Home>Peeling back the layers: 12 angry men, one dilemma, and the art of decision-making
14.12.2023
Peeling back the layers: 12 angry men, one dilemma, and the art of decision-making
One murder, one defendant, 12 jurors and a verdict to give: welcome to 12 Angry Men, a cinematic masterpiece that hasn’t aged a day since it was released 60 years ago. Unfolding in a series of arguments and rebuttals, Sidney Lumet’s film serves up a blinding snapshot of decision-making craft, relentlessly prompting us to reflect on the way in which experience, doubt, instinct and rational thought all impact on how decisions are taken. It’s a far cry away from self-help personal development books, but just how deep does it go? We met up with leadership expert Eric-Jean Garcia, associate professor and co-director of the Executive Master at Sciences Po Executive Education, for a closer look at the film.
A timeless tale with universal reach
Inspired by screenwriter Reginald Rose’s own experience of jury service, 12 Angry Men started off as a TV drama before being adapted for the stage and making its way to the silver screen in 1957 courtesy of Sydney Lumet. And while the Hollywood movie is the best-known version, the narrative continues to fuel a never-ending stream of stage, film and TV adaptations around the world. The story is often referenced in hugely successful series such as CSI1 and The Simpsons2, too. “The secret to its long-standing success is how masterfully the plot is woven and how its underlying theme – the death penalty – resonates universally,” explains Éric-Jean Garcia. “The jury features an extremely broad range of stereotypical figures, allowing a wide audience to identify with the characters, too. And finally, the film is an ode to non-hierarchical leadership in which subtle charisma and deft negotiation are both artfully deployed. This style of leadership proves as effective as it is appealing, and is embodied in Juror #8, played exquisitely by Henry Fonda. This non-conformist ultimately succeeds in swaying the jury into considering the accused as being ‘presumed innocent’ rather than ‘presumed guilty’ by planting seeds of doubt and challenging the other jurors’ preconceptions and gut instincts.”
A blow-by-blow dissection of the decision-making process
Jurors shifting from doubt to certainty, intuition and rational thought clashing, tangling and colliding, urgency simmering beneath the surface: 12 Angry Men brings many of the decision-making process’s core components to the screen. The film also illustrates how challenging it can be to unpick a dilemma – a challenge that company directors will be all too familiar with. “Confronting dilemmas is part and parcel of the director’s experience, because the easier decisions are generally taken in the heat of the moment,” notes Éric-Jean Garcia.
While none will feel quite as radical as the death penalty or an acquittal, decisions stemming from business dilemmas require a certain amount of bravery: the courage to stand by any negative consequences your decision might have. So does intuition play a part? For Éric-Jean Garcia, it’s a no-brainer. “Intuition can sometimes be an unvoiced conviction. In fact, I think Juror #8 is convinced the accused man is innocent right from the very start, because in his pocket is an exact replica of the murder weapon, which the prosecution claims is unique. But intuition isn’t formed in a vacuum. It’s the result of a trajectory, further fuelled by experience. A rational approach can hinder decision-making, in fact,” he continues. “This can happen when you set out to try and understand and control everything. This type of attitude can become counterproductive, especially when time is short. In other words, there is no one-size-fits-all model for making the right decision. Decision-making amidst uncertainty can call for intuition, rational thought and an objective approach, but ultimately what makes the difference is your ability to be discerning.”
A discerning mind: the cornerstone of effective decision-making
Discernment is a prerequisite for any kind of judgment call. It involves making a distinction between what’s factual, what’s rational and what’s emotional and requires a solid understanding of the decision-making context, compliance with a certain set of ethics and consideration for third-party interests. In 12 Angry Men, the jury’s deliberations are the perfect example of this. “Throughout his interactions with the other jurors, Henry Fonda cleverly manages to introduce an element of doubt without ever seeking to change their way of reasoning, nor ever directly refuting their arguments,” Éric-Jean Garcia points out. “It’s a particularly effective manipulative technique that gradually creates a positive dynamic, in turn sharpening his peers’ sense of discernment.”
Unfortunately for budding company directors, while discernment is key to making smart, responsible decisions, there’s no one theory or equation that can help you learn it. “Discernment is an approach to reasoning, a way of processing information, a method of considering the stakes and putting them into perspective. And while it may seem complex, this way of thinking isn’t set in stone,” says Éric-Jean Garcia. “It’s something that changes over the course of a lifetime, provided you’re able to tap into your life experiences: a faculty that is fairly rare, according to philosopher and sociologist Edgar Morin. Experience stems from your ability to revisit and learn from events, extracting constructive lessons from them that you then use to change and deepen your way of being and doing things. It’s a demanding process of continuously working on yourself.” In short, learning to build on your experiences to nurture your sense of discernment may well be the best way for company directors to foster their social skills and sharpen their decision-making abilities.
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1. 11 Angry Jurors, CSI, 2004
2. “The Boy Who Knew Too Much”, The Simpsons, Season 5 – Episode 20
