Teaching Leadership Using the Film Facing the Giants

Abstract

Teaching leadership can be challenging with all the theories and models of leadership available to professors today. This paper suggests the film Facing the Giants (2006) as an effective way to introduce management students to the study of leadership. A leadership model is introduced to participants and then a movie is shown in its entirety. When the film is over, a discussion-learning session is conducted. The discussion-learning approach is used to help students discover the application of a leadership model coupled with the rationale of analyzing leadership styles used in the film. The article begins with a general discussion of the use of film in management education, introduces a method of application of leadership theory, and explores various scenes and how the leadership model can be applied to the scenes in the film. Then, discussion questions for spirituality and leadership are provided to help facilitate discussion-learning after the movie is shown. In addition to the discussion format, students complete a questionnaire after watching the movie and engage in the open-ended discussion. This article presents both the discussion questions and the survey questions that will be used in the research. The pilot study indicated that students found the movie to be entertaining and an enjoyable experience. Participants also provided feedback that showed a perceived application of the leadership model and how to apply the model in the workplace.