Tag Archives: Reel Leadership

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Quotes And Leadership Lessons From Wonka

A Reel Leadership Article

My latest book, Reel Leadership, is now available on Amazon. If you love movies and leadership, you will love this book.

Many of us remember the original 1971 Willy Wonka And The Chocolate Factory movie based on the Roald Dahl book. What many of us don’t know is the origin of the eccentric chocolatier. 

Willy Wonka (Timothée Chalamet) brings the chocolatier back to life in a prequel conceived by Simon Farnaby and Paul King. Wonka is a musical that tells the story of how Willy Wonka became a famous chocolate maker and won the hearts of many around the world. 

Wonka dives into the young Wonka and the Chocolate Cartel he encounters as he journeys to become a great chocolate maker. 

His story is one of heartache, struggle, and eventually triumph. His journey is one many of us have taken.  Read more...

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Quotes And Leadership Lessons From Elf

A Reel Leadership Article

My latest book, Reel Leadership, is now available on Amazon. If you love movies and leadership, you will love this book.

Welcome back to another special edition of Reel Leadership. This is the third entry in the Christmas At The Movies series. Previous entries include How The Grinch Stole Christmas and The Polar Express. We’ve explored the leadership and life lessons hidden within these fantastic Christmas movies. Today, we’re returning to the movies for a modern Christmas classic: Elf.

Elf tells the story of Buddy The Elf (Will Ferrell) and his search for his birth father, Walter Hobbs (James Caan). Directed by Jon Favreau and written by David Berenbaum, viewers will find themselves in stitches as they laugh at Buddy’s crazy antics.

Will Ferrell dressed in a green suit with a green hat. Buddy the Elf from the movie Elf

But Elf is more than the story about Buddy. Elf is the story of discovering joy, seeking peace, and finding your place in a world you don’t feel you belong. It’s not only a great Christmas movie; it’s a great life movie.  Read more...

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Quotes And Leadership Lessons From The Polar Express

A Reel Leadership Article

My latest book, Reel Leadership, is now available on Amazon. If you love movies and leadership, you will love this book.

Welcome to the second movie in the Christmas At The Movies series. It’s a fun look at Christmas movies and the leadership lessons they can teach. We’ve partnered with our church, The Gateway Church, to provide supplemental content as they share the faith-based lessons these movies can teach.

Red movie theater curtains

Today, we’re diving into the leadership lessons in The Polar Express. Fun fact for those of you who haven’t been following Reel Leadership and the blog for an extended period of time, I welcomed my friend, James W. Schreier, to share his thoughts on it. He’s a lover of leadership and trains. It was a perfect fit for him. Now, we’re bringing you our take on this family-friendly movie.  Read more...

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Quotes And Leadership Lessons From Godzilla Minus One

A Reel Leadership Article

My latest book, Reel Leadership, is now available on Amazon. If you love movies and leadership, you will love this book.

Godzilla has been terrorizing audiences since 1954 when he debuted in Godzilla. Now, in 2023, it feels like he’s returned to his roots in Godzilla Minus One.

Godzilla Minus One is a complicated movie with lots of themes. Guilt, shame, love, loss, triumph, forgiveness, and more are packed into the two-hour, five-minute runtime.

The film is set in the 1940s during and after World War Two. Kamikazee pilot, Koichi Shikishima (Ryunosuke Kamiki), returns his plane to a Japanese military repair outpost. The problem? Shikishima’s plane wasn’t damaged. He was fleeing from the battle and didn’t want to die. He wanted to survive.

Giant monster with spikes on back attacking a city and scowling

Shortly upon landing, the irradiated monster Godzilla appears, killing most of the other soldiers on the island. This leaves Shikishima with more shame.  Read more...

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Quotes And Leadership Lessons From Disney’s Wish

A Reel Leadership Article

My latest book, Reel Leadership, is now available on Amazon. If you love movies and leadership, you will love this book.

Thanksgiving weekend saw the release of the latest Walt Disney Animation Studios. That movie? The heartwarming Wish.

Written by Jennifer Lee, Allison Moore, and Chris Book and directed by Chris Buck and Fawn Veerasunthorn, Wish tells the story of the young Asha (Ariana DeBose). Asha is a precocious young woman who desires to be an apprentice to King Magnifico (Chris Pine). Little did she know how evil the king was.

Asha, a young girl from the movie Wish, looking up with a blue background with circles

Upon finding out, she’s disgraced. Kicked out of the palace. Sent on a new journey. 

As she’s bemoaning the fact that the king is evil and stealing the dreams of his citizens, Asha wishes upon a star. This wish changes everything.

This story lends itself well to leadership principles, especially since you can see the negative path King Magnifico took. Let’s take a look at the leadership lessons in Wish!  Read more...