If you’ve been a reader of this blog for any time, you know that I have a great love and affection for movies. They’ve been a form of entertainment that could brighten me on the darkest days. They’ve told me stories, brought me to new places, and showed me there’s a better way to do things.
Every Monday, I bring you a new Reel Leadership article. Today, I want to highlight 6 movies with great leadership lessons. I’ll take a quick look at these films and the major leadership theme I saw in the movie.
6 Movies With Great Leadership Lessons
1. Akira:
Akira may be the first anime film I ever watched. If it wasn’t this, it was Vampire Hunter D. Regardless, both stand the test of time for great anime.
What’s the major leadership theme in Akira? I see it as when the thirst for power goes unchecked, you enter into dangerous territory.
Tetsuo (Nozomu Sasaki) was part of a biker gang. He had a thirst for power. And he gained psychic powers during the movie. As his power grew, it was unchecked, and he thirsted for more.
What happened to Tetsuo? He lost control of his powers and became a giant monster that terrorized Neo-Tokyo.
When leaders have an unhealthy thirst for power, they become dangerous. They’ll begin to act in ways unbecoming of a leader. They’ll look out for their self-interests over that of their team or organization.
Beware of letting your thirst for power consume you.
Buy Akira Here2. X-Men:
When X-Men the Movie released, it was a glorious moment for movie and comic book fans. Despite the change from their colorful comic book outfits to the dark leather-like suits they wore in the film, the movie was a faithful adaption of the comics.
We got to see Professor Xavier (Patrick Stewart), Wolverine/Logan (Hugh Jackman), Magneto (Ian McKellen), Jean Grey (Famke Janssen), Storm (Halle Berry), Sabretooth (Tyler Mane), and others grace the big screen with their story. What was the story?
Certain humans have a mutation in their genes. The mutation gave them superhero powers that ranged from telekinesis to extreme healing to the ability to control metal. These powers not only made them unique, their powers made them feared by regular humans. They were feared and hated.
Yet, the X-Men battled the prejudices they encountered. They decided to fight for humanity, even if they were disliked.
What can we learn about leadership from the X-Men? It’s not about whether people like us or not. It’s how we treat them and lead them to better understand how to get things done.
You’re going to face opposition as a leader. What are you going to do about it?
Buy X-Men Here3. Rudy:
Rudy is the story of Daniel E. ‘Rudy’ Ruettiger (Sean Astin). Based on a true story, Rudy had a dream of playing football. Specifically for Notre Dame.
He had a problem. He was told he was too small to play college football. Did this stop him? No, it didn’t.
Rudy pushed forward, broke through barriers, and took to the field.
You may have been told you weren’t a leader. You may feel lesser than, smaller than, or weaker than others in your field.
That doesn’t mean you can’t lead. It means you must work harder to prove yourself and take to the leadership field.
Don’t let barriers stop you from leading.
Buy Rudy Here4. The Lord Of The Rings Trilogy:
The Lord Of The Rings trilogy may be one of the most faithful book-to-big-screen translations ever. Written by J.R.R. Tolkien, Tolkien’s tale is about adventure, friendship, and desire.
Frodo Baggins (Elijah Wood) is tasked with destroying the Ring. He’s to bring it to Mount Doom, where he is to toss it into the fire within. Along the way, Frodo finds a band of brothers that help him get to the Mount. However, one of those members stands out more than any.
Samwise Gamgee (Sean Astin, again!) is seen helping his friend on his journey. Samwise shows great judgement and care when he resists the power of the Ring. He could resist and not give in to the Ring’s influence. No one else had been able to do this. Still, he returned the Ring to Frodo and helped him along his journey.
Wow! What a tale we get in these three movies. Action, adventure, and leadership.
A key takeaway from The Lord Of The Rings trilogy is that we need friends along the way. We can’t do leadership alone, even if we want to hide and shelter ourselves from the pain that can come from friendship.
Don’t be afraid to reach out to a core group of people to help you through your leadership journey. Having people along with you will encourage you, hold you up, and get you to the end of the line.
We need relationships.
Buy The Lord Of The Rings Trilogy Here5. Star Wars: A New Hope:
Maybe one of my favorite movies, Star Wars: A New Hope is an amazing journey through space. We meet young Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill).
Luke is a young moisture farmer at the beginning of A New Hope. He’s living with his aunt and uncle. There doesn’t seem to be anything special.
Yet there is.
Luke has the power of the Force within him. He has the power to become a great Jedi. He only has to realize his full potential.
There was a hidden power within Luke. Know who else has a hidden power waiting for it to be unleashed?
YOU
You have so much potential and power within you it is ridiculous. Most of us don’t know how to tap into it. We fail to live up to the potential God has given us.
Seek out what you’re good at. Pray about it. Practice your skills.
The more you try to tap into that inner power, the more you’re going to realize you were made for something more.
Buy Star Wars: A New Hope Here6. Hacksaw Ridge:
Another powerful movie is Hacksaw Ridge. I remember seeing the story of Desmond Doss (Andrew Garfield). Doss was forced to enlist in World War II. However, there was a problem. Doss didn’t believe in killing someone, even in war.
He still joined the army. However, he chose to enter a s a medic. In this role, he could patch people up, restore their health, and save lives rather than taking them. His story took a big turn when the army came to Hacksaw Ridge. It was described as hell on Earth as men were slaughtered.
Doss still refused to pick up a weapon. Instead, he found himself picking up soldier after wounded soldier and bringing them down to safety. He chose to fight by saving people rather than firing a weapon.
You don’t have to lead like everyone else. Doss didn’t. He made a dangerous decision by running into battle without a weapon. Still, his actions made a huge difference. So can you.
Look for ways to lead that are unique to you. You don’t have to be brash, arrogant, or stubborn. You can be empathetic, caring, and generous. You can find ways to make a difference by being you.
Buy Hacksaw Ridge Here
