The Hearts of Men Are Easily Corrupted

A leadership lesson on power, values, and making the right choice

Without me knowing, a once-in-a-lifetime event presented itself for me to participate in, and I immediately answered the call: to celebrate its 25th anniversary, the Lord of the Rings movie trilogy by Peter Jackson was being screened in my local movie theater. I never saw the original movies in the theater, only through DVDs and eventually Blu-ray. The movies were presented in their full, extended-version glory. Or as I like to call it, “the one with more walking.” I saw a decent number of youths in the theater as well, and I was both proud of their parents for raising them correctly and jealous of the canon event they were about to experience in their lives. For three straight days, I surrendered to Tolkien’s world of Middle-earth, and I can’t wait to do it again this fall as an annual tradition.

The lights dimmed and the familiar soundtrack boomed through the sound system. Within the opening scene of the first movie of the trilogy, The Fellowship of the Ring, Galadriel delivers her classic monologue, which includes the following statement:

“Sauron, enemy of the free peoples of Middle-earth, was defeated. The Ring passed to Isildur, who had this one chance to destroy evil forever, but the hearts of men are easily corrupted.”

Here’s a quick summary of how we got here: During the Siege of Barad-dûr, the armies of the Kingdoms of Men and Elves fought under a combined banner and mutual goal to confront Sauron, who wielded the One Ring that he forged in secret in the fires of Mount Doom and designed as “the One Ring to rule them all.” As the fight raged on, Sauron’s power overmatched their armies as they stood on the brink of defeat. In an act of desperation, Isildur struck at Sauron with his broken sword, Narsil, and cut the One Ring from his hand—thus killing Sauron and providing the opportunity for the Ring to be cast into the fires of Mount Doom and destroyed. This is the pivotal moment when Isildur chose to keep the One Ring for himself instead of casting it into the fires of Mordor and destroying it, thus setting off a chain of events that shaped Middle-earth for thousands of years. That scene, which I have watched countless times, prompted a thought I have encountered often lately: why is it so hard to make the right decision?

To understand what is considered right, there must also be an understanding of what is considered wrong. While we as individuals can form these interpretations, the difference between right and wrong is often determined by the will of the group through a shared set of values and beliefs. This is distinct from “groupthink,” where one abandons their ability to think independently and merely adopts the thoughts of the masses. Instead, shared values and beliefs are developed through events experienced collectively and result in an agreed-upon set of information believed to be true. The path to that agreement can be long and arduous, but it eventually resolves itself.

The group then produces distinct sets of actions considered good and bad for the collective, and adherence to this understanding becomes a condition of remaining within the group. Should an individual commit an action from the “bad” list, they may be removed from the group. The values themselves may wax and wane over time based on events and dominant personalities, but a set of core values will emerge that becomes the cornerstone for behavior considered “right” by all involved.

The military uses terms like “core values,” and corporate environments use terms like “value statements,” to describe defined values and beliefs that are expected to be upheld when part of the group. For the Air Force, the core values are Integrity First, Service Before Self, and Excellence In All We Do. Our individual actions, both on and off duty, can be measured against these values, and we are expected to act accordingly. Consider these the general boundaries that define what is considered “right.”

To draw a clearer line on expected behavior, should we choose to break the law or violate the Uniform Code of Military Justice, we will be held accountable for that choice accordingly. Everything in between those boundaries is left to the discretion of the individual to act—or not act. The Air Force core values exist to assist Airmen and help us decide what the “right” thing to do is in any given situation.

Bringing this back to The Lord of the Rings, if the armies of the Kingdoms of Men and Elves agreed that a singular power “to rule them all” was bad, and that destroying the One Ring was the “right” course of action (which, by default, included eliminating Sauron), what drove Isildur to ignore that core value and choose differently?

I believe Isildur’s choice was rooted in placing himself above the group. He chose to keep the One Ring because he wanted the power for himself, not for the Kingdom of Gondor. In comparison, his descendants Boromir and Faramir held closer to the core value that retaining a singular power “to rule them all” was not good for anyone, as demonstrated through their actions in protecting Frodo and Sam.

However, I have no illusions that Denethor would have been as noble. His actions were entirely selfish, and he likely would have had no qualms or hesitation about taking the One Ring for himself. In his eyes, the “right” decision was to claim the Ring because he deemed himself uniquely worthy to wield its power as Steward of Gondor. This selfish decision violated the established core value of the Kingdoms of Men and Elves to eliminate the possibility of a singular power “to rule them all,” thus placing Middle-earth at risk.

Denethor’s selfish actions mirror Isildur’s in that they not only hurt themselves (both died inglorious deaths), but also caused suffering among those around them. Had they adhered to the core values, similar to a ranger from the north who reclaimed his place among his people and led them into a new era of peace and prosperity, perhaps the historical whispers of their names would be spoken with honor instead of dread.

We all make choices daily, both in the workplace and in life. Some are small, like returning a shopping cart to the corral, and some are large, like having a child. Most of these decisions shouldn’t stop you in your tracks. But when they do, you should have a set of core values to rely on. Core values can take many forms: personal, professional, and communal. Ideally, they exist in harmony so decisions can be made smoothly and confidently.

Think carefully when adopting your core values, and remain open to evolving them as your life evolves. Core values help guide you through difficult decisions, even when no one is watching. And when you do make that choice, I hope you make it…for Frodo.

-----------------------------------------TEAR LINE--------------------------------------------

• Doing the right thing is hardest when power and temptation are within reach. Core values exist to guide decisions when fear, pressure, or selfish desire cloud judgment.

  
  

• Selfish choices don’t just harm the individual—they endanger the entire team. Leaders who place themselves above the group violate shared values and create lasting consequences for those they lead.

  
  

• Core values matter most when no one is watching. They provide a compass for decision-making in moments where the easy choice conflicts with the right one.