Recently, while travelling in a bus, I couldn’t avoid but overhear a conversation between two people on how movies have transformed their lives. As I pondered over the conversation during my travel, I began to start scribbling on a piece of paper, the list of best movies I had watched so far and the valuable management lessons it had taught me. I have read somewhere that “People who LIKE movies have a favorite but people who LOVE movies couldn’t possibly choose” and being a die-hard movie fan, it was really difficult for me to pick the best (top 10) movies for the article from this huge list. Please feel free to add your favorites to the list and the lesson you have learnt out of it.
The Godfather (1972)
This classic, which needs no introduction, traces the life of a humble Italian immigrant and his meteoric rise to power as the head of a powerful Mafia. He builds a business empire from nothing and uses his leadership & negotiation skills to safeguard & grow his empire. Although, widely known for its violence and protagonization of the Mafia world, the film offers valuable lessons for people who are ambitious but lack the business knowledge or financial support required to build a successful business.
The main character in the movie builds his business based on his reputation of being honest, respectful and true to his ideals. In spite of having the power and money, he earns the respect of others through his deeds and not by persuasion. He maintains calm and cool character both during the happier and troubled times, perfectly epitomizing the importance of maintaining one’s emotional integrity when in the position of power. There are plenty of dialogues (real gems) in the movie which offer powerful lessons on management. One of my favorite and which was also voted as the second most memorable line in cinema history by American film institute is “I’m gonna make him an offer he can’t refuse” (teaches the art of getting things done through proper incentives). Even though it’s an old movie, it offers loads of fresh and brilliant lessons on Business/ People Management, Leadership, Motivation, Negotiation and it goes on…(check it for yourself)
12 Angry Men (1957)
Another old-time classic that offers interesting insights on Group behavior, Consensus building, Persuasion, Clear thinking and Personality conflicts. In this court drama shot entirely in a single room, eleven jurors are convinced that the defendant, a teenager accused of murdering his father is guilty but the twelfth juror (The hero) thinks otherwise. The plot involves the approach taken by this one man to convince the other eleven jurors (with varied personalities) on the teenager’s innocence in spite of multiple evidence stacked against him. The hero slowly and progressively makes each juror to change their decision by asking them to examine the veracity of evidence given to them and decide based on facts and not just hearsay.
The movie teaches the importance of looking into facts and making a careful evaluation of the case (for example, a business proposal) before making big decisions (just like the teenager’s future here in the movie). Any manager wanting to convince his/her team about a potential yet unpopular plan/ idea should watch this movie before they step into the discussion room.
MoneyBall (2011)
This sport based movie (based on a true story) clearly illustrates the need for organizations to challenge the old assumptions and make headway for more innovation to gain competitive advantage. With the support of a geeky young economics graduate, the baseball team manager of a struggling Oakland Athletics baseball team uses a sophisticated sabermetric (statistical) approach to analyze player’s value in building a winning team rather than the old and time tested method of signing up expensive star players. The team, in spite of lacking star players, goes on to win a record 20 matches on the trot.
This movie also teaches the art of talent scouting and the importance of looking for creative ways to hire great talent. For example, organizations could use social sites like LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook to better understand the applicant’s value than the conventional approaches such as written tests, interviews, which might not be valuable always.
To be continued in the next post..
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