LeadershipThe Princess Bride

By Jonathan Shogren

Featuring Vizzini

The Movie

• Based on the novel written by William Goldman• Produced in 1987 and directed by Rob Reiner• Comedic fairy tale• # 50 on Bravo’s list of funniest movies ever

Plot

• An old man reads his sick grand son the epic adventure story• Westley is a farm hand that works for Buttercup • They fall in love and Westley goes out into the world to build a

fortune so that they can get married• His ship is attacked by “The Dread Pirate Roberts” and disappears for

like 5 years• Buttercup reluctantly agrees to marry “Prince Humperdinck”• Before the wedding, She is Kidnapped

The Kidnappers

• Leader: Vizzini• Giant henchman: Fezzik• Expert swashbuckler: Inigo Montoya

Behind the scenes

• The Kidnappers are later found to actually be working for Humperdinck who plans to have Buttercup killed in order to start a war with a rival nation• In the middle of everything, The Dread Pirate Roberts pursues them: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ClzaP8HN2wc

Back to Vizzini (Leadership)

• During the pursuit, Vizzini gives orders to his minions• On the cliffs, he belittles Fezzik for being slow and threatens to fire

him• These are examples of the type of leader that Vizzini is• Task oriented, Transactional, and Transfermational

The Pursuit Continues

• Vizzini orders Inigo Montoya to wait for Roberts at the top of the cliff• He believes that there is no way that Montoya will be defeated

because he is “the best” swordsman in the world• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X3gfFVmw0kA

Vizzini’s Plan B

• After Montoya is beaten, Vizzni deploys his most intimidating weapon• He gives orders for Fezzik to crush his foe with a rock

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EE2TZAdoaS8

Leadership Analysis

• Vizzini has done a good job of delegating so far even though his plans have yet to be effective• Unfortunately, his influence is clearly fading because Fezzik ignores his

instructions and tries to fight the Dread Pirate Roberts man to man• This leads Vizzini to move to his last resort; Himself…

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U_eZmEiyTo0

Overall Leadership critique

• Vizzini obviously has great charisma in that he is able to manipulate his followers into doing everything he tells them• This an example of gaining followers but leading to a bad place• The result: Fezzik and Inigo Montoya are incapacitated and Vizzini is

dead.