Leadership In Remember The Titans

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This research will explain how different leadership theories directly were applied to situations in the movie “Remember the Titans”. Although only a few of the theories were available at the time, the individuals exhibited sound leadership and follower ship identified by modern research on leadership. This paper will visit several leadership theories and methods from respected sources and compare and contras some situations to current situations experienced with modern theories.

The leadership theories and methods discussion points in this research are positional power, conflict resolution, leader/co-leader relationship, international framework (leader-follower-situation), and environmental shifts as a reason to restructure. Also, we will discuss Maslow hierarchy of needs (Hughes, Ginnett, Curphy, 2006) and the four frames to evaluate change i. e. the structural frame, the human resource frame, the political frame, and symbolic frame.

The movie “Remember the Titans” revolves around two coaches named Herman Boone and Bill Yoast and how their integration of the first desegregated football team united a segregated town through the success high school football team. This process required highly effective leadership skills. From the beginning of the movie, leadership was apparently obvious. There was a riot over the death of an African American citizen. Coach Yoast actively prevented members of his football team from entering the confrontation.

Titans

When his players went to participate in the riot, he used his positional power (Bolman, Deal, 2003) to intervene and disrupt their involvement.

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Conflict Resolution and the ability to effectively manage it can make a huge difference with the success and failure of any process. To pacify the riot, the school board desegregated one of its high schools named T. C. Williams High School and placed an experienced African American coach Named Coach Boone as head coach. The original coach, Coach Yoast, was highly experienced and had 15 years of winning under his tenure at the school.

When Coach yoast and Coach Boone initially meet, there was animosity between Coach Boone and Coach Yoast staff. Coach Boone handled all negative responses with positive responses that defused the tension between all members. It was a visual view of similar situations that the book “Reframing Organizations” by Bolman and Deal bighlighted displayed in chapter 16, Reframing in Action (Bolman, Deal, 2003). Conflict resolution was also displayed when Coach Yoast decided to take the Assistant Coach position under Coach Boone to prevent uproar with all the white players and disgruntled citizens in town.

At the town meeting, he prevented further escalation and of an already sensitive situation. I believe his decision was the determining factor that pulled the town and the team together in the long run. It was his decision to stay that brought all the white players and parents back to the team. Further more, he prevented unfair release of Coach Boone by surrendering his chance at the Hall of Fame by challenging authority in a fixed game. His actions, honor and leadership allowed the Titans a chance at the National championship. If Coach Yoast had not remained with the Titans, what would have been the outcome?

Restructuring is a challenging process that consumes time and resources, with no guarantee of success. Organizations typically embark on the path when they feel compelled to respond to major problems or opportunities (Bolman, Deal, 2003). The problems that lead to the change in this small Virginia town were on racial lines. The environment shifted and change had to occur for the survival of the town and organizations within the town Bolman, Deal, 2003). The international framework (leader-follower-situation) is also apparent in this movie (Hughes, Ginnett, Curphy, 2006).

The leadership on the team needed to change to pacify the situation of the time. I’m not agreeing or disagreeing but the leader was placed because of the situation. The previous leader had to become the follower or co-leader because of the situation. Its takes courage, experience and resolve to change roles because of situations, especially if the role is a demotion to a lesser position. In my opinion, the most important part of leadership is interpreting leader-follower-situation and responding efficiently and effectively for the overall good.

Coach Yoast was excellent at interpreting situations. His actions and observation skills also facilitated the success of the team racial merger when Gary and Julius came together at football camp. His hesitation to interfere when Gary and Julius initially united on the field, in what initially appeared to be a confrontation, brought the team together. Since Julius and Gary are team leaders informally and formally respectfully, Coach Yoast ability to interoperate the situation and allow them to celebrate brought the team together. Coach Boone had an excellent follower r Co-leader.

Coach Hines’ co-leadership abilities seemed to be the conscious for Coach Boone. He steps in and positively influenced Coach Boone decision. Also, Coach Yoast is excellent as a co-leader. The success of an organization or team is incumbent upon the abilities of everyone and all successful leaders have highly effective co-leaders. Sheryl Yoast, although she was nine years old, provided leadership. Her love for the game and relationship with her father provided her with experience needed to accurately interoperate certain situations and provide effective feedback.

For example, she observed flaws from the stands in the Titans ability to properly defend the opposing team in the state championship. During the preamble phase of the half-time, she convinced her father to step outside of the box to solicit help which resulted in unorthodox substitution techniques that totally through off the opposing team. If she had not have been actively involved and observant of the game, she would not had positively provoked her father to make the changes. The changes were made to defense and the defense created the fumble in the last minutes.

The changes altered the situation which resulted in flaws that caused the fumble. The fumble resulted in the Titans scoring with no time left on the clock. Without Sheryl Yoast recommendations, what would the outcome of the came would have been? What are the effects that one recommendation can have on history? Would this story have been told if the Titans have lost? Would the town and the team continued to remain positive and united? The decision to change the coaching staff shifted the pyridine of the community and had to be viewed through all lenses.

Politically, placing an African American coach in the head coach position pacified the situation over the young teenager’s death. Structurally, if Coach Yoast had maintained the head coach position, the politically ramifications of the teenager death would not have been satisfied because of the anger around the individuals death. The impact of the change had to be highly significant. The human resource view satisfied some lower level needs of the Maslow hierarchy of needs (Hughes, Ginnett, Curphy, 2006). Their belongingness needs of the upset African Americans were satisfied indirectly by Coach Boone hiring as the Titans head coach.

Symbolically, placing an African American as the head coach of a prestigious high school team symbolizes change. Viewing the decision to hire Coach Boone and place him in the position of head coach fit all four frames which is why the outcome was successful. . In conclusion, look deep into this quote, “Follow as well as lead” (Lewis, 1993). Look beyond the words. This is true because it’s amazing as to where new styles and ideas can come from. What would have been the outcome if Coach Boone shut down and isolated himself from any input from his staff?

What if Coach Boone and Coach Yoast were identical racially and psychologically? What if Coach Boone was only hired to be the Assistant Coach? The answer behind any successful transition is within the follower relationship to the leader (Hughes, Ginnett, Curphy, 2006). This movie provides a great deal of insight regarding the use of leadership and methods that positively influenced the outcome of the situation. The situation are several: Coach Boone and Coach Yoats belief in the overall purpose, providing dignity to those who’ve only seen degradation (Fields, F, & Zwick, E. 989), the desegregation of the school system, merging society into one, uniting the team, etc.

Although only a few of the theories were available at the time or just myths, all identified leaders exhibited sound leadership and follower ship identified by modern research on leadership. This paper visited several leadership theories and methods from respected sources and compare and contras some situations to current situations experienced with modern theories.

Reference

• Bolman, L,. , Deal, T. (2003). Reframing Organizations: Artistry, Choice, and Leadership. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass
• Hughes, R. , Ginnett, R. , & Curphy, C. (2006). Leadership: Enhancing the Lessons of Experience. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill/Irwin
• Johnson, C. (2005). Meeting the Ethical Challenges of Leadership 2nd edition. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, Inc.
• Lewis, A. (1993). Leadership Styles. Arlington, VA: American Association of Schools Administrators
• Kustaa, F. (1993). African American Leadership Effectiveness New Mexico: Eric Journals, 135 3-51.
• Fields, F, & Zwick, E. (1989). Glory. United States: Tristar Pictures, Inc.