William Glasser

There are many ways to learn how to be a great or effective leader and all of them start with an open or beginner's mindset. By demonstrating a curiosity and thirst for learning about how to lead, you will be positioned to soak up new insights like a sponge. The moment you close your mind and believe there is nothing new to learn is the moment you have chosen to stop growing. Reading about leadership is one way to advance but what about movies? Many of us go to the movies to escape the stresses of daily life and so we venture towards movies that will take us out of our current world into another galaxy. I think these movies are great and have wonderful lessons to glean from the leaders of these adventures. Sometimes a movie will emerge that hits us right between the eyes with lessons on leadership that we were not expecting. I have listed below three movies that made an impact on my life over the years.

12 Angry Men: This story was filmed in 1957 and shows a jury of 12 men trying to determine the fate of a young man being charged for murder. It is a great example of team consensus and how our prejudices can lead us to make detrimental decisions. Henry Fonda, a juror, demonstrates leadership in the way he reminds his fellow jurors to remember their purpose (deciding this young man's fate) by keeping the core value of "reasonable doubt" in the forefront.

The Doctor. This film was produced in 1991 and stars William Hurt as a successful surgeon at a leading hospital who is rude and arrogant to his family and patients. As a turn of events, he finds himself diagnosed with cancer and begins to learn the lessons of empathy and compassion towards others. This is a great movie to show a transformation from ego to humility which is a journey most leaders take or need to take.

Lincoln. A film made in 2012 by Steven Spielberg starring Daniel Day Lewis is one of my favorite leadership movies. I have to confess I love all things Lincoln and this film does not disappoint. It takes place in 1865 at the tail end of the Civil War when Lincoln is concerned his 13th Amendment to emancipate slaves will not be passed. This movie is full of desirable leadership traits as Lincoln stays true to his values, uses humor to persuade others and feels the loneliness of making a difficult decision in the face of great adversity.

Are you wanting more than books to help you develop as a leader? Do you love learning in an entertaining way? Do you possess an open, beginner's mind toward leading?

Begin adjusting your filters while watching movies towards learning about leadership. Watch to see what the leaders does well and what they do poorly to gain insights on how their behavior impacts others. Consider using movies as developmental tool with your teams to demonstrate the traits you wish to seek in yourself and your direct reports.