storage routers, and softwareapplications. She graduated with a Bachelor of Science from University of NorthernColorado. She is currently working on her master’s degree in educational humanresource development at Texas A&M University.

Sarah Trombley is a PhD student at Texas A&M University in the Human ResourceDevelopment program and full-time admissions counselor at Texas A&M University atGalveston. She holds a Bachelor of History from Texas A&M University. Her researchinterests focus on individual motivation and individual and organizational responses tochange.




LOST a Survival Guide to Leadership Theory

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