Leadership in the Movies

Art often imitates life, so it’s not surprising that over time Hollywood has generated a treasure trove of leadership studies. At times movies offer an interesting perspective of leadership. Some of the most memorable portraits of good as well as bad leadership have come from the silver screen. General Patton’s speech at the beginning of the movie Patton, the rise and fall of Charles Foster Kane or William Randolph Hearst in Citizen Kane, are just a few in the long line up of Hollywood’s attempt to offer us their take on various leaders, both contemporary as well as fictional. In fact this topic is not alien to the field of Leadership Study. Graham, Sincoff, Baker, and Ackermann have made a thorough study of leadership in cinema in their thesis – Hollywood takes the Leadership Challenge and structured their analysis around Kouzes and Posner Leadership Challenge. Here are exerpts from the article …

Why Movies?

Our students are predominately adults. Those of us in education, training and/or consulting have experienced first-hand the principles of Androgogy, or the study of how adults learn. Adults learn better when: (1) their individual learning needs and styles are met, (2) their previous knowledge and experience are valued and used, (3) they have active mental and physical participation in the learning activity, and (4) there is a focus on the practical applications of the learning (Sheal, 1989).

The Leadership Challenge

One text that provides rich opportunities for movie infusion into the leadership learning process is The Leadership Challenge, 3rd ed. (TLC), by Kouzes and Posner (2002).

From nearly two decades of research, TLC describes five practices essential for effective leadership (Kouzes & Posner, 2002):

Practice #1: MODEL THE WAY

• Find your voice by clarifying your personal values.

• Set the example by aligning actions with shared values.

Practice #2: INSPIRE A SHARED VISION

• Envision the future by imagining exciting and ennobling possibilities

• Enlist others in a common vision by appealing to shared aspirations.

Practice #3: CHALLENGE THE PROCESS

• Search for opportunities by seeking innovative ways to change, grow and improve.

• Experiment and take risks by constantly generating small wins and learning from mistakes.

Practice #4: ENABLE OTHERS TO ACT

• Foster collaboration by promoting cooperative goals and building trust.

• Strengthen others by sharing power and discretion.

Practice #5: ENCOURAGE THE HEART

• Recognize contributions by showing appreciation for individual excellence.

• Celebrate the values and victories by creating a spirit of community.

Movies Take the Leadership Challenge

TLC PRACTICE #1: MODEL THE WAY

Movie: Schindler’s List

Oskar Schindler (Liam Neeson) is an empathetic factory owner in Nazi Germany. Schindler intends to give Jews work in his factory, so ultimately he can sneak them out of Germany. Though the Jews cannot work as hard as healthy German citizens, Schindler is thinking not of profit, but of saving lives. He must hide his intentions from the Nazi camp commandant (Ralph Fiennes). In this scene, Schindler is supervising the typing of a list by his assistant (Ben Kingsley) officially said to be a set of workers’ names but, in reality, the names of the Jewish people he intends to save.

TLC PRACTICE #2: INSPIRE A SHARED VISION

Movie: Field of Dreams

Ray (Kevin Costner) has built a baseball field in an Iowa cornfield. Former baseball player, Shoeless Joe Jackson, enters the playing area where Ray and his wife, Karen, stand. Karen wonders if Joe is a ghost. Joe wonders if he is in Heaven. Ray’s answer, “It’s Iowa,” points out that the characters and people who arrive after them see it as both. It’s Heaven because baseball draws together so many Americans, and also because the field is a spiritual meeting place for those with “unfinished business” with loved ones who have passed on.

TLC PRACTICE #3: CHALLENGE THE PROCESS

Movie: Remember the Titans

Coach Boone (Denzel Washington), the rookie head coach of the newly integrated high school football team in northern Virginia, challenges his team to get to know each person of the other race. Until they do, they will undergo two-a-day practices. If they still don’t get to know each other, they will go to three-a-days.

TLC PRACTICE #4: ENABLE OTHERS TO ACT

Movie: Twelve Angry Men (original version)

One juror (Henry Fonda) in a murder trial tries to help other jurors consider all the facts and avoid making assumptions. He convinces each juror, one by one, to change his vote.

TLC PRACTICE #5: ENCOURAGE THE HEART

Movie: Shawshank Redemption

Andy (Tim Robbins) is serving a life sentence in Shawshank Prison for a murder he did not commit. While there, he has been writing to convince community leaders to send books to improve the library for his fellow inmates. He finally gets money for needed resources.

From Journal of Leadership Education Volume 2, Issue 2 - Winter 2003

Movies offer us so much to learn about leadership and their visual depiction of pseudo-reality make it easy to absorb and remember … so the next time you hit the cinema, think of it as a possible education

References

• Reel Leadership: Hollywood Takes the Leadership Challenge
Graham, Sincoff, Baker, and Ackermann (2003)
Provides information on how to apply movies to teach the tenets of the groundbreaking leadership research of Kouzes and Posner.
http://www.fhsu.edu/jole/issues/JOLE_2_2.pdf

• Reel Leadership II: Getting Emotional at the Movies
Graham, Ackermann, Maxwell (2004)
Combines the use of film with applied leadership development through emotional intelligence skill building.
Provides an excellent facilitator resource for incorporating movies into leadership development.
http://www.fhsu.edu/jole/issues/JOLE_3_3.pdf