For decades, scientists have been probing into the impact of movies on mindset and learning.
We now know that movies, in fact, do have a persuasive impact by building and strengthening ideas and values in a person’s mindset.
Why not make use of this with movies that impart leadership skills and teamwork?
As an employer, employee, entrepreneur, or student, these skills can help you with the skills required to accomplish milestones in your career.
If you’d like to have a ready-to-go list with some of the most powerful messages beneath the plot layers, I’ve gathered the top 18 movies to give you a headstart, each with inspirational values to take from the characters in them.
The Founder
The Founder revolves around the story of what became one of the largest franchises in the world: McDonald’s.
A struggling salesman, Raymond Kroc, meets the owners of a small burger joint, Mac and Dick Donalds.
Kroc has faced hardships throughout his career, like most of us.
But the real turning point in the story is when he collaborates with the Donald brothers and soon turns Mcdonald’s into an American sensation with his perseverance.
The movie truly depicts how the most successful ‘dreams turned into reality didn’t originate solely from talent or Einstein-level intelligence but from persistence and self-confidence.
Steve Jobs
Steve Jobs is based on three significant launches in Apple’s history and the complications Steve Jobs had to overcome.
This phenomenal film has won the academy awards, and for a good reason!
Standing at the precipice of the future, if there’s one thing that took Apple onwards and upwards, it’s Jobs’s visionary thinking and determination to back it despite a series of unfortunate events.
The movie is a great example of paving your way to success with a rock-solid vision and single-mindedness to achieve it.
It’ll teach you the art of keeping steadfast even if luck isn’t on your side and achieving the impossible.
American Gangster
If crime thrillers are your forte, American Gangster won’t disappoint you.
Set in the streets of 70’s New York, Frank Lucas discovers an untapped opportunity when his employer Bumpy Johnson meets a tragic death – to become the next drug lord.
With the wits of a genius and networks in the mafia, Lucas quickly builds an empire in NYC, only to be taken down by a narcotics task force policeman, Richie Roberts.
American Gangster sets up the stage for a visionary drug lord, who sees a chance to rise to the top, and he takes it.
The key lesson here is to remain confident in yourself and believe in your capabilities, even if no one’s ventured toward where you’re about to step.
Hustle
Stanley Sugerman has had many ups and downs in his career as an NBA scout.
On top of that, he has a tough time finding a basketball player with potential for the team.
When he finally finds Bo Cruz, Stanley has another set of obstacles to get Bo to the NBA team, but he conquers them all.
If this movie isn’t an ideal portrayal of leadership lessons, I don’t know what is.
Hustle shows that by working hard towards a common goal and believing in your team members, nothing can stop dreams from coming true.
The Pursuit of Happyness
Chris Gardner is your average salesman trying to make ends meet.
With a son to care for. Chris never stops pursuing his definition of happiness – the American dream.
Despite bearing through the lowest of lows one could imagine, he keeps a steady foothold in the face of adversity.
The lesson from this stellar film is to stand tall, keep your head up, and never give up on your dreams, no matter what life throws at you.
Lord of the Rings
The movie is a cult classic, the first of its series, based on the books by J.R.R. Tolkein.
Besides transporting you into an entirely different world, you’ll get to witness the adventures of an unusual group of hobbits, wizards, dwarfs, warriors, horsemen, and more as they try to save the world against the evil dark lord.
The Lord of the Rings completely indulges you in its fantasy world.
Even if fantasy isn’t up your alley, the plot takes a big step at depicting the formation of strong teams through diversity.
Moneyball
Moneyball is the story of Billy Beane, a baseball general manager, who’s troubled with replacing three members of the Oakland A’s team.
To add to his hurdles, the A’s have a tight budget for their players.
Instead of treading with conventional baseball practices, Beane adapts a computerized method with the help of a Yale graduate.
In spite of disagreements with the manager on his selection, the team emerges victorious.
The movie highlights the attribute of thinking on your feet when the odds are stacked against you.
It’s the perfect example to show that a team running behind a skilled leader with adaptive thinking can soar into the sky.
The Italian Job
Movies on heist were a thing long before Netflix’s Money Heist series came into the picture.
For one, the Italian Job is an exciting adventure of a group of criminals in Venice.
The lot succeeds in the heist of a lifetime with gold bars worth $35 million, but the action’s just getting started. The plot twist?
One of the members, Steve, sabotages the plan and seemingly kills the others.
Left for dead, the group survives and is led by Charlie Crocker; you’ll watch an adrenaline-rushing experience as they plot their revenge.
What seems like a heist gone wrong shows the power of teamwork as opposed to working individually.
True to the saying “united we stand, divided we fall,” you can accomplish a whole lot more with a team to rely on.
The Italian Job in my opinion is one of the best team-building movies to watch on your next team trip.
Beautiful Mind
This heartfelt movie doesn’t shy away from difficult topics. Our protagonist, John Forbes Nash, Jr., is a mastermind straight from when he enrolls at Princeton University as a Mathematics student.
During this early stage, Nash brings mathematical advancements that’ll take his career to new heights.
However, a tragedy soon unfolds.
While Nash deals with obstacles during his life course that derail his life for the next several decades, he finds his way back to the love of Mathematics with a teaching position at MIT and a Novel Prize.
The portrayal of Nash’s story enlists several important and valuable lessons, perhaps the most crucial being to find a purpose in life and stick to it till the end.
The Social Network
The Social Network is another historical milestone turned into a movie, this time on Mark Zuckerberg and his brainchild, Facebook.
You’ll jump back into the past with a young Mark Zuckerberg and his ingenious ideas.
From a college dorm room to one of the biggest social media platforms, the movie redefines success through the eyes of a visionary, his passion to bring his idea to life, and the many hurdles he faced during this challenge.
The Social Network is a spectacular example of things not always working in your favor despite the most revolutionary idea, but with consistency, you’ll eventually get to the goal.
Catch Me If You Can
Catch Me If You Can is based on the life story of Frank Abagnale, a young man who became a con artist in his teenage years.
Having faked a multitude of personalities and professions, Abnagale supported his luxurious lifestyle solely through the art of conning.
On the surface, the main actor doesn’t have a lot to teach.
However, looking deeper into Abnagale’s life, we get to see how he made the most of his creativity and put it to use.
Creativity allows individuals to find the solution to any problem.
Use it to your advantage, and success will be at your feet.
Die Silicon Valley Story
This biography of the founders of Apple and Microsoft Inc. sidesteps from the traditional man turns legend.
You’ll get to the life-changing story of Steve Jobs and Bill Gates, not as successful entrepreneurs but aspiring visionaries.
The newly-found adulthood struggles, the passion for making something of themselves, and the formation of their corporate empires in a 1.5-hour film.
Die Silicon Valley Story dives into the significance of visionary thinking and working on your passions.
With an out-of-the-box mindset and firm belief to see it through till the end, you’ll have the key to success right there.
Saving Private Ryan
The movie displays the hardships of Captain John Miller as he and his soldiers spend years finding Private James, the last of the four brothers who fought to the death in combat.
Many a time, the group is disheartened, but you’ll get to see Captain Miller reigniting their team spirit.
The movie sheds light on the need for team spirit to tackle different scenarios and how a competent leader can rekindle that fire.
It visualized that any task at hand can only be accomplished with team spirit to back it up.
Thirteen Days
With the world just recovering from world war ii, the United States found itself in another turmoil with the Soviet Union.
This time, President John F. Kennedy and his team must prevent the Cuban Missile Crisis.
The movie is a nail-biting display of these thirteen days, where every decision is critical, and the aftermath could be a possible nuclear war.
Invictus integrates spectacular storytelling strategies that disseminate the importance of crisis management.
It makes you think that leadership calls for decision-making skills under stress, and not only when things are going smoothly.
Invictus
The plot walks you through the events that reshaped the South African post-apartheid situation, with Mandela at the forefront of it.
It shows the efforts of Mandela as he brings his people together – divided by race, united by rugby.
Invictus is a moving story about Mandela setting out to unite his people and eventually succeeding at the 1995 Rugby World Cup.
This movie is a great way to bring the qualities of a leader to life.
With a singular vision, Nelson Mandela shows that a leader with powerful leadership skills can unite his nation despite prior fallbacks.
Braveheart
If the name didn’t give it away already, Braveheart is the story of one courageous Scottish patriot against England’s invasion.
William Wallace may be a fictional actor, but he became a symbol of freedom for Scotland.
The single trait that enabled him to fight battles and conquer them was his sheer willpower and undefiant bravery.
While there are many important lessons in this movie, the core message is that strong leaders lead their teams with courage and never back down in front of an enemy, even a seemingly undefeatable one.
Rocky
Being nothing more than a regular gym boxer having won a single boxing ring fight, Rocky Balboa takes his chance by going face-to-face with Apollo Creed.
Rocky doesn’t stand a chance of winning, but his unwavering determination results in an epic battle and Rocky still stands after the fifteen rounds, something that has never been done before.
More than forty years later, Rocky is still the epitome of perseverance in American history.
We get to see that winning isn’t everything for Rocky, but by staying persistent, you can overcome insurmountable odds.
Miracle
The movie follows the plot of college coach Herb Brooks and his ambition to form the next winning American hockey team.
The story takes you through the team’s struggles and transformation until their victory against the soviets in the 1980s winter Olympics.
Miracle has surely made a place in the list of provoking team-building movies.
It’s a heartfelt depiction of team spirit and the development of a great team under great leadership.
Prepare to be taken through an emotional rollercoaster that shows that winning isn’t just about individual efforts, but collective teamwork.
What is the best movie for leadership?
Look no further than The Founder if you’re looking for a movie that best depicts leadership. This film animates the ultimate skillset that a leader should have to achieve their dreams.
Ray Kroc is a visionary with an out-of-the-box idea, and he makes it happen with consistent efforts. You’ll be able to point out these qualities right from the start.
What is the best movie for teamwork?
While most of the listed movies have made their trademark on highlighting teamwork, nothing beats the influential storyline of Miracle.
The movie leaves viewers with a strong message that teamwork makes all the difference by showing the collective hard work of an underdog college hockey team with Herb Brooks as the coach.
Conclusion
Whether you want to watch influential movies for entertainment, to learn leadership skills, or to empower your teammates to instill these, this list of movies about leadership and teamwork can build the foundations for it.
No matter your preferred genre or story plot, there’s something for everyone.
Not only are they some of the most impactful films, but you might be able to start learning and enacting leadership skills. In any case, you’ll be able to learn one thing or another at the end of the day.
