Lights, Camera, Leadership: What Leaders Can Learn from Hollywood

Leadership is not a role we switch on and off, it’s a way of seeing the world, responding to it and shaping it. And sometimes, the most compelling leadership insights don’t come from business schools or strategic frameworks, but from unexpected places, like the cinema.

The past decade of film has brought us stories that mirror real-life leadership dilemmas: identity, pressure, complexity, belonging, and change. When we take time to step into these stories, we gain fresh perspective on how we lead and how we want to.

So, here’s what modern cinema has to say to today’s leaders, if we’re ready to listen.

Barbie (2023): Leadership Beyond the Mould

At first glance, Barbie is a playful, pastel-coloured world, but underneath the surface, it’s a rich exploration of identity, societal expectation, and what it means to lead with purpose instead of perfection. As Barbie steps away from a curated, idealised role and begins to ask deeper questions, she mirrors a journey many leaders face, moving from image to impact and from certainty to self-awareness.

In today’s political climate, conversations about inclusion and identity are often polarised, but at its heart, this film invites us to reflect on leadership that embraces diversity and challenges outdated models.

Leadership reflection: Are you leading from a place of expectation, or intention? The most authentic leadership comes when we stop performing and start connecting.

Oppenheimer (2023): The Weight of Responsibility

Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer is more than a historical biopic, it’s a meditation on the ethical complexity of leadership. The film doesn’t romanticise genius or power; it lays bare the burden of consequence. As leaders, our decisions ripple far beyond the immediate moment. The question isn’t just can we do something, it’s should we?

In an era of high-impact decisions, from AI adoption to organisational restructuring, this film prompts deeper reflection on the ethics behind leadership action.

Leadership reflection: What principles guide your decisions when there is no clear answer? Impact without reflection becomes a dangerous kind of influence.

Encanto (2021): Beyond Performance – Seeing the Whole Person

Every member of the Madrigal family is defined by a gift. But as pressure mounts, those gifts become burdens, identities become narrowed, and wellbeing is compromised. It’s a powerful metaphor for today’s workplace cultures, where strengths are celebrated, but humanity can be overlooked. True leadership is not just about drawing out performance, it’s about protecting wholeness.

Leadership reflection: Are your people seen for who they are, or just for what they deliver? Inclusion isn’t just about diversity, it’s about dignity.

Don’t Look Up (2021): When Communication Becomes the Crisis

This satirical film captures a chilling reality, that leadership failure often begins with communication failure. When leaders distort, delay or deflect difficult truths, trust erodes. In today’s information-rich but meaning-poor environments, clarity and courage in communication are no longer optional, they are acts of leadership in themselves.

While this film satirises global politics, the underlying message for leaders is universal: distraction and denial don’t solve problems, honest, timely dialogue does.

Leadership reflection: What conversations are you avoiding? Silence can be just as damaging as misinformation.

Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022): Leadership in a Fragmented World

This chaotic, heartfelt film is a metaphor for the modern leadership experience, where multiple priorities, roles, identities and pressures collide at once. It reminds us that leadership isn’t linear, it’s multidimensional. And sometimes, the most powerful leadership move is not control, but connection.

Leadership reflection: In the noise and multitasking, are you still anchored to what matters most? Complexity doesn’t mean chaos, but it does require clarity.

Black Panther (2018): Leading with Legacy in Mind

T’Challa doesn’t just inherit a throne, he inherits questions about how to lead with justice, openness and integrity. His leadership is grounded not in dominance, but in dialogue, a rare trait in fictional (and real) leadership figures. He listens, adapts, and chooses legacy over ego.

The film also brought representation and cultural pride into the global spotlight, a reminder that leadership must reflect the communities it serves.

Leadership reflection: What legacy are you building in the way you lead today? Your leadership is someone else’s blueprint tomorrow.

The Martian (2015): Optimism as Strategy

Mark Watney’s survival story isn’t just a tale of science, it’s a model of mindset. When isolated, faced with impossible odds, he turns to problem-solving, creativity and humour. He doesn’t wait to feel hopeful, he acts with hope. In many ways, this is the essence of resilient leadership.

Leadership reflection: When things feel stuck or uncertain, what energy do you bring to the room? Your outlook isn’t just personal, it’s cultural.

Hidden Figures (2016): Recognising Unseen Talent

The brilliance of Hidden Figures lies in what it reveals about visibility, opportunity and systemic bias. The women in this story didn’t just do excellent work, they did it in an environment that didn’t expect them to. Leadership means noticing the people who are often overlooked, and removing the barriers they never should have had to face.

In a time when equity and representation remain at the forefront of organisational agendas, this story still resonates deeply.

Leadership reflection: Whose voices are missing from your team conversations? Who might be brilliant, but unheard?

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018): Redefining Leadership Identity

Miles Morales doesn’t believe he’s ready to be Spider-Man, but over time, he realises leadership is not about fitting a costume but owning your uniqueness. It’s a powerful reminder that leadership isn’t always about being the loudest voice, it’s about knowing who you are and standing in it.

Leadership reflection: Are you modelling leadership, or mimicking it? The world doesn’t need more copy-paste leaders. It needs real ones.

Final Thoughts: Leadership is a Story You Tell – and Live

Films stir us because they hold up a mirror, to our world, our choices, and our values. The stories we watch on screen aren’t just entertainment, they are opportunities for deeper reflection. If we pay attention, they remind us that leadership is not about status, it’s about service, responsibility, and the courage to keep learning.

So the next time you sit down to watch a film, ask yourself: What is this story trying to teach me about the kind of leader I want to be?