Watching these classic leadership movies can accelerate leadership development since movies teach new leadership behaviors through observation and modeling.
Many people who learn leadership feel
that one must read books and take outside classes. These work, but
there is another way--to observe, study and act.
Few people can understand or apply theory
to what they see and experience. Few of us are theory wonks, most
of us learn by observation. Yet, modeling when done properly is
one of the top three behavioral methods useful in learning new
skills. Participants
can actually see and hear actors acting like leaders.
Using Movies
For Leadership Development
One might say that almost every situation
encountered in life can be teach us something. The use of experience
as a tool for learning is known as "modeling (vicarious learning)
and it is a very important way for people to learn new behaviors.
Process
Each session runs between 2 and 3 hours.
It contains a theory component, a movie component, and a guided discussion
component. The theory component covers leadership ideas that will
be covered
in the movie.
Movies are broken
into scenes. Each scene has a learning outcome and associated theory.
After a scene is shown, the facilitator
asks
a series of questions to draw from the audience what they think they
know and uncover what they don’t know.
Learning is reinforced by:
Skilled facilitators running guided discussions
using the Socratic method
Expert instructors who know their stuff
and can make learning fun.
Administration
All sessions require a licensing agreement.
If your organization does not have one, we will need to get on agreement
in place before a movie can be shown. We also recommend that individuals
receive their own copy of the movie as a memento.
Emerging
As a Stronger Leader
There is a common assumption in business
circles that when one gets the title, you are the leader. Smart CEO's
and executives know what many managers and supervisors have yet to
discover;
that
with the title comes a
little authority—emerging leaders
must earn follower respect and obedience. Below, are four movies helpful to emerge
as a stronger leader.
Many times we talk about learning about charismatic
leadership through books, but there is another way; watching
good television shows and movies. Traditionally, people are
passive consumers of information and shut off their minds when
watching television. However, observing transformational leadership
in action can increase one's understanding of the phenomena.
The West Wing is about an imaginary President
played by Martin Sheen. It focuses on his domestic staff as
they deal with numerous unforeseen crisis and the trials and
tribulations experienced when working to implement policy.
This is definitely a series worth watching.
It's entertaining, fast-paced, dramatic, and has top-notch
writers and actors that present situations that holds and captures
your attention.
Background Information
• Encoding: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada
only. This DVD will probably NOT be viewable in other countries.)
• Format: Color, Closed-captioned
• Rated: NR
• Studio: Warner Home Video
• Number of discs: 4
The story is set during World Word II. General
Frank Savage (Gregory Peck) takes over a bombing squadron whose
efficiency was
compromised in which the previous leader suffering
from combat fatigue and the reality of seeing friends and comrades
suffering
from
wounds, many dead, some dying or others getting shot down.
Emerging leader Savage uses heavy handed tactics to establish
his authority, like many managers in departments or organizations
facing turnaround situations,
Consequently, the movie shows morale deteriorating and by the numbers
performance plummeting.
The movie vividly
illustrates the limits of authority and what happens when
one over uses punishment, fear
and intimidation. Savage
succeeds in turning around the unit, but
pays a
tremendous
price.
One learns from
this movie a series of lessons on tactics emerging leaders
should and should not use for turn around and crisis
situations.
Background Information
• Starring: Gregory Peck, Hugh Marlowe
• Director: Henry King
• Encoding: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only)
• Format: Black & White, Closed-captioned, Black & White
• Rated: Unrated
• Studio: Twentieth Century Fox
You are stuck with a twelve
strangers you would rather not be with. It’s very
hot in the room and a decision has to be made whether the defendant
is
innocent
or
guilty.
Almost everyone present
wants to leave.The
first vote is taken
and it’s eleven to one—you being the only one to vote
innocent. What to do?
A jury has a foreman, but that person may or may
not be the real leader of the group. In this movie, emerging leader
Juror 8 (played by Henry
Fonda) rather than caving to peer
pressure, uses a number of different techniques to get the others in the
room to reconsider their positions.
Through the cleaver
use of subtle patterns of persuasion and questions, Fonda emerges
as the de facto leader of the
group. After watching this leadership movie,
you may want to forget
about the MBA and get a degree in psychology instead.
Background Information
• Starring: Henry Fonda, Lee J. Cobb, See
more
• Director: Sidney Lumet
• Encoding: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only)
• Format: Black & White, Closed-captioned,
• Rated: NR
• Studio: MGM/UA Video
• DVD Release Date: March 6, 2001
Considered
one of the best science fiction movies of the 50s, this suspense
packed movie is a tale of a polar
expedition
terrorized by the alien from a crashed flying saucer.
Initially,
the suspense was generated from the fact that the two groups
at the arctic research station (the military and
the scientists)
have radically different views of what to do with the visitor.
Is this Thing dangerous or not? Can it be carrying microbes dangerous
to all life on earth?
A classic study
of value to emerging leaders, it pits two groups against each
other as they strive to figure out what to do next. As in many
crisis
situations, there is fear of the unknown and immense
uncertainty in terms of the correct course of action.
In an environment
of crisis, several emerging
leaders may try to establish legitimacy. Some succeed,
others are ignored, and established leaders can gain
or lose influence.
This leadership
movie has little blood, guts and gore, but it is a great
study of what emerging leaders must do to prevail in a crisis.
Background Information
• Starring: Margaret Sheridan, Kenneth Tobey, See more
• Director: Christian Nyby, Howard Hawks
• Encoding: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. This DVD will probably NOT
be viewable in other countries. Read more about DVD formats.)
• Format: Black & White, Closed-captioned
• Rated: Unrated
• Studio: Warner Home Video
• DVD Release Date: August 5, 2003
Business
Leadership Movie 1: Barbarians At the Gate
This made for television movie is an interesting study in business leadership based on KKR's acquisition in 1985 of RJR Nabisco for 25 billion, still one of the largest leveraged buy-outs in corporate history. The story is an interesting contrast between the leadership styles of the two principles involved in this deal. One is F. Ross Johnson, who is CEO of RJR and and the other is Henry Kravis, who heads up private equity firm of KKR. Ross is a classic marketing and sales personality while Kravis is the financial and accounting genius who looks at deals in terms of the numbers.
Background Information:
• Starring: James Garner, Jonathan Pryce,
• Director: Glenn Jordan
• Encoding: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only.
• Format: Color, Closed-captioned, Dolby
• Rated: Not for sale to persons under age 18.
• Studio: Hbo Studios
• DVD Release Date: February 3, 2004
What great wealth and the pursuit of greed does to people has been long a classic theme of Hollywood movies from It's a Wonderful Live on. In this story, a greedy, ambitious young broker is seduced by the power, the wealth, the status and yes, the personality and persuasive skills of Wall Street financier Gordon Gecko. Part of the drama takes place as Gecko pursues his "take no prisoners" and "greed is good" philosophy to acquire companies and strip them of their assets.
Background Information:
• Starring: Charlie Sheen, Michael Douglas, See more
• Director: Oliver Stone
• Encoding: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. This DVD will probably NOT
be viewable in other countries. Read more about DVD formats.)
• Format: Color, Wide screen, Closed-captioned, Dolby
• Rated: Not for sale to persons under age 18.
• Studio: Twentieth Century Fox Home Video
• DVD Release Date: February 4, 2003
The third of Peter Jackson's trilogy based on
J.RR Tolkein's books, the leadership movie won eleven Oscars
including best picture and best director in 2004. Along
with
stunning special effects, the movie documents the struggle of
a group of Friends on a great Quest.
One of the two major themes in The Return of
The King is a study of what emerging leaders must do.
Aragorn as the emerging leader and heir to the throne
faces the challenge of legitimacy. How to get others to accept
his right
to rule?
This leadership movie has parallels in family business.
How is the son or daughter going to establish the legitimate
right
to run the "kingdom?"
It is also a critical issue for anyone assuming a position
of responsibility with a new group since emerging leaders cannot
rely only on authority.
Background Information
• Starring: Elijah Wood
• Director: Peter Jackson
• Encoding: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only)
• Format: Color, Closed-captioned, Wide screen
• Rated:
• Studio: New Line Home Entertainment
• DVD Release Date: May 25, 2004
It has long been an article of faith that the purpose of a public corporation in to maximize profits. However, many practical and ethical considerations prevent most boards and CEO's from actually doing so. One notable exception was Enron. In documentary, one gets to sees how both culture and leadership philosophy of Kenneth Ley and Jeff Skilling interact to influence business practices.
Background Information
Actors: Peter Coyote, Michael Lugenbuehl, Reggie Dees, Bethany McLean, Jim Chanos
