Jared Cohen, played by Simon Baker in Margin Call (2011) is the Head of Capital Markets in a fictional Wall Street brokerage (Goldman Sachs?) firefighting the consequences of the global financial crisis. Cohen is a sleek, assertive if slightly ‘cocky’, and perfectly groomed character that assembles first emergency risk meeting in the middle of the night with the CEO Tuld.
“Cohen looks 15, but is a killer” (at his job).
Sure, it’s a film, but one well researched and acted. Many people who work (ed) on Wall Street said that it correctly portrays behaviours, attitudes and power games of the industry.
Would Cohen still make it today?
To be considered for seniors roles, leaders have to demonstrate executive presence. Typically, this is a combination of:
- Gravitas (are you taken seriously)
- Strong Communications Skills
- The ‘Right Appearance’.
The question is, do we still value the same leadership traits as we did a decade ago?
The business environment (political, economical, social, technological) has changed and with that, our expectations of what ideal leadership looks like has shifted.
Confidence and Decisiveness are still what we strongly value in leaders within Gravitas (Hewlett, HBR, 2024). But, what we expect from out leaders today is more of:
- Inclusiveness: appreciation and support.
- Respect: treating people with dignity and understanding of different backgrounds.
The research was conducted across industries. It would be interesting to see if a CEO in the Finance Industry such as Cohen, would also ‘kill it’ elsewhere.
I believe in the Finance Industry, Cohen would still make it – he is too smart not to.
Image: Simon Baker, Demi Moore, Margin Call 2011.