What does the movie Invictus show us about leadership?
The Invictus Film is a true cinema success and also one of the most interesting in leadership.
Do you know why?
Because it shows one of the strategies of one of the greatest world leaders: Nelson Mandela.
That’s right!
Basically he used sport to unite the population of South Africa, which was divided socio-economically due to racial divergence.
Yes, taking the country to win the rugby championship would be a very smart way to end the problem.
And that was the result he wanted to achieve!
And now, do you want to know what are the leadership tips present in the movie Invictus?
Just read this text!
The Invictus Movie
With Morgan Freeman and Matt Damon in the cast, the movie Invictus is one of cinema’s biggest hits.
In it, Freeman plays the role of Nelson Mandela, the most important leader in Black Africa and an activist who has devoted his entire life to fighting the racist apartheid regime.
He was also the president of South Africa from 94 to 99 and, as expected, winner of the Nobel Peace Prize in 93.
In the plot, Mandela had just been elected president and knew that South Africa was socially and economically divided due to racial differences between people.
However, the proximity of the Rugby World Cup, which would be held for the first time in the country, made the leader bet on this sport to unite the population.
To this end, he organized a meeting with the captain of the South African team, Francois Pienaar, played by Damon, and encouraged him to make his team the great champion.
Directed by Clint Eastwood, the feature shows how Mandela bet on an extremely daring game strategy to finally bring about peace among South Africans, despite various oppositions.
And Eastwood’s direction was indeed infallible, so much so that the drama won nominations for best actor for Morgan Freeman and for best supporting actor for Matt Damon at the 2010 Oscars.
The reflections of the film Invictus in relation to leadership
It is clear that in the case of Nelson Mandela it is practically impossible not to reflect on the leadership shown in the film Invictus.
Here are some interesting tips:
1 — Make it clear what the purpose of the business is
The film Invictus places great emphasis on Nelson Mandela, one of the greatest world leaders of all time.
And his great strategy to overcome the population’s racial conflicts was to bet on rugby, a sport considered a true national passion.
The idea was for people to come together to win the championship!
Cool, now I ask you: what is the purpose of your business or the company you work for?
How can you bring your team together for this purpose?
Remember that without it a business will hardly survive, agree?
So make it clear to people and encourage them to pursue goals together.
2 — Be close to people
In the film Invictus, Nelson Mandela is close to people, speaks to them and is attentive to their feelings, concerns and aspirations.
And of course that makes all the difference when it comes to overcoming conflicts and difficulties.
I invite you to do the same!
Observe employees, ask how they are feeling and what their aspirations and concerns are.
Put up challenges that make them move in the right direction, the one that will lead to important results.
3 — Bet on the good side of employees
Each person has their characteristics and with them some specific skills.
Mandela respected that in each one and tried to unite what was good with the result he wanted to achieve.
Have you been doing this?
Have you tried to find out what the skills of each employee on your team are?
Understand not only the skills but also the tastes and aspirations and bet on these characteristics so that the team arrives motivated to the objectives and goals.
The film Invictus is a great success in cinema and also one of the best in leadership, after all, it shows one of the great strategies of a great leader: Nelson Mandela!
