I am often not a movie fan but when I see a good movie I cling and do not let it slip off. In December 2016, I came in contact with the movie “The Men who Built America.” It is a historical movie that digs deep to make available the trace of the historical growth of the United State of America (USA). Great men like John D. Rockefeller, J.P Morgan, Andrew Carnegie, Merkel, Theodore Roosevelt, Nikola Tesla, and Thomas Edison; these are few among many other characters unnamed. These personalities of great Impact believed in growth, challenges, focus, persistence, and result in actions.

The urge to talk about the need to respect and honor ideas or pieces of advice from subordinates sprang up from the third episode of this movie, titled ” Changing the Game.” This episode talks about the growth of electricity through Nikola Tesla and Thomas Edison.

Thomas Edison was the inventor of the direct current used in the distribution of Electricity. Later, Nikola was opportune to work with the man whom he adores so much – Thomas Edison.

As an employee, it is the norm to obey instructions, orders, and guidelines from superiors. Nikola, who was a smart and intelligent employee, developed a new model of electricity distribution named Alternative Current. He informed his boss, Thomas Edison, of his new discovery but his boss turned him down and replied him by saying there was nothing as the “Alternative Current”. But after some time, Nikola Tesla decided to resign from work. When Tesla resigned, he went to partner with George Westinghouse. During the time of Tesla’s partnership, Edison’s Lighting Company began to lose customers and his partnership with J.P Morgan was abruptly brought to an end. While fortunately and unfortunately for Tesla, the “Alternative Current” was already taking over the helms of electricity distributions in America.

If Thomas Edison had given Nikola Tesla an opportunity to talk about his idea, he might have advanced the “Direct Current” and “Alternative Current ” equally and they might have made a great team.

It is vital that employers learn to listen to their employees, likewise for leaders to listen to their followers. As it is a thing of great virtue for a business that wants to span a lifetime. When employers listen to their employees, it goes a long way to influence the commitment, interest and the dynamism through which an employee can function.

In the end, J.P Morgan bought this idea “Alternative Current” from Westinghouse, this was sold at a point when Westinghouse was going through a financial challenge. Thus, he had no choice than to sell it, this idea became the re-branded “General Electric”, a multinational company present in about 170 countries of the World.