What We Learn from Captain John Miller

Saving Private Ryan is one of those movies that I have seen many times. I have lost count of the number of times.  I have been thinking about a couple of things.  The first is that close reading principles could be applied to watching movies many times.  The second was the leadership lessons that could be highlighted.

Tom Hanks plays the character Captain John Miller.  Toward the end of the story, we discover that in civilian life, he was a high school English teacher.  Based on what we see from his character throughout the film, I surmise that he would be a fine teacher; in fact, I believe that Captain John Miller would make a fine principal or school leader.  Here are my thoughts and parallels from Captain Miller leading men in battle and how it might apply to school leadership.

Captain Miller knew the goal or target and kept his eye on the target.  His "mission" is to find James Ryan and bring him out of the dangers of the war so that he could go home.  The big overall target was defeating the forces of Hitler.  Many times the smaller or immediate mission overlapped the larger overall one.  He always justified the actions that led toward achieving the overall mission.  As a school leader daily decisions are made.  Each of these has to be made with eyes on the overall goal of improving student achievement.

Captain Miller had an inspiring personality.  The men he led were of different backgrounds and beliefs.  Their reasons for being in the army probably varied as well.  He was able to get men to do things that seemed impossible.  This is quite present in the battle scene coming off the beach on D-Day and the culminating battle on the bridge.  As a school leader, it is helpful to be able to engage people and get them to believe in themselves.  Morale can go a long way toward a positive school culture.  A positive school culture can contribute to student learning.

Resourcefulness was a character trait of the Captain.  Many times throughout the mission, he and his men found themselves with limited resources in manpower and weapons.  With his leadership, they were able to improvise and be able to succeed.  It seems that in schools, we never have everything that we desire.  There can always be a justified need for more material or more people.   A principal has to make skillful decisions that put people and materials in the places that will yield the highest results.

Captain Miller demonstrated throughout the film that he was a servant leader.  I believe that the most effective school leaders share the same trait.  A servant leader doesn't ask anyone else to do something that he/she would not do him/herself.  Captain Miller asks much of his men, and he asks much of himself as well.  His men are placed in danger, and he places himself in danger.  It is apparent that he is well respected but also well-liked.  The magnetism of his personality and his humanity shine when Riven balks at the decision to move on after several comrades are killed.  Miller knows just how to quell the problem.

Calm confidence shines.  Captain Miller and his men are in the chaos of battle many times.  I'm sure it could be easy to freeze or shirk away from decision-making and responsibility.  Captain Miller calmly makes decisions and acts.  This calmness under fire is illustrated in his men who also act the same under extreme pressure.  School leaders, thankfully, are not met with many life-and-death decisions, but a crisis that is small could easily escalate into something major if not dealt with calmly and appropriately.

Captain Miller did not survive, but I am certain that he could have returned to his civilian life as a teacher and been an effective school leader.