I’m co-leading a leadership development program for Wycliffe staff in June, and I’m responsible for selecting a movie as a case study to drive discussion about leadership principles. What movies should I consider? I’m definitely up for non-traditional suggestions. I’ll seed the conversation with a few from my list:
Amazing Grace – Two leaders with very different styles, roles and methods. Everyone focuses on William Wilberforce, but after watching this one I had to pick up a biography on William Pitt.
Invictus — Another contrast in the leadership styles, roles and methods of two leaders. The impact of that rugby team on a nation came from the convergence of Mandela’s and Pienaar’s leadership.
Lincoln – An interesting portrayal of situational leadership as Lincoln tries to gain support for emancipation.
Ender’s Game – I just watched this story about an adolescent boy who struggles to live into the leadership role he was selected for.
What should be on my list, and why?
See the other blogs in this series:
- Best leadership movies
- Top 20 leadership movies (that I’ve seen)
- 20 movies I never thought about as leadership stories
- Top leadership movies on my list to see
- So, what movie did I pick?
- So, what movie did I pick (runner up)?
the back row leader 
Roy,
In Crisis management training I have done and participated in, we have watched “Apollo 13” which has a lot of interesting leadership going on as they manage the crisis of the spaceship that is unable to come home. You see good problem solving, delegation, grace under pressure. And a lot of smoking, too, which is apparently very important.
Also we watched “of gods and men” (french with english subtitles). It has more to do with the impact of a crisis on a small community – 8 monks in the face of terrorists in Algeria. You see their decision making process and how that changed. (Very moving and tragic story, but really better for crisis management, theology of risk, etc).
Our senior leadership team watched 12 O’Clock High-seeing what happens when a Leadership Change occurs.
Click to access LEED8045_leadership_paper1.pdf
Hey Roy,
I just re-watched the first Hobbit movie and there are some surprisingly good themes related to unrecognized/unexpected potential (i.e. Bilbo as an ‘adventurer’), taking risks/courage (moving from our zone of comfort), conflict resolution, and an especially critical skill for every leader…swordsmanship when faced with an army of orcs!
Great suggestions! I didn’t have any of these on my list. I’m compiling a list from all the Facebook comments, and I think I may have to do a follow-up post to keep them all in one place.
Independence Day: when the President gives the final speech before the epic battle begins. Great display of leadership encouragement, then him participating in the battle: servant leadership.
Remember the Titans: at one point after practice at camp, the two main football players confront one another and say “Attitude reflects leadership, Captain.” Great example of how leadership can even affect poorly amongst those you lead.