An Empire of Dreams A Look at Dynamic Leadership through the Exploration of George Lucas 1) For my topic I decided to explore George

Lucass style of leadership specifically during the time of the first Star Wars movies. A director is a great example of a dynamic leader and I believe that when Lucas began working on his Star Wars project he perfectly embodied what it takes to be a dynamic leader and continues to be one even today. The Setting A long long time ago in a place far, far away. (and by this I mean 1774, Hollywood, California) 2) Having just finished directing his very successful American Graffiti, Lucas began to work on what would later be known as the Star Wars Trilogy. At that time successful Scifi movies at best would only make 16 million dollars most under 10 million. With this in mind, Lucas knew he would be facing tough opposition from studios but this this did not stop him. 3) As you just saw one of the main reason Lucas is a role model for all upcoming directors, is that he had a vision and as unpopular as it was at the time he still stuck to his vision. One of the key characteristics of being a leader is being able to make unpopular choices. In addition, a good leader does not let denial stop him from accomplishing his goals. 4) Lucas spent an entire year writing the script for the Star Wars trilogy. The first two studios he proposed his idea to, Universal and United Artists, both turned him down. Although a mere speed bump this did not phase Lucas who eventually was able to convince 20th Century Fox to accept the project with the help of Alan Ladd, Jr. 5) Ladd, who was the Head of creative affairs for Fox at the time, stated that although he saw potential in the Star Wars idea, it was Lucas he was really investing in. This demonstrated Ladds confidence in Lucas as a director and a leader. 6) After Lucas got approval for his film, his first step was finalizing a script. Realizing that he could not fit the entire thing into one movie, Lucas made sure that he maintained the rights to make the two sequels. For him it was not about the money but instead seeing his vision realized. 7) He had so much passion for his vision that not only did he maintain the rights to the following movies but he also bargained for merchandizing rights mainly with the interest to advertise his movie since he thought the studio simply let his project die. Little did he know that those rights would eventually make him one of the wealthiest directors of all time. 8) One of the things that bothered Lucas about Hollywood was its complacency. At the time there were no special effects companies, Lucas changed all that when he created Industrial Light and Magic. Lucas brought together a mixture of different professions ranging from architects to engineers breaking traditional standards.

9) When it came to casting, Lucas decided to go with relatively unknown actors casting Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, and Harrison Ford for the lead roles. While Fox was worried but the casting choice, much like how Ladd invested in Lucas, Lucas invested in his cast and would not budge on the matter trusting them to see his vision through. 10) Then came production which is when problems arose, everything from malfunctioning props to hostile weather to faulty sound effects. It was here where Lucass dynamic leadership showed while dealing with multiple problems on a daily basis. By staying open minded and coming up with some creative solutions Lucas was able to fix a majority of the problems. 11) Another issue that arose was a crew and cast that remained doubtful of the project. Lucas was also weak when it came to giving specific directions to the actors, he would later remedy that problem. In the end it was Lucass steadfast approach and passion that drove the project forward. 12) The problems did not end for Lucas there, upon returning to Industrial Light & Magic studio, Lucas discovered that he had to film a years worth of special effects shots within 6 months. Lucas took up the challenge, leading the studios crew and finishing the shots in time. While the film came dangerously close to not being finished, Lucass leadership got the job done. 13) With everyones expectations low including to a certain extend Lucass, it was no surprise that everyone involved in the project was shocked when Star Wars became the first real blockbuster grossing more than $775 million worldwide. 14) It soon became a cultural phenomenon and blew audiences away with its realistic special effects. Star Wars would go on to be nominated for 10 Oscars winning 7, including Best Visual Effects, Sound, Editing, and Production Design. 15) Regardless of the success of this first Star Wars film, Lucas was ready to go with his sequels. Learning from his past mistakes, he realized that it would be too difficult for him to direct and produce too so he delegated that task to director and former teacher Irvin Kershner. 16) With the profit he accumulated from his first movie and later from his even more successful sequel, Lucas would go on to finance both episodes 5 and 6 himself. Lucas hated his work being tampered with by the large studio corporations and independently produced his movies through his own LucasFilm. 17) In addition to separating from corporate Hollywood, Lucas believed strongly in rewarding everyone on his crew. He split the profits of his movies with the cast and crew and plans to donate $4 billion dollars toward an Education based philanthropy, truly showing that for him it was never about the money. 18) Although Lucas for the most part stopped directing, he continued his work in production. In addition, to Industrial Light & Magic and Lucasfilms, Lucas work extends to companies such as LucasArt, the original Pixar, and Skywalker sound. All of which have greatly influence the way movies are made today, most recently ILMs Oscar nominated work on the blockbuster hit The Avengers.

19) Much like his character Obi Wan Kenobi, Lucas continues to be a mentor and guide to those in the film industry. Just last year Lucas selflessly sold the Star Wars rights to Disney so that his work may live on leaving the next Star Wars movie in the very capable hands of director J.J. Abrams. This once again demonstrates great leadership showing his ability to allow others to adapt and transition his work. 20)To conclude, Lucass passion and dedication to his vision allowed him to create one of the most successful franchises of all time but in addition to that it allowed him to completely revolutionize the film industry. George Lucass dynamic leadership style should be admired not only by aspiring directors but by all leaders.