While movies are an essential form of entertainment – perhaps one of the best ways to unwind, relax and recharge your batteries – they also offer a crisp reflection of the society around us. Interestingly, movies have a way of profoundly impacting our personal and professional lives as sometimes it is at our most relaxed state that we are open to learning most useful lessons.

Here are some of my favourites from which I have drawn a good deal of leadership and management insights.

1.    12 Angry Men (1957)

A timeless classic, Sidney Lumet’s courtroom drama reveals how even the most skeptical of doubters can be convinced with a calm and systematic analysis of a situation. In the movie, Fonda’s Juror Number 8 can be seen as a walking, talking example of how empathy, emotional intelligence and the ability to manage people with diverse personalities, especially in emotive circumstances, are some of the most desirable qualities in any leader.

Fonda delivers a brilliant performance portraying his competence to choose a different opinion when the odds were 11:1. He puts his analytical abilities to use instead of becoming a sheep and blindly following others’ opinions.In short, the movie shows how great leaders stick to their guns even when their decisions are not popular, and how one can grapple with the nuts and bolts of thinking clearly in order to achieve the desired results.

So don’t fail to put forward your views out of fear of ridicule or rejection. Choose right over easy. Try to break out of your comfort zone and take a stand.

“It takes a great deal of courage to stand alone even if you believe in something very strongly.”

2.  Ford v Ferrari (2019)

In the movie, Shelby is portrayed valuing rugged individualism while Ford can be seen stressing the importance of a team victory. These two views represent different Cultural Values.

Some leaders design employee bonus and incentive programmes that encourage competition among peers, driving a wedge between them. On the other hand, others foster team spirit using sentiment like “there is no ‘I’ in team” to inspire working together.

When you define your company’s cultural values around inclusiveness, winning at any cost vs. mindful success metrics, team vs. individual, it becomes apparent what you stand for and what you expect.

By consistently living by our cultural values and best practices, we can attract like-minded talent to our organisation with similar values by which our company wants to be identified.

“Organisational culture is the sum of values and rituals which serve as ‘glue’ to integrate the members of the organization.”

3.  The Pursuit of Happyness (2006)

You must have watched the inspirational movie based on a true story The Pursuit of Happyness that shows how diving headfirst into uncharted waters is sometimes necessary. This post-covid world that demands the invaluable qualities of agility, persistence, ambition and compassion more than ever are depicted by the protagonist Chris Gardner, who, despite being homeless decides to pursue a career in which he has zero experience. In essence, Gardner doesn’t let anything hold him back from attaining a goal he knew all along was meant for him. In the end, his unwavering belief, resilience, perseverance and the will to forge blindly ahead leads him to experience something magical.

However, this doesn’t mean that you should navigate recklessly, but that if you come across an opportunity that could catapult your company to another level, seize it! Moreover, start out with a dream and a plan. Remember your journey – both the challenges you faced and the successes you achieved. Always remember where you came from.

“The world is your oyster. It’s up to you to find the pearls.”

4.  The Internship (2013)

The Internship tells the story of two recently unemployed salesmen, Billy and Nick, who compete with young, tech-savvy geniuses to secure an internship at Google. The film teaches us the importance of understanding the value of listening to other people and appreciating different point of views.

While in the beginning both Billy and Nick are dismissed as too old and behind their times, by the end of the film it becomes crystal clear how their experience proves to be a valuable component. Though they relied upon their teammates during the training challenges, the penultimate challenge required the skill of sales – something that only these two came into the internship with.

The leadership takeaway? Great leaders understand that today’s problems aren’t one-dimensional. It’s important to have individuals with complementary skills in your team to avoid groupthink.

“If a window opens up, don’t minimize it. Don’t click the red X in the corner.”

5.   Up in the Air (2009)

Another movie for some excellent takeaways for business leaders is a George Clooney movie, Up in the Air. The movie beautifully highlights some critical lessons from the standpoint of Human Resources, such as asking a candidate to leave and identifying what would work and what would not.

In Up in the Air, Natalie Keener, a young and ambitious new hire, proposes a remote system of conducting layoffs via video conferencing to cut down the expenses by 85%. The boss approves her suggestion.

However, the revamped model poses many threat, such as loss of customers, lawsuits from clients, fired employees resorting to suicide, etc. This is because people respond to people. Solutions that are based merely on gut feeling and hearsay are bound to backfire in the longer run. 

The key takeaway? Before implementing a solution, business leaders should practice empathy and try to put their selves in others’ shoes. Secondly, technology should not be used to replace human connections but only to elevate them. 

“People will try to convince you that you should keep your empathy out of your career. Don’t accept this false premise.”

Learn how you can take your leadership teams through a growth model which will help them mature on a personal and professional level by following me on LinkedIn and subscribing to the Keijzer Community.

Paul Keijzer is the CEO and Founder of Engage Consulting and the co-Founder of The Talent Games, which aims to transform HR by digitising talent processes and creating more engaging and productive workplaces through gamification and mobile technology. As a global HR and Leadership Management expert, Paul knows how to combine business insights with people insights to transform organisations and put them on the path to growth.

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