What John Hughes and the Brat Pack Taught Me About Leadership

Leaders Gotta Lead. These three words sound simple enough. I try to live by that phrase every day. I also say it… a lot. I know my GoTo Foods colleagues are probably tired of hearing it by now, but it is true. There really is no magic formula to being a great leader. No one set of rules on how to behave as a leader or a checklist to follow and then check the box. Leadership qualities can be found everywhere – from the boardroom to the classroom, from the basketball court to the baseball diamond. Everyone we encounter has some type of leadership quality: some good, some bad, but all are something from which we can learn.

For the last year or so, I’ve been thinking a lot about leadership. It’s been a focus for the Executive Leadership Team, and we’ve been on a quest to inspire others within our company to lead, no matter their position or title. All this emphasis on leadership recalled an organizational communications class I took in college, where we studied all types of management, communications and leadership strategies. We studied Drucker, Jack Welch, Jim Collins. We read the Harvard Business Review and studied various management and communications theories. But the highlight of the class was studying the 80s John Hughes Classic, The Breakfast Club. The professor focused on the communications dynamics within the five main characters of the movie, and over the years, it has really stuck with me. Even more so these days as we navigate working in cross-functional teams, hybrid work environments and Zoom screens around the world.

If you haven’t seen the movie (or you haven’t seen it since the 80s,) allow me to set the stage. Five high school students from very different walks of life are all summoned for Saturday School, aka ALL DAY DETENTION. In addition to being bound in the school library all day, they are also given a written assignment: complete a 1,000 word essay on “WHO YOU THINK YOU ARE.” I don’t know about you, but I would have a hard time completing that essay today at 46 years old, much less as a high school student.  These students are thrown together in detention for various reasons (we learn their reasons as the movie goes om) and are nothing alike. As the story unfolds, you see the leadership qualities of each of them and how they complement each other well to achieve the task at hand.

Here's how the crew breaks down:

·        There’s Brian, the Brain, played by Anthony Michael Hall. He is a little nerdy, a little funny—awkwardly so – and he always seems to get picked on. He’s the kind of guy who you can see getting shoved into the locker.

·        There’s Claire, the Princess. She’s played by 80s Teen Queen Molly Ringwold. Claire is rich, popular, and seemingly gets everything she wants. She a bit spoiled, a bit conceited, but deep down, she just wants to be liked and live up to who everyone thinks she is and should be.

·        There’s Andrew, the Athlete, played by Emilio Estevez. He’s the jock; a State Championship wrestler who must live up to the expectations of his coach, his teammates, and his father  

·        There’s Allison, the Basket Case, played by Aly Sheedy. She’s silent the first 24 minutes of the movie, a tad neurotic and she came to detention willingly because she had nothing better to do.

·        Lastly, there’s Bender, The Criminal, played by Judd Nelson. He’s the anti-hero. Always in trouble, ever the rebel, the consummate bad boy. He’s rough around the edges but he is an 80s icon- flannel shirt, denim jacket, long hair, and combat boots. He’s pegged as a criminal with a severe dislike for authority.

Each of the five are different. Each of them thrown together to survive the day and accomplish a goal- write an essay. Sound familiar? People from all different backgrounds, experiences, and cultures. All with their own leadership qualities, good and bad.

If you’ve seen the movie, you know it was quite a day and like any group thrown together, they go through highs and lows. There are arguments, disagreements, laughter, tears, even a dance sequence. Eventually the characters come around, they get to know each other a little better, find they aren’t all that different. They even band together to help each other out. They became a team and they all exhibited leadership in different ways.

But I want to focus on the Criminal, John Bender. He was portrayed as a delinquent, but as the movie goes on, you begin to hear his backstory and understand his background, homelife and abuse from his alcoholic father. And like him or not, you have to respect his leadership style. He had strong leadership qualities-- authentic- and true to himself no matter what. He wasn’t afraid of conflict or to push others with a differing view (maybe sometimes he pushed a little too hard, but he was never afraid to challenge others, even if it made them uncomfortable.) He asked the hard questions, wasn’t afraid of the answers and helped them see things in themselves they didn’t even think were possible.

His authenticity even inspired the other kids to start probing why they have put themselves into the stereotyped constructs of society and in certain cliques. He urged them to be their true selves, and not who they think they should be with the labels that have been placed on them. He helps them unwind a bit with humor, was persuasive and at the end of the day, he developed relationships.

Sure, he was flawed. But aren’t we all? He was a bit guarded, and he used humor and sometimes mean spiritedness to mask what was really going on in his personal life. He certainly had his shortcomings, but despite that, he brought his authentic self and became the undisputed leader of this group of mismatched teenagers.

Bender also possessed a confidence, a swagger, that endeared people to him. That is often an overlooked leadership trait. Leaders must have a confidence about them. Their teams need to know that in times of crisis or unrest, the leader will have the confidence to KNOW they can solve the problem.

John Bender’s style, while seemingly unconventional, was effective. He brought the group together, helped them see the potential in themselves they may otherwise would not have, and toward the end, he even came to let his guard down a little bit. Heck, he even got the girl (and her diamond earring.)

Of course, we don’t know exactly happened after that fateful day in detention, but I like to think things changed a bit for The Breakfast Club. I like to think they all gained a little more confidence, figured out who they were, and even maybe spoke to each other in the hallways.  

Each of the characters had leadership qualities all their own. Some may have been a bit unconventional, but they all played a key role, leading the others and ultimately achieving their goal—surviving the day. It’s a good reminder that leaders come in all forms, and no matter the title or position, anyone can be a leader. That movie showed us that it takes all kinds of leaders to make a great team.

As you think about leadership and the various leaders you encounter every day on your team and within your organization, take notice of what kind of leader you are. How can you learn from them? Are you the Brain, the smart, introverted leader who can carry the team with his or her intelligence and awkward charm? Are you the Princess, who can charm others with her good looks, confidence and ahem, lipstick tricks (if you don’t know what I’m talking about, then please watch the movie.) Are you the Athlete, who has high expectations of himself and works hard to achieve them, no matter the cost? Are you the Basket Case, who can disarm others with her quirky demeanor, odd behavior and interesting (and crunchy) sandwiches? Or are you the Criminal? The rebel who brings his authentic self to every situation, can be a bit guarded but who encourages honest questions and introspection, even when it might not be popular?  Or are you a combination of some or all of them? And for those of you wondering, I am mostly Criminal, with a bit of a Princess and Basket Case thrown in.