There is certainly a fair share of talk about corporate mismanagement, greed and mistrust swirling in the media and at the ever dwindling water coolers. So, perhaps, it is time to examine what the movies can teach us about the art of leadership – both the good and the bad.
Perhaps the ultimate example of what happens when business and greed mix is Charlie Sheen as the corrupted young hotshot forced to go head on with Michael Douglas the evilest corporate raider to darken the screen in Wall Street. Other People’s Money, based on a play of the same name offers a less intense version where good does prevail in the form of a wise, decent leader.
Lessons about what makes a great leader can be found where least expected in the movies. Tom Hanks as the determined Army officer who must lead a small squad of weary men through a WWII battle zone to locate just one soldier in Saving Private Ryan. This English teacher turned Army captain teaches the viewer what the face of true leadership looks like. In Norma Rae, Sally Fields plays a flawed woman who through share determination and no lack of courage leads textile workers to the path of unionization. Her conviction and passion for doing the right thing are the key to winning her battle. And Helen Merrin as Elizabeth I learns that leadership is not about the title, it is about the leader who has the right skills to control a kingdom wisely.
There are many other films with positive lessons to share. Apollo 13 shows us that trust and innovation lead to failure not being an option. Henry Ford in Twelve Angry Men instructs us that if you first build the respect of diverse team members, wiser group actions will be the result.
What lessons about leadership and managing others have you learned from the movies?
