Frank Sinatra Research Paper

Examples illustrating the strong connection between leadership responsibility and personal cost are not limited to fiction. An archetypal leader whose influence crossed many boundaries was entertainer Frank Sinatra. After developing tremendous popularity as a singer and actor in the first half of the twentieth century, Frank Sinatra exerted influence through his amenable following in the American public. He used this power in constructive ways that extended far beyond the entertainment industry. For example, at the height of his popularity in Las Vegas, during the Civil Rights Movement of the early 1960’s, in an altruistic manner, Sinatra refused to perform at a hotel when he learned his African-American friend and costar, Sammy Davis, Jr., wasn't welcomed to stay as a guest due to discrimination …show more content…
This pressure resulted in a change to the hotel’s policy and provided a high-profile model of behavior that helped change American culture. This experience inspired Sinatra to exercise his leadership clout even more by getting involved in John F. Kennedy’s 1960 U.S. presidential election. Using his influence in Hollywood, as well as with his established business connections in Las Vegas and Atlantic City, Sinatra enlisted the support of friends (Biography). Even after the election, Sinatra organized a star-studded Washington D.C. fundraiser to eliminate the Democratic Party’s election campaign debt. Later, in 1963, his high-profile life as a leader in American popular culture drew the attention of kidnappers that sought a ransom after snatching his son. Although his son was recovered unharmed, the experience took a great personal toll on Sinatra. These are just a few examples of a real-life leader who used his influence in a constructive way, yet paid a real personal cost for