By Stacey Duke and Monika Byrd
Based on the true story of a woman who stumbled upon a corporate cover-up that resulted in the largest direct-action lawsuit in U.S. history, Erin Brockovich convinces us that the good guy can still win.
When Erin Brockovich’s lawyer fails to win her personal injury lawsuit, the unemployed, single mom guilts him into giving her a job at his law firm. Erin, portrayed by Julia Roberts, is a rough-around-the-edges character who doesn’t really fit in at the firm.
While filing documents in the office of small-time attorney Ed Masry (Albert Finney), Brockovich starts asking questions about a pro bono real estate deal. The case involves corporate giant Pacific Gas & Electric and the residents of Hinkley, a small community that has battled years of illness due to the contamination of its water supply. Brockovich decides to investigate the corporate cover-up on her own.
The movie’s battle between right and wrong can be applied to the study of ethics in leadership in Unit Ten of the Leadership Development Studies text. The text points out that “so much of what a leader does affects others and sets the ethical tone for the entire group.” The leader’s values, influences, and life experiences all shape the ethical position an individual assumes each day.
In his article, “Ethical Leaders: The Wide and Easy Way,” Ronald W. Roskens points out that leaders can choose the easy way out, or they can attempt to apply ethics to their decisions and actions. He states, “True leaders are principled individuals, who assume their positions because they have earned the respect and, in a certain sense, the allegiance of others.” This type of leader strives for excellence and a sense of what is best for an individual or community. Brockovich tirelessly and persistently works in the community to earn the allegiance of its residents, and she earns it through her diligence, compassion, and passion about the issues.
According to Roskens, ethical behavior goes beyond adhering to the precepts of a profession. The leader must also have character — “a respect for self, and others; a willingness to sacrifice for the common good; a sense of civic responsibility; the relentless pursuit of truth; basic honesty; and an intolerance for anything less than adherence to the highest standards.” Even Brockovich’s rough edges can’t conceal her values and character as she relentlessly pursues Pacific Gas & Electric and works to guarantee the best, and in her opinion, the only solution for the community. As she works toward the goal of clean-up and retribution for the families of Hinkley, Brockovich is very clear about her “intolerance for anything less than adherence to the highest standards;” in a memorable scene, she verbally eviscerates the attorneys for PG & E and she tells an exasperated attorney about to take a sip of water, “By the way, we had that water brought in special for you folks. It came from a well in Hinkley.” Brockovich leaves no doubt for anyone about what she believes is right. She is direct, confrontational, and assertive. She is also incisive, specific and personal with her emotional stories of the devastating health problems of specific plaintiffs. Her style is unconventional in the corporate and legal world, but she obtains standing in it through her convictions.
The movie, Erin Brochovich, contrasts the ‘wide and easy way’ chosen by PG & E with the devotion to the highest standards that Brockovich displays. For PG & E, it was cheaper to dispose of chemicals illegally; company officials were more concerned about profit than about people’s lives. Brockovich reminds us that ethics are not a matter of convenience; they shape every part of our behavior. As Roskens points out, “true leadership is more than a matter of superhuman conduct under circumstances of extraordinary stress.” A strong leader will instinctively choose the “right” actions, even in simple situations.
The wide and easy way can look so appealing. It takes a strong leader to take the road less traveled and make the choice to stand behind his or her convictions of what is right or wrong.
