If what we read is true then we might well have seen the last of Charlie Sheen and Two and a Half Men. Sheen’s inability to act like a normal human being has seen the plug being pulled on one of the most successful sitcoms of all time. It is a great pity as there will be many who lose as a result of the producers finally running out of patience with their star performer. Reading reports of Sheen’s alleged comments and behavior one has to wonder just how someone of his undoubted ability got to this point. His reported arrogance and loss of perspective make for sad reading indeed. Comic acting is all in the timing and allied to a tight script and good support cast, Sheen was a master of comic timing, something that made the show a repeated hit. But sadly it seems, this is all now in the past.
A consistent leadership message and theme of TomorrowToday is that ‘you lead out of who you are’. In other words, character matters most. Leadership skills and nous are important but ultimately not as important as the character element. There are no short cuts in the development of a leader’s character and the tools required include that of emotional intelligence and reflection. It is well documented that the terrain of character development is often that of hardship, struggle and pain. In the midst of such it means that redemption is always possible – this being one of the great themes of the human narrative. In Charlie’s case one can only hope that somehow this redemption theme can find a means whereby it is able to weave its way into his personal storyline. But until it does, we are left with watching a tale of hurt and excess coupled with a tragic waste of talent and potential that must be heartbreaking to those closest to the troubled actor.
Will Charlie find his sheen? One can only hope so.