Henry V advises modern leaders

By JULIE MIDDLETON

Henry V, English warrior king from 1413 until his death in 1422, is apparently a man we can all learn from - at least in the glorified version put on paper by William Shakespeare.

Despite his penchant for hostile takeovers, Henry V is seen by many as the greatest leader described by theatre. And British actor Ben Walden is in New Zealand for the first time to elaborate.

Walden, aged 30 and a leading man on television and in theatre - he was the young Martin in the BBC's Martin Chuzzlewit - is in the country primarily to judge a schools Shakespeare festival.

But he will also be showing the corporate world something he is "passionate" about, arts-based leadership education. This movement even has a name - mythodrama.

The course he is taking in New Zealand, Stepping into Leadership, is aimed at those new to the role.

It blends management development techniques and theatre training, using Henry's actions as a template for thought.

No knowledge of Shakespeare is required; stand-alone extracts offer fodder for analysis.

His rabid nationalism aside, says Walden, Shakespeare's Henry is a model of leadership for his good management of people while under pressure. There are seven crucial things he does in the play leading up to the decisive battle.

* He shows visible leadership, mixing with his soldiers rather than hiding amid kingly opulence at a distance.

* He has a private confidant, his brother Gloucester, to whom he turns rather than ignoring the looming crisis.

* He takes time on his own for reflection.

* He accepts criticism - and those of his soldiers are sometimes severe.

* He takes a break from the weight of responsibility - "otherwise," says Walden, "he'd need two months off for a stress-related illness."

* He reasserts his vision "because he really thinks [the invasion of France] will be for the greater good even though it could end in potential disaster. He will stand firm to inspire the troops."

* He acknowledges the fear everyone is feeling, but inspires the troops to victory despite the English being heavily outnumbered.

All Henry's techniques "help him to to stay strong in desperate circumstances when everything around him is chaos."

It is, says Walden, all about "turning the battlefield into a garden."

The course also analyses a range of the play's personalities, from supporters and critics to "full-on" traitors.

It also allows a look at the "inner traitor, the parts of your psyche that say "you're not up to the job."

In teaching the course, Walden does not encourage Henry-style hostile takeovers.



"We're into ethical business," he says.

But surely you can't draw meaningful life lessons from what is largely fiction?

Walden demurs: "The reason he has lasted 400 years was because all Shakespeare plays have an enormous amount to teach us about life - or no-one would watch them.

"People can draw it down to the level of their company, and translate that to the commercial world."

And stories, he says, go "right back to ancient tribalism. After food and procreation it's the next closest thing. People love stories - but they have trouble admitting that they do."

Demand continues unabated, says Walden, "because it seems to really help people, it seems to really get them to think."

It's proof, he says, that the arts and business worlds have much to teach each other - and need a relationship governed by more than the state of the economy.

"There's not enough communication between the arts and business.

"To build bridges, introducing them to each other's world can have mutual benefit. We find it fruitful for the two worlds to come together."

The melding of Shakespeare with business had its genesis in 1997 in London.

The Globe theatre reopened with a production of Henry V, chosen as it was believed to be the first play staged in the original Globe in 1599. Concurrent workshops with community and business leaders analysing Henry V's relevance to the modern world were enthusiastically received, says Walden.

When approached to develop a course, Cranfield University school of management initially thought the idea crackpot, says Walden. Four years later, it is solidly backed by Cranfield, and in demand from organisations ranging from the British police to the BBC.

And there's more to come: other Shakespeare plays, such as Julius Caesar, The Tempest and Hamlet, are being developed as springboards for discussion of other business issues.

* Stepping into Leadership, June 7, KPMG, Princes St, Auckland, 9 am-noon, $600. For more information contact Dawn Sanders at the Shakespeare Globe Centre NZ on (025) 283-6016.

Henry V - the story.

The Archbishop of Canterbury, worried about impending legislation that would effectively rob the church in England of its power and wealth, persuades Henry V to forgo this pursuit in favour of laying claim to France.

Henry means to take the throne of France by whatever means, and arranges for an army to invade.

However, rebellion has always followed when the king's away, and Henry makes certain that he leaves behind in England enough troops to quell an uprising. That leaves him with a relatively small invasion force.

Meanwhile, Lords Cambridge, Scroop, and Grey are discovered to be conspiring to assassinate Henry (paid for by the French). Henry makes a public example of all three, executing them.

The army then lays siege to Harfleur, capturing it after heavy losses. The French are certain that they can teach the young king a humiliating lesson.

In camp, Henry disguises himself as a soldier to mingle with his troops before the battle. The men may be wary of their king, but their willingness to battle the French is undaunted.

The next day at Agincourt, Henry makes his stirring St Crispin's Day speech ("We few, we happy few, we band of brothers"), knowing his army are outnumbered five to one.

Aided mightily by the longbows of his archers, Henry routs the French. According to the terms of the Treaty of Troyes, Henry will marry Princess Katherine of France and be named heir to the French throne, uniting their countries.