How The Godfather is about Mentorship and Leadership

"I never wanted this for you. I work my whole life ... I don't apologize ... to take care of my family, and I refused to be a fool, dancing on the string held by all those big shots. I don't apologize ... that's my life ... but I thought that, that when it was your time, that you would be the one to hold the string. Senator Corleone. Governor Corleone." It seems like every line of The Godfather is extremely quotable, but these words from Marlon Brando are truly timeless. Every loving father wants to see his son succeed. The best fathers want their sons and daughters to surpass them. Some of the most successful people in the world came from wealthy families. Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg, and the Walton children succeed because their parents offered them opportunities to succeed. Bill Gates famously had access to one of the first computer systems in a school and went to Harvard. Zuckerberg had a coding tutor at age 11 and went to Harvard. The Waltons inherited, from their father, a behemoth of a company that crushes everything in its path. In the beginning of the film, Vito Corleone promises an undertaker, Bonasera, to rough up some thugs who assaulted the undertaker's daughter. Bonasera is weak, powerless and looking for help in a new country. For this, he chooses to go to a powerful man. The guidance that Vito offers Bonasera is much more subtle than his mentorship of other characters in the film. With Bonasera, Vito says that it is not fair to ask that the thugs are killed because the undertaker's daughter is still alive. Vito goes on to say that he wants Bonasera's friendship first and foremost, and suggests that Bonasera treats him with more respect. Vito is teaching the undertaker about how to influence someone's decision: without a relationship built on respect, it is hard to get someone to do something that is not directly in that person's own self-interest. Vito goes on to tell Bonasera that he will owe Vito a favor in the future, and now that Vito has gained the undertaker's respect, Bonasera is more than happy to reciprocate. On the day of his daughter's wedding, Vito tells Johnny Fontane, a famous singer, that he needs to act like a man and stop whining about his problems with a Hollywood producer who refuses to give him a big role in a big movie. Vito goes on to tell Fontane that, "... a man who doesn't spend time with his family can never be a real man." Advice and gifts are not to be taken lightly. They represent time, effort, and money: three crucial and limited resources that could be used anywhere. When someone offers honest mentorship to a mentee, it shows that the mentor cares about the development of his or her pupil. Vito is established early on in the film as a strong, respectable father figure. This is simply a microcosm of what his powers as a mentor truly are. He is able to help physically with the problems people come to him with, but he is also able to develop their minds in order for them to bring greater value to his organization and to their own lives. The entire film is about how Vito's leadership is threatened when he is nearly assassinated and how Vito must choose the next leader of the Corleone family. Vito's first choice is Sonny, a fiery man who is quick to violence and anger. Vito first sees strength in Sonny as a leader, but Sonny's quick temper leads to his downfall. Vito tries to align Fredo with a job in the casino business under Moe Greene. It isn't until Sonny becomes unavailable that Vito decides Michael could lead the family. Vito was conflicted about Michael taking his place as Godfather, because Vito believed Michael was destined for a life outside of crime. He believed that Michael's military background primed him to be a politician, which, in Vito's mind, would make Michael more powerful than Vito ever was. While Michael arguably surpasses his father in power, he ignores his father's wishes and becomes an even more ruthless criminal than his predecessor. Great mentors are not easy to come by, but when they appear, they should be valued greatly. In one's efforts to succeed, a mentor can save their mentee a lot of time and failure with a few words of advice. Vito's efforts to be a good mentor is a commitment that requires much patience. The mentor risks wasting time and effort on a student who is unwilling to listen or learn. Due to the fact that the story is about Vito raising his kids, his goal is to guide them not only to make the correct life decisions, but also to be the best people they can be. This mentorship is separate from the leadership that he demonstrates when he tells Sollozzo that he cannot be a part of the profits from the sale of heroin or when Vito sets an example for the heads of the New York crime families by calling for an end to the violence between the individual groups. In these instances, Vito is dealing with men who he sees as equals, rivals, and business associates. There is not the warmth or compassion we have seen when Vito talks to his sons or his mentees. When Vito speaks to his business associates, he must be strong if he wants to demand respect for his decisions. He does not pontificate, nor does he offer long-winded explanations of his reasons for his choices, but rather he lets his actions speak for themselves. That is true leadership. Nonetheless, mentorship is a form of leadership. A boss can develop his team and lead them to a brighter future by teaching them what he knows. The most successful people realize they need to delegate and the best managers know that their goal is to plan for obsolescence. Poor leaders keep their team in the dark and try to micromanage individual situations. When Vito Corleone gives Michael control over the operation, he lets Michael make his own decisions. When Clemenza and Tessio ask Vito if they can start their own family, Vito tells them that the decision is up to Michael. This is Vito's leadership and mentorship in action: he refuses to micromanage and relies on the strength of his own team.

Good mentors are powerful allies. They are hard to find, but they can greatly help one succeed. They can be bosses or just helpful associates and friends. When you find one, make sure you utilize and value that mentor.

I have had the great pleasure of having a number of amazing mentors in my life from producers, agents, managers, entertainment lawyers, story editors, financiers, other writers, my parents and my sister.

When they do me a favor, I'm like Bonasera: I'm more than happy to reciprocate.

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