Scar: The Danger of Charismatic Leaders (The Lion King Film Analysis)
The traits that made Scar, a lion, able to inspire devotion to him in hyenas; the natural enemy of lions.
In Disney’s The Lion King, one of the main events of the film is Scar taking over the Pridelands with the hyenas at his back. He becomes king with a move that utilizes the use of a clan of hyenas, which are natural enemies to lions. He unites all the hyenas along the outskirts of the Pridelands, convinces them to join his cause, kills the incumbent king Mufasa using a wildebeest stampede, banishes Simba out of the Pridelands, and stages a coup d'état to take over as king. How was Scar able to take over the Pridelands and rule for years before Simba returns and takes the throne?
The answer is simple: Scar is a quintessential example of a charismatic leader. Now, some might argue that charismatic leaders are negative for society, which can be true. Charismatic leaders in time past, such as Maximilien Robespierre, Adolf Hitler, Napoleon Bonaparte, Genghis Khan, have wrought havoc upon the world and caused the deaths of millions. Scar is no different to any of these leaders in time past. Hence, charismatic leaders can be very dangerous to follow.
Firstly, we must define what a charismatic leader is, and we start with a definition of charisma, which is:
Charisma is an individual’s ability to attract and influence other people. While it is often described as a mysterious quality that one either has or doesn’t have, some experts argue that the skills of charismatic people can be learned and cultivated.
-Psychology Today
A charismatic leader is thus able to attract and influence on a mass scale. Their aura, magnetism, and ability to incite emotion to the masses is what inspires such intense devotion in others. This ability to influence is what makes charismatic leaders so dangerous, as they can direct people to do things they never thought they would do. Mass suicides driven by cult leaders are good examples of this, and in a sense, Scar is a cult leader.
However, a disclaimer is in order: not all charismatic leaders are dangerous and a harm to society and civilization. Positive examples of charismatic leaders include Christopher Columbus, Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jr., Winston Churchill, Abraham Lincoln, and so many others. All of which have helped make the world a better place. For the purpose of this piece, we will be focusing on the dangers that charismatic leaders can potentially bring and how they can use charisma for destructive purposes.
So now we analyze how Scar used his charisma to take over the Pridelands, and we will examine what he does in his takeover and rule:
How Scar Took Over The Pridelands
In one of the earliest interactions we see Scar have with the hyenas, he speaks to them in a soft, indulgent tone, with a touch of superiority and condescension. We see that Scar has already built a connection with the hyenas, which makes them easier to influence. In fact, we get a glimpse into what the hyenas feel towards Scar, when Banzai the hyena says the following about Scar:
“Not you, Scar, I mean you’re one of us! I mean, you’re our pal!”
-Banzai
This statement tells us that the hyenas feel a sense of kinship with Scar. They feel that Scar really is one of them. They feel that Scar understands them and their plight. How was Scar able to make this connection with the hyenas? He used his past to relate to the hyenas. As a lion at the “shallow end of the gene pool”, as Scar puts it, and as the subordinate lion to King Mufasa, he is somewhat an outsider within the Pridelands, or rather, inhabits the periphery of the lion hierarchy. Scar does not command the respect and devotion from the other lions the way Mufasa can, and this makes him an outcast, much like the hyenas that have been banished to the “shadowy place” beyond the Pridelands. Scar makes that connection and makes it clear to the hyenas that he is one of them, which inspires loyalty and comradery from the hyenas.
However, Scar is still higher in the hierarchy than the hyenas, and the hyenas know it. Scar is more intelligent, has more resources, has better social skills, and is more physically powerful than the hyenas individually. This makes Scar the leader of the hyenas, as people naturally follow the strongest and most competent individuals of the group. Shenzi the hyena also says the following about Scar:
“Ooo, I like that! He’s not king but he’s still so proper.”
-Shenzi
By drawing the hyenas to his personality and inspiring devotion and loyalty, Scar demonstrated an intense amount of charisma. The fact that he was able to influence the hyenas, a lion’s natural enemy, to his cause and vision, is a testament to his magnetic personality and his charm. A charismatic leader must be able to draw people in with his vision, unite people with his rhetoric, and work people’s emotions using drama, theatricality, storytelling and aura.
Theatricality is a key weapon in a charismatic leader’s toolkit, which we see Scar use in the scene when he sings “Be Prepared”. Throughout the song, Scar uses steam, bright and ominous colours, elevated platforms, and iconic symbolism in the form of a dark crescent moon in the night sky, to send his message home and to imprint it into the hyenas hearts. By dazzling the audience and lowering their defences by inducing a state of awe, charismatic leaders are able to sway the crowd in the direction they want. Charismatic leaders are expert performers for the crowd, and Scar truly does put on a good show to inspire and motivate his subordinates.
Striking imagery and grand symbolic gestures create the aura of power — everyone responds to them. Stage spectacles for those around you, then, full of arresting visuals and radiant symbols that heighten your presence. Dazzled by appearances, no one will notice what you are really doing.
-Robert Greene (The 48 Laws of Power)
We also see Scar use phrases and mantras to play on the hyena’s emotions and imprint his message into their minds using simple and easily digestible language. His main selling point as to why the hyenas should ally with him is demonstrated when he says:
“Stick with me, and you’ll never grow hungry again!”
-Scar
Scar uses the hyena’s hunger and deprivation from their physiological needs by virtue of their situation outside of the Pridelands to inspire them to action. He also plays on the hyena’s desperation for food and safety, their hatred, resentment and pent-up rage towards the lions and their circumstances, and their envy and insecurities from being at the bottom of the hierarchy to mobilize them into a unified movement. Scar shares the hyena’s desire for dominance and recognition, although of course the hyenas need for basic necessities takes precedence over all, and we clearly see Scar’s slogans and promises seeping into the hyena’s heads during the song:
“Meticulous planning (we’ll have food), tenacity spanning (lots of food), decades of denial (we repeat), is simply why I’ll (endless meat)”
-Scar (hyenas in brackets)
It is clear that hyenas are sold on Scar’s promises, and they believe that it is Scar that will deliver them to the promised land, where they will have bountiful amounts of food. A charismatic leader is exceptional at this: they use emotion, theatre, and seductive, easy-to-understand language to influence, persuade, and recruit to their cause. In the same way, Scar uses charismatic leadership to unite all the hyenas beyond the Pridelands for his mission. The hyenas, previously disorganized, pitiful, aimless, fractured in small groups, and weakened by despair, hunger, division, whining and starvation, is now empowered by the force of Scar’s ambition, personal magnetism, and charisma.
Think of your words as an intoxicating drug that will make people emotional and confused. Keep your language vague and ambiguous, letting your listeners fill in the gaps with their fantasies and imaginings. Instead of tuning you out, getting irritated or defensive, being impatient for you to shut up, they will be pliant, happy with your sweet — sounding words.
-Robert Greene (The Art of Seduction)
So now, with the hyenas loyal to Scar, fully prepared and willing to execute Scar’s plan to takeover the Pridelands, and now unified under a single purpose, Scar makes his move. He orchestrates the death of Mufasa with the help of the hyenas causing a wildebeest stampede, and guilts Simba into exile. The lionesses, with their inferior numbers compared to the hyenas and their morale and will to fight back destroyed from the loss of both their king and the future king, are powerless to stop Scar from taking over the Pridelands. The hyenas enter the Pridelands, as Scar states his vision for the kingdom to the grieving lionesses:
“Yet out of the ashes of this tragedy, we shall rise to greet the dawning of a new era, in which lion and hyena come together, in our great and glorious future!”
-Scar
Even with this statement, Scar uses his charisma to instill a vision of hope and transformation to the Pridelands. Scar was successful in using charismatic leadership to take over the kingdom. However, his rule demonstrates major pitfalls of charismatic leadership, which we will analyze in the next section.
The Pitfalls of Scar’s Charismatic Leadership
After Scar’s successful takeover of the Pridelands through his successful use of charismatic leadership, we see thereafter the consequences. Scar uses charismatic leadership successfully by instilling a sense of purpose in the hyenas, uniting them using his personal magnetism and ability to connect with them emotionally on a grand scale, and influencing the hyenas using images, symbols, and powerful language. However, we see later that not all is well in the Pridelands after Scar takes over as king.
In one scene, where Zazu is fittingly singing “Nobody knows the trouble I’ve seen. Nobody knows my sorrow”, the Pridelands are barren and dying, the hyenas are starving, and the lionesses are nowhere to be seen. The hyenas are in the same position as they were before Scar took over: hungry, demoralized, resentful. Zazu, who held the position of scout and messenger for the kingdom during Mufasa’s reign, is trapped in a cage of bones, symbolizing the fact that there is no open communication between the leader and the people, which is a hallmark of poor leadership. We also see Rafiki, who was a key advisor to Mufasa during his reign, nowhere to be found, which means that Scar refuses to listen to other leaders of the Pridelands.
What is most telling about this scene is the fact that Scar is lounging about inside Pride Rock, while the kingdom collapses around him, which shows that he is lazy, delusional, arrogant, and indifferent. All characteristics of poor leaders. Scar even shows his insecurity and envy towards Mufasa by lashing out when Zazu mentions Mufasa’s name. After Zazu degrades himself by entertaining him with songs, the hyenas enter the room, and they state their situation:
“Scar, there is no food and no water”
-Shenzi
“Yeh! It’s dinner time, and we ain’t got no stinkin’ entrée”
-Banzai
So the situation in the Pridelands is everyone is starving, the lionesses won’t hunt, the hyenas are discontented, Zazu and Rafiki, who were key members of Mufasa’s leadership team, are marginalized, and Scar is incompetent. So how did the situation come to this?
There are many possible reasons such troubles have befallen the kingdom through Scar’s reign, and most, if not all of them, stems from Scar’s poor leadership. Scar is a highly charismatic leader, which allowed him to take the throne, however it seems that his charismatic style of leadership is not enough to stem the tide of problems that engulfed the kingdom. So here are some possible reasons why Scar’s rule is a failure:
Number One: Scar did not have a concrete plan on how to integrate the hyenas into the kingdom to coexist with the lions.
If you still remember the speech Scar gave to the lionesses as the hyenas took over, he stated that lion and hyena will “come together in our great and glorious future”. That sounds great on paper, but the big questions is this: HOW will they come together?
Scar was very vague on his vision to incorporate the hyenas into the Pridelands. Even while Scar was recruiting the hyenas for the coup, he never explained to the hyenas what their role will be in the Pridelands and how they will coexist with the lionesses. How will the resources be distributed between the lionesses and the hyenas throughout the kingdom? Who will facilitate reconciliation efforts between the lionesses and the hyenas, who are natural enemies? What are the separate roles of the hyenas and the lionesses?
It was clear that Scar simply relied on the seducing power of his words and vision to lure the hyenas in without thinking of what they will do once the hyenas have taken over. Charisma, charm, and aura will not help Scar in this aspect. What Scar needed to establish at this point was organizational structures, processes, timelines and long-term strategy. A good leader knows the importance of having a plan for their people. Even a bad plan is better than no plan. There must be an established way of doing things that works, is efficient, and gets the job done. A good leader also clearly defines all the roles of their people. Scar clearly has not done any of this, and as a result, the kingdom and his people suffer.
The first step toward becoming a grand strategist — the step that will make everything else fall into place — is to begin with a clear, detailed, purposeful goal in mind, one rooted in reality.
-Robert Greene (33 Strategies of War)
Number Two: Scar did not organize a competent circle of leaders around him.
Good leaders find other leaders around them to surround themselves with. The best leaders surrounds themselves with the best leaders around them AND develops others into leaders. Scar did neither of those things.
Poor leaders disempower the people around them and keep them as objects and mindless followers to use. The organizational structure was clearly Scar at the top, and everyone else at the bottom. Rafiki, who in the past provided Mufasa with ancient wisdom and spiritual guidance, was a non-factor in the kingdom. Zazu, who in the past informed Mufasa on the kingdom’s activities, is locked in a cage. Sarabi, who is Mufasa’s main advisor as queen of the Pridelands, is relegated to the role of just another lioness. Shenzi, who is the mouthpiece of the hyenas, is never taken seriously by Scar as a leader, and is simply used as a tool for Scar’s bidding like every other hyena. Scar was the only positional leader in the Pridelands, and the Pridelands suffered for it.
Without a good leadership team, there are no other sources of information and wisdom the top leader can draw from. This causes the leader to be consumed in their own delusions and to give in to arrogance and hubris. Scar clearly does not want to listen to anyone other than his own thoughts, and that makes him an ineffective leader. A good leadership team covers a leader’s weaknesses and blind spots, which makes the top leader even more effective. A good leader exercises humility and understands the importance of listening to the voices of fellow leaders, which Scar refuses to do.
Charisma, personality, theatrics and speaking ability cannot replace the ability and willingness to listen. Good leaders empowers other to be strong leaders too, which is how a charismatic leader could put their skills to good use. However, a leader cannot forget to listen to their leaders and people as well. If Scar was a good leader, he would assemble a leadership team composed of the following: Rafiki, for spiritual wisdom and knowledge; Sarabi, as a voice of the past traditions of the Pridelands; Shenzi, as a voice for evolution, change and progress; and Zazu, for information on the entire state of the Pridelands and practical advisor. Scar refused to listen to anyone, and his delusions, pride and ego cost the kingdom its precious resources.
Leading well is not about enriching yourself — it’s about empowering others.
-John C. Maxwell (The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership)
Number Three: Scar had no guiding set of personal principles and ethics.
A good leader sets standards for themselves on how to conduct themselves. They act with integrity, truthfulness, discipline, and strength. It is clear that Scar does not conduct himself by any code he lives by, which affects his leadership and makes him an ineffective leader.
The best example of Scar’s lack of principles and untrustworthiness is his inability and/or unwillingness to deliver on his promise that the hyenas will “never grow hungry again”. Scar, who has had years to deliver on his promise, fails to do so, which adds to the frustration and resentment of the hyenas towards him. Scar’s failure to deliver makes Scar a liar, which is what the most dangerous charismatic leader does: they lure you in with their charisma, then screw you with their lies and falsities.
Scar also hints at his lack of personal discipline as a leader, in that he conducts himself in any way he sees fit, as he states to Sarabi before the final battle with Simba at Pride Rock: “I’m the king, I can do whatever I want”. We see also his weakness, in that he is always immediately envious and insecure whenever Mufasa’s name is mentioned, and his lack of action to rectify the problems of the kingdom. It could be argued that Scar abdicated responsibility to fix the mess he made in the kingdom, gave up hope on trying to fix the problem, and is now living a decadent, meaningless lifestyle enjoying whatever spoils are left of his rule. Such a lack of fortitude and resolve makes him weak, and his lack of strength and core principles has infected the entire kingdom. Or even worse, Scar never cared about the wellbeing of the kingdom and the inhabitants in the first place, and that makes him a selfish, greedy, manipulative leader.
The state of any organization always depends on the personal characteristics of the leader. If a leader is strong, caring and ethical, the organization flourishes. If a leader is weak, indifferent and aimless, the organization dies. After time, the people will see through the charismatic façade an unprincipled leader can put up, and that leader will be exposed, much like Scar was.
Character makes trust possible. And trust makes leadership possible.
-John C. Maxwell (The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership)
Incorporating Charisma Into Your Leadership Character
Charismatics can learn to heighten their charisma with a piercing gaze, fiery oratory, an air of mystery. They can seduce on a grand scale.
-Robert Greene (The Art Of Seduction)
Charismatic leadership has a place in society. All effective leaders have some form of charisma. They can influence the masses, inspire devotion, instill a sense of purpose and meaning, and draw followers in like a magnet. Thus, as a leader, it is important to develop your charismatic qualities. However, charisma is not enough to be an effective leader. You must develop your other leadership characteristics in order to be the best leader you can be.
Do not make the same mistakes Scar made in solely relying on one’s charismatic qualities. Charisma alone in a leader is dangerous. It can lead to many people to be misled, which is what happened to the inhabitants of the Pridelands under Scar’s rule. Couple your charismatic leadership with strong personal standards and ethics, care about and have empathy for your people, and have a logical strategy on how you will lead your people. As a leader, avoid being another Scar, a representation of the dangers of charismatic leaders.
