Certain movies leave a mark and a learning lesson for the community. The lesson can be on the path of leadership, self prophecy, personal development or rather team development. I would like to share a few movies that really have been a boon for the trainers and managers who should use these movies as a training tool for their company employees. The films that can be used as effective training tools are :- Abilene Paradox - Not really a movie (business film), but a classic in teaching "groupthink".
Amistad - The power of storytelling and influence against impossible odds (recommended by Annette Simmons).
Apollo 13 - Examples of leadership, teamwork, innovation, mission, passion, courage...
Breakfast Club - Abandoning prejudices. The movie deals with such fundamentals as the human tendency toward bias and hurting the weak.
The Bridge On the River Kwai - Leadership and corporate mission (Doing Things Right verses Doing the Right Things).
Fantasia - Background themes for creative thinking. Also Big, with Tom Hanks, shows creativity in action.
Fish - Again, not really a movie (business film), but a story about the famed Seattle Pike Place Market's Flying Fish and a passion for the work they do - attitude, morale, creativity.
Gettysburg - General Lee providing some feedback to one of his direct reports.
Glengarry Glen Ross - coworkers competing against each other in a hostile environment. Gung Ho - The meshing of two cultures collide.
The Joy Luck Club - Diversity.
The Red Balloon (Le Ballon Rouge) - Exploring ourselves through the perspective of a child. Also, imagination.
Saving Private Ryan or The Big Red One - leading under trying conditions (opening scenes).
Thelma and Louise - Cultural examination regarding the status of women (diversity).
12 Angry Men - developmental stages of groups, diversity in groups, leadership, groups vs. teams.
The Wizard of Oz - Dorothy shows leadership as she takes a guy with no brains, one with no heart and one with no courage and melds them into an effective team that successfully accomplishes its mission. The team succeeds only after they stop blaming others for their problems, and start taking responsibility for their own destinies.
Movies to Manage by: Lessons in Leadership from Great Films by John K. Clemens & Melora Wolff - A book on how to use movies in training. Discusses the following movies:
"Following Your Hunch" (The Hunt for Red October) The Importance of Improvisation (Apollo 13) The Failed Promise of Heroic Leadership (Dead Poets Society) Turning Around a Faltering Team (Hoosiers) Socratic Leadership (12 Angry Men) Turning Around a Troubled Organization (Twelve O'Clock High) When Leadership Fails (Citizen Kane) Morality and Leadership (Wall Street) The trainers are ought to benefit from these learnings, hope they use it as their imparting sessions too. Warm Regards, Abhi
|