Competence: Competence convinces through words, deeds, and the feasibility of what is said.
3 min read4 sectionsSituationLink to the law
Contents
“Rustin” is a film by George C. Wolfe and has been available on Netflix since 17 November 2023. Colman Domingo plays the civil rights activist Bayard Rustin and was nominated for an Oscar for the role. The film tells how Rustin organises the March on Washington in 1963. It is based on true events; what matters here is the portrayal in the film. On 28 August 1963, Martin Luther King gives his famous speech there. How it comes to that is explained by the Law of Navigation.
Many dotted routes converge from the left into one golden line that leads straight to the centre of a target – like the planned march in “Rustin”.
01
The destination before the first step
Situation
In the film, Rustin has been estranged from the movement since 1960. Three years later he drafts a large march with the experienced organiser A. Philip Randolph (Glynn Turman). NAACP head Roy Wilkins (Chris Rock) refuses. Only after the violence in Birmingham and the murder of Medgar Evers does King agree.
Link to the law
Anyone can steer a ship; the leader charts the course. Rustin sees the destination before others believe in it. Whoever plans needs a clear picture of the result and patience until the allies are on board.
02
Full responsibility for the organisation
Situation
Wilkins has reservations about Rustin as a person. Randolph nevertheless appoints him deputy director with full responsibility for the organisation. Rustin gathers volunteers in an office in Harlem. The goal: 100,000 people in seven weeks.
Link to the law
A plan needs someone who is accountable for it. Unclear responsibility is the most common reason why big undertakings fail. A leader decides early who makes the decisions and sets a clear deadline.
03
The plan is in the detail
Situation
The film shows the painstaking groundwork: raising money, chartering buses, winning over celebrities, counting toilets. Black police officers are trained in non-violence. Even the sandwich filling is changed: peanut butter instead of cheese. Rustin also has to accept that the march is cut to a single day.
Link to the law
This is where the Quality of Competence shows. Good planners think backwards from D-day and ask: what can go wrong? Whoever knows the details can make concessions without losing sight of the goal.
04
Staying on course under fire
Situation
Senator Strom Thurmond attacks Rustin publicly, first as a communist, then over an earlier arrest. Congressman Adam Clayton Powell (Jeffrey Wright) wants to push him to resign. Randolph and King stand behind him. On 28 August, more than 200,000 people come to the Lincoln Memorial.
Link to the law
A good plan includes the question of how to respond to attacks. Rustin’s backing rests on visible performance. Whoever delivers reliably wins allies who stay standing in the storm.
Key takeaways
Key lessons
01
Describe the goal clearly before you plan the first step.
02
Decide who is responsible for carrying it out.
03
Plan backwards from the target day and think of the small things.
04
Expect resistance and prepare your answer.
05
Give way on side issues, but not on the goal.
Summary
The film shows Rustin as a man who translates a vision into a sequence of steps. He is given the responsibility, builds a team and plans down to the last detail. Attacks on his person do not throw him off course. In the end, twice as many people come as planned – peacefully.
