Discovered Leadership in Groundhog Day

Film analysis of acquired leadership in Groundhog Day

by Robert Tucker, MBA student

Leadership qualities acquired—Servant Leadership, Transformational Leadership, Trust, Extraversion, Self-confidence, Humility, Enthusiasm, Authenticity, Dignity, Emotional Intelligence, Courage, Social responsibility, and Adaptability

Directed by: Harold Rains

Produced by Trevor Albert and Harold Ramis

Story by Danny Rubin and Harold Ramis

Starring: Bill Murray, Andie MacDowell, and Chris Elliott

Distributed by: Columbia Pictures

Released: February 12, 1993

The protagonist, Phil Connors played by Bill Murray, begins the film as a cynical, sarcastic news reporter covering an event he considers beneath him and generally worthless. It is a reenactment of the legend of the groundhog on February 2^nd. In the film, the city of Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania has a ritual they perform on Groundhog Day each year. The film opens with Phil the groundhog seeing his shadow and Phil Connors, the weatherman, delivers a final few statements that sound vague and uninteresting with more than a hint of facetiousness. On their way out of the city, they encounter a snowstorm that forces them to return to the city until the storm clears. Phil Connors spends the night in a motel only to wake up and begin repeating the previous day. The nightmare has begun. He repeats the same day over and over yet remains aware of the previous day’s events unlike everyone else he encounters.

As his incredulity sets in, he finds himself in anger blaming everyone else around him. He inflicts violence and despair in an attempt to share his own pain and discouragement. The outward anger becomes self-directed and results in a series of suicide attempts only to wake up the each day alive and well. Meanwhile his relationship with area townspeople and coworkers begins to develop and he finds himself falling in love with a coworker named Rita.

He has a kind of psychological journey in the film that moves through several stages—confusion as to his situation, anger at his trappings, selfish needs, a sense of hopelessness, and then finally selfless compassion. One of the classic moments among many occurs in a bowling alley where Phil Connors is talking to men while drinking beer:

Phil: What would you do if you were stuck in one place, and every day was exactly the same, and nothing that you did mattered?

Other guy: That about sums it up for me!

A turning point in the film occurs when he finds an old homeless man dead. His inability to change that event caused a triggering episode of change. With the change, comes a desire to improve, to help, to lead others and to make a positive difference in the world. While the city stays the same each day, he progresses into a solid citizen and leader of other people.

He does not accomplish his goals through speeches or dramatic events. He does not seek to manipulate, alter, or make a big public splash. Instead, through individual service and dedication to righteousness, he begins to impact the people around him. He also develops his personal skills to the level of admiration and high application. Not as simple as deciding to be a good person, he recognizes that improved skills in sculpting, music, auto mechanics, emergency techniques, and commitment to altruistic behavior causes him to work diligently at his own abilities.

The end of the film he has arrived as a person of selfless behavior, a leader of people, a sacrificial and contributing member of society, and a popular public figure. Phil Connors began as a cynical, selfish, arrogant, and barely restrained anger at his life, and then transformed into a benevolent and compassionate leader of others. In the process he finds his soul and ultimately his happiness which is exuded in all that he does.

Groundhog Day contains many life lessons certainly beneficial for anyone and the depth of the film makes it a modern classic with a fairly wide and loyal following. It seems to span generations and withstand the test of time, making it one of the most enduring films of the last part of the 20^th century. But for our discussion, rather than articulating the many life lessons and the comedic moments, we will focus on leadership both negatively and positively.

Phil Connors displays virtually all the qualities of a non-leader early in the film. His selfishness, rude behavior, ubiquitous sarcasm, despair, and completely uncompassionate attitude toward all represent the highest in poor leadership. In many ways, Groundhog Day is a study for how not to be a leader. Phil Connors deplorable treatment of people, while likely a manifestation of his self-directed hatred, reminds viewers of certain leaders who seem to have no interest in remaining “people” oriented.

A recurring motive of Ned Ryerson, the obnoxious insurance salesman, begins with Phil Connors demonstrating no interest in Ned’s sales pitch and later stepping into a puddle only to be laughed at by Ned. This event serves as picturesque reminder of Phil’s general apathy toward other people. The step into the puddle is a form of foreshadowing of the negative events that will subsequently follow. When he learns to avoid the puddle, it is a type of leadership of learning from one’s mistakes. By the end of the film, he is eager to visit with Ned and eventually purchases life insurance.

Phil Connors seems to have no appreciable skills in anything other than sarcasm and a quick wit. He is obviously intelligent but uses his intelligence to demean other people and cast disparagement on their interests. The entire town is beneath him and he has no interest in anybody except himself. But as the film progresses, Phil decides to learn how to play the piano. Many piano lessons later, he is able to play on stage and demonstrates pianistic skill to the great admiration of others. Good leaders have leadership abilities but they also usually have specific skills they have developed through discipline.

In Groundhog Day Phil Connors displays a progression into many of these traits. He moves from pompous conceit into self-confidence, from sarcastic pride into humility, from harsh criticism to a sense of humor, from suspicion to trustworthiness, from negativity to enthusiasm, optimism and warmth, from falsehood to authenticity, and finally from introversion to a form of extraversion. The journey from anti-leadership to positive leadership is actually stunning and serves as a vital lesson for all prospective leaders. But the process itself is not the whole story.

Blended into this journey is the value of building relationships. A careful look at Groundhog Day demonstrates the process of what is called “relationship-oriented attitudes and behaviors”. The fifth behavior mentioned is called “Giving emotional support and encouragement.” There is a scene where Phil encourages a young couple to get married by assuring her that Fred was the right person for her. He then gives them tickets to Wrestlemania, further demonstrating his altruism toward others. 

By the end of the film, Phil Connors practiced a type of Democratic leadership as he worked to give authority to the entire city. The trust he earned in the process came through in a unified support from the townspeople of the city. He empowered them by sacrificing himself for others, thereby demonstrating an egalitarian and democratic approach to leadership. In the errands scene near the end of the film he: 1) Saves a young man from falling from a tree, 2)Fixes a flat for three ladies, 3) Makes an ice sculpture, 4) Buys life insurance, 5) Quotes poetry and gives allegorical meaning to Groundhog Day, and 6) Saves a man from choking,  In other words, he reaches out and allows other people the joy of success and to have meaning in their lives.

When Phil Connors becomes trapped by the situation which is out of his control, he becomes shaped by the situation and over time alters his behavior in response to his situation. He must somehow have recognized that his escape hatch was to improve his own character and make a difference in lives in the community. His leadership method found fruition through the application of social responsibility, personal expectations, and valuing traditions.

We often read about ethical leadership behaviors that include integrity, paying attention to all stakeholders, building community, and respecting the individual. In addition we learn about the entitlement mentality that sometimes pervades the practices of business executives. Phil Connors works diligently to respect all the individuals in the community, to unify the people through equal treatment, and to avoid the trappings of arrogance and power. He gives because it is right to do so, not out of selfish motivation but rather out of a growing recognition of the human benefits of selfless leadership. Rather than expecting anything in return, Phil practices goodness comfortably and frequently, without any motivation other than feeling responsible for other people. 

The byproduct of the practice of ethical leadership behavior was a kind of infectious attitude that pervaded the community. Phil Connors drew from the natural compassion of the people and they in turn responded back with kindness and optimism to him, in a type of sharing the wealth. There are many examples of “socially responsible and ethical” behavior, and there are many such events in Groundhog Day. Most of the initiatives are accomplished in the film.

1. Provide strategic leadership of social responsibility and ethics

a.      Phil Connors desires to help the homeless man by feeding him and saving his life

b.      Phil supports the ritual of Groundhog

2.      Create a pleasant workplace

a.      He helps prevent a falling tray in the diner

b.      He adds to the social environment in the hotel

3.      Place company interests over personal interests

a.      He provides piano entertainment at a fundraiser

b.      He learns how to do ice sculptures

4.      Provide training in ethics and social responsibility

a.      He is a model for social responsibility

b.      He serves as a spokesperson for the community

c.       He fixes flats

5.      Engage in philanthropy

a.      He gives money and tickets to others

b.      He supports fundraising events

Two more general events are worth nothing in Groundhog Day. One is to mention all the suicide attempts. Leadership is neither about nihilism nor despair. Followers look to leaders for courage, hope, and optimism. When Phil Connors sought to end his life and end the tragic circumstances of reliving the same circumstances each day, he in effect represented the highest form of non-leadership that is available. His transformation includes an eradication of any hint of self-destruction.

The second event worth noting is the oddly allegorical legend of the groundhog. The groundhog leaves the ground on February 2^nd. If he sees his shadow, he becomes frightened and returns for 6 weeks of cold weather. But if he does not see his shadow, he feels liberated and the weather responds in kind as winter dissipates toward spring. All this represents a nice legend that has very little application to reality.

But looking at this a different way, we find allegorical truths with leadership application. In Plato’s Allegory of the Cave, for many years people live in the caves and are shackled to each other and to the walls. In this condition they can see shadows of the reality above them as they pass by the light outside of the cave. Over time, the shackled people come to view the shadows as reality, unaware they are but shadows of the actual events taking place outside of the cave. When the people are released and encounter the truth, they are uncomfortable and prefer the shackled condition where they can live without knowing the truth. Their truth may not be the reality, but it is truth to them. 

Obviously this magnificent but ambiguous story has the potential for a variety of interpretations. Yet using this idea in Groundhog Day for Phil Connors’ particular situation, we find a man living in his own preferred reality of happiness. The little groundhog in the movie, comes out of the box, sees his shadow which then guarantees winter for six more weeks. This is a simple little story and rather entertaining at the beginning of the film.

Yet what if the groundhog were actually afraid of the shadow because he preferred the darkness of his previous existence? He was frightened of the light, of the truth, and enjoyed his life underground in a dark state. He preferred the world of being shackled by the darkness and avoiding the reality of light and consequently of shadows. The shadow reminded the groundhog of what he did not have, which for the groundhog was an unacceptable reality.

For Phil Connors, who was content with his sarcastic, cynical, self-imposed hatred and general disdain for life, he had lived for so long with apathy, rudeness, and arrogance, that he actually preferred the darkness of the world. When he was forced to relive the same day over and over, he compulsively had to confront his own dark nature, a nature comprised of the coldness of winter. When he finally recognized the darkness in which he had lived for so long, he began to desire the light of the world. The light, however, could only be acquired through selfless conduct, unbridled compassion, and acts of kindness. As the light shone brighter, his old self was discarded and replaced by hope and optimism. He accepted and ultimately embraced the new reality of his world and thus was brought back to the correct passage of time. But upon his return, he was renewed, never to return to the darkness of the past.

Although there are some leadership abilities that are innate, many skills can be acquired either through education or through a steady process of experience and dedication. Groundhog Day serves as a reminder to all of us that there is no need to remain in a quagmire of selfish arrogance and steady self-destruction. There is always room for positive leadership in the world as exemplified by the transforming power of the life of Phil Connors in Groundhog Day.