Hollywood teaching Leadership?

I finally watched the movie Invictus the other night. It wouldn’t surprise me one bit if professors around the country were now using this movie as an excellent example of leadership. I am not certain yet whether he (Mandela) was more Inspirational or Transactional in his leadership, but if I’m being honest I really don’t think it matters. He is brilliant and THAT’S all that matters.

If you haven’t seen this movie, it is a must see. The movie portrays a very narrow piece of Mandela’s life shortly after the fall of Apartheid, when Mandela is elected as the new president of South Africa after being imprisoned for 26 years (presumably by the white people in power during Apartheid). It focuses on Mandela and Francois Pienaar who is the Captain of the South African rugby team. So many thoughts came to me while watching this movie it’s hard to know where to begin! You’d have to really watch the movie to understand, but it is truly awe inspiring to watch this man forgive and try to get his fellow African American countrymen to also forgive the white people in South Africa. His goal is to bring everyone together to function as one nation.

He uses the rugby team to do just that. Sound strange? It is. The people want the team disbanded (because to the African American people it was a symbol of Apartheid South African and the oppression of their people) but Mandela says that they MUST keep the team together as it is the key to his goal of bringing the people together. That’s what all his most trusted advisors thought as well. Turns out it was true genius.

There are two brilliant quotes in the movie that stood out to me as examples of true leadership. One is where he aid reminds him that the people really want the team disbanded. He responds with, “Leadership, it seems, does not mean merely following public opinion; it entails persuasion, moving the people’s passions into line with just principles.” The second quote is actually one of my favorites. His aid once again says to him, “You're risking your political capital, you're risking your future as our leader.” He turns to her and says, “The day I am afraid to do that is the day I am no longer fit to lead.” Brilliant. I’ll let you noodle on those for a one for a minute.

[one minute passes]

Beyond the quotes, Mandela has a meeting with Francois Pienaar (captain of the rugby team) where he asks him how he inspires his team to greatness. The take away from this conversation is that Leaders appeal to the “better angel of our nature,” encouraging the best in people. How do they do this? By both action and example. Much easier said than done, don’t you think?

A final thought I wanted to share was regarding how brilliant he was to use sports as his tool. In another part of the movie his aid (once again) accuses him of playing to political calculations to which he responds that it is a “human calculation” and that he believes people can change. Leadership necessitates understanding human nature. People love sports, they cling to sports. It brings people together no matter what their differences are at work or at home.

What does this have to do with organizations? I think that you can relate the rugby team to the company softball team or the “get healthier” campaigns you might see in some companies. I think that it is important that organizations invest time AND MONEY into these types of activities and programs that bring people together. I think these programs inspire loyalty and togetherness.

Now go watch the movie and tell me what YOU think!