Top leadership movies

by rohhit | created - 06 May 2016 | updated - 31 Jul 2016 | Public

If you are looking on movies which provides insight into specific aspects of leadership check the list below. For e.g., if you are looking movies which displays assertiveness, you may like the movie Remember the Titans.

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1. Twelve O'Clock High (1949)

Not Rated | 132 min | Drama, War

A tough-as-nails general (Gregory Peck as General Savage) takes over a B-17 bomber unit suffering from low morale and whips them into fighting shape.

Director: Henry King | Stars: Gregory Peck, Hugh Marlowe, Gary Merrill, Millard Mitchell

Votes: 15,807

Some leaders may have all the qualities they may be hardworking, intelligent, respected by their team members & still fail. One reason they may fail is because their loyalty becomes hindrance in stretching the team to their fullest potential as a result leading to poor results.

2. Paths of Glory (1957)

Approved | 88 min | Drama, War

90 Metascore

After a failed attack on a German position, a general orders three soldiers, chosen at random, court-martialed for cowardice and their commanding officer must defend them.

Director: Stanley Kubrick | Stars: Kirk Douglas, Ralph Meeker, Adolphe Menjou, George Macready

Votes: 212,343

A leader has the responsibility of fighting for his team members, when he knows they are right.

3. Remember the Titans (2000)

PG | 113 min | Biography, Drama, Sport

48 Metascore

In 1971 Virginia high school football was everything to the people of Alexandria. But when the school board was forced to integrate an all-black school with an all-white one, the very foundation of football's tradition was put to the test.

Director: Boaz Yakin | Stars: Denzel Washington, Will Patton, Wood Harris, Ryan Hurst

Votes: 231,998 | Gross: $115.65M

You have to clearly lay down what is expected or not expected by the team you are leading. People may not like you in the beginning but ultimately they would respect you.

4. Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World (2003)

PG-13 | 138 min | Action, Adventure, Drama

81 Metascore

During the Napoleonic Wars, a brash British captain pushes his ship and crew to their limits in pursuit of a formidable French war vessel around South America.

Director: Peter Weir | Stars: Russell Crowe, Paul Bettany, Billy Boyd, James D'Arcy

Votes: 238,009 | Gross: $93.93M

Vision comes before friends & our own interest.

5. 12 Angry Men (1957)

Approved | 96 min | Crime, Drama

97 Metascore

The jury in a New York City murder trial is frustrated by a single member whose skeptical caution forces them to more carefully consider the evidence before jumping to a hasty verdict.

Director: Sidney Lumet | Stars: Henry Fonda, Lee J. Cobb, Martin Balsam, John Fiedler

Votes: 865,567 | Gross: $4.36M

Influencing others by reason & good people skill.

6. Thirteen Days (2000)

PG-13 | 145 min | Drama, History, Thriller

67 Metascore

In October 1962, the Kennedy administration struggles to contain the Cuban Missile Crisis.

Director: Roger Donaldson | Stars: Kevin Costner, Bruce Greenwood, Shawn Driscoll, Drake Cook

Votes: 62,719 | Gross: $34.59M

Decision making under pressure.

7. Moneyball (2011)

PG-13 | 133 min | Biography, Drama, Sport

87 Metascore

Oakland A's general manager Billy Beane's successful attempt to assemble a baseball team on a lean budget by employing computer-generated analysis to acquire new players.

Director: Bennett Miller | Stars: Brad Pitt, Robin Wright, Jonah Hill, Philip Seymour Hoffman

Votes: 464,819 | Gross: $75.61M

Having the right criteria for selection is important. You have to make the tough decision & do things you may not like.

8. Miracle (2004)

PG | 135 min | Biography, Drama, History

68 Metascore

The true story of Herb Brooks, the player-turned-coach who led the 1980 U.S. Olympic hockey team to victory over the seemingly invincible Soviet squad.

Director: Gavin O'Connor | Stars: Kurt Russell, Patricia Clarkson, Nathan West, Noah Emmerich

Votes: 58,926 | Gross: $64.38M

You can overcome biggest challenge through planning & preparation.

9. Dead Poets Society (1989)

PG | 128 min | Comedy, Drama

79 Metascore

Maverick teacher John Keating returns in 1959 to the prestigious New England boys' boarding school where he was once a star student, using poetry to embolden his pupils to new heights of self-expression.

Director: Peter Weir | Stars: Robin Williams, Robert Sean Leonard, Ethan Hawke, Josh Charles

Votes: 546,425 | Gross: $95.86M

Influencing others to think differently.

10. Lincoln (2012)

PG-13 | 150 min | Biography, Drama, History

87 Metascore

As the Civil War rages on, U.S President Abraham Lincoln struggles with continuing carnage on the battlefield as he fights with many inside his own cabinet on his decision to emancipate the slaves.

Director: Steven Spielberg | Stars: Daniel Day-Lewis, Sally Field, David Strathairn, Joseph Gordon-Levitt

Votes: 272,718 | Gross: $182.21M

Decision making under pressure.

11. Braveheart (1995)

R | 178 min | Biography, Drama, War

68 Metascore

Scottish warrior William Wallace leads his countrymen in a rebellion to free his homeland from the tyranny of King Edward I of England.

Director: Mel Gibson | Stars: Mel Gibson, Sophie Marceau, Patrick McGoohan, Angus Macfadyen

Votes: 1,091,694 | Gross: $75.60M

By using effective communication you can arouse the enthusiasm of your team.

12. Invictus (2009)

PG-13 | 134 min | Biography, Drama, History

74 Metascore

Nelson Mandela, in his first term as President of South Africa, initiates a unique venture to unite the Apartheid-torn land: enlist the national rugby team on a mission to win the 1995 Rugby World Cup.

Director: Clint Eastwood | Stars: Morgan Freeman, Matt Damon, Tony Kgoroge, Patrick Mofokeng

Votes: 167,921 | Gross: $37.49M

Leaders can inspire other leaders.

13. Kingdom of Heaven (2005)

R | 144 min | Action, Adventure, Drama

63 Metascore

Balian of Ibelin travels to Jerusalem during the Crusades of the 12th century, and there he finds himself as the defender of the city and its people.

Director: Ridley Scott | Stars: Orlando Bloom, Eva Green, Liam Neeson, Martin Hancock

Votes: 315,329 | Gross: $47.40M

Ordinary man with courage become leaders.

14. Gladiator (2000)

R | 155 min | Action, Adventure, Drama

67 Metascore

A former Roman General sets out to exact vengeance against the corrupt emperor who murdered his family and sent him into slavery.

Director: Ridley Scott | Stars: Russell Crowe, Joaquin Phoenix, Connie Nielsen, Oliver Reed

Votes: 1,620,924 | Gross: $187.71M

Leadership is more than about holding position.

15. The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957)

PG | 161 min | Adventure, Drama, War

88 Metascore

British POWs are forced to build a railway bridge across the river Kwai for their Japanese captors in occupied Burma, not knowing that the allied forces are planning a daring commando raid through the jungle to destroy it.

Director: David Lean | Stars: William Holden, Alec Guinness, Jack Hawkins, Sessue Hayakawa

Votes: 233,372 | Gross: $44.91M

A movie about integrity & the continuous shifting of what is right or wrong.

16. Eye in the Sky (2015)

R | 102 min | Action, Drama, Thriller

73 Metascore

Col. Katherine Powell, a military officer in command of an operation to capture terrorists in Kenya, sees her mission escalate when a girl enters the kill zone triggering an international dispute over the implications of modern warfare.

Director: Gavin Hood | Stars: Helen Mirren, Aaron Paul, Alan Rickman, Barkhad Abdi

Votes: 91,516 | Gross: $18.70M

Understanding why people avoid making decisions because their decisions have dire undesirable consequences, it they make the wrong decisions. Also about being resourceful in helping people make these decisions.

17. We Were Soldiers (2002)

R | 138 min | Action, Drama, History

65 Metascore

The story of the first major battle of the American phase of the Vietnam War, and the soldiers on both sides that fought it, while their wives wait nervously and anxiously at home for the good news or the bad news.

Director: Randall Wallace | Stars: Mel Gibson, Madeleine Stowe, Greg Kinnear, Sam Elliott

Votes: 151,304 | Gross: $78.12M

Leaders lead by example.

18. Cars of the Revolution (2008)

120 min | Drama

In the years of military coup, Turkey was unable to produce its own cars. But Pasha believed that Turkish people can produce their own cars so he ordered 2 cars. Gunduz and engineers with him must produce 2 cars in only 130 days.

Director: Tolga Örnek | Stars: Taner Birsel, Ali Düsenkalkar, Halit Ergenç, Sait Genay

Votes: 12,694

Managing competent people & earning the respect through your work ethic.

19. Schindler's List (1993)

R | 195 min | Biography, Drama, History

95 Metascore

In German-occupied Poland during World War II, industrialist Oskar Schindler gradually becomes concerned for his Jewish workforce after witnessing their persecution by the Nazis.

Director: Steven Spielberg | Stars: Liam Neeson, Ralph Fiennes, Ben Kingsley, Caroline Goodall

Votes: 1,451,418 | Gross: $96.90M

Transformation of a selfish person into a leader who cares about others.

Good source for learning negotiation & networking

20. A Man for All Seasons (1966)

G | 120 min | Biography, Drama, History

72 Metascore

The story of Sir Thomas More, who stood up to King Henry VIII when the King rejected the Roman Catholic Church to obtain a divorce and remarry.

Director: Fred Zinnemann | Stars: Paul Scofield, Wendy Hiller, Robert Shaw, Leo McKern

Votes: 37,170 | Gross: $28.35M

A movie about integrity & application of the law, be impeccable with your words. If you want to be honest in your dealings you must be utmost careful in your dealings, selection of words, practice of silence & when their is no way out in compliance but always in accordance with one's conscience. Their is a need to reflect on certain questions: Why we make this supreme sacrifice? How can one overcome the fear of suffering & death for oneself & those one loves?

21. Apollo 13 (I) (1995)

PG | 140 min | Adventure, Drama, History

78 Metascore

NASA must devise a strategy to return Apollo 13 to Earth safely after the spacecraft undergoes massive internal damage putting the lives of the three astronauts on board in jeopardy.

Director: Ron Howard | Stars: Tom Hanks, Bill Paxton, Kevin Bacon, Gary Sinise

Votes: 315,712 | Gross: $173.84M

A movie about handling crisis using problem solving, team effort , determination & optimism. Best line : Failure is not an option. The movie is also good case study in how to create tension.

22. Coach Carter (2005)

PG-13 | 136 min | Biography, Drama, Sport

57 Metascore

Controversy surrounds high school basketball coach Ken Carter after he benches his entire team for breaking their academic contract with him.

Director: Thomas Carter | Stars: Samuel L. Jackson, Rick Gonzalez, Robert Ri'chard, Rob Brown

Votes: 172,174 | Gross: $67.26M

The movie teaches about the resistant to change every leader should familiarise with oneself. Change requires effort & one needs to have a strong sense of purpose to sustain it. This movie also demonstrates that we should clearly define what success means for us.

23. The Caine Mutiny (1954)

Not Rated | 124 min | Drama, War

63 Metascore

When a U.S. Naval captain shows signs of mental instability that jeopardises the ship, the first officer is urged to consider relieving him of command.

Director: Edward Dmytryk | Stars: Humphrey Bogart, José Ferrer, Van Johnson, Fred MacMurray

Votes: 29,908 | Gross: $21.75M

The most important lesson this movie teaches is that when standing for right we could only trust our conscience. We should be independent in regard to whether others support us or not.

The other important lesson to learn is that in most interdependent situations, we own some part of the conflict created, although it may be very subtle.

Good team players also loyal to their team & leader but one should clearly think about situations when doing right becomes important than loyalty.

24. Amazing Grace (2006)

PG | 118 min | Biography, Drama, History

65 Metascore

The idealist William Wilberforce maneuvers his way through Parliament, endeavoring to end the British transatlantic slave trade.

Director: Michael Apted | Stars: Ioan Gruffudd, Albert Finney, Michael Gambon, Romola Garai

Votes: 25,696 | Gross: $21.21M

Focus & perseverance over a long period can accomplish impossible looking goals

It is good to have people who can give you right advice, feedback & motivation in your hour of need

Using dramatic ways to get attention

Sometimes it requires one to think outside the box to get the desired result

Creating burning passion for a cause



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