Ok ultimate geek question but I am reviewing our squadron leadership training and was thinking about ways to make the training more interactive. One of the things that came out from Teaching Military Aircraft Systems recently was the cadets really enjoyed and engaged with the mix of video training alongside the discussion and traditional presentation.
So the thought occurred of what other excepts from popular media could I use to demonstrate different leadership techniques. The epidsode that really occurred to me was the one where Kirk is split onto two by the transporter (The Enemy Within) with a ‘good’ kirk and an ‘evil’ kirk.
The good kirk has the compassion, listens to his people and cares about his people but lacks the force of personality making him quite a passive and weak leader. The Evil Kirk is a strong and determined leader yet is aggressive and ruthless.
This makes a good example when showing the styles of leadership and how a mixture of both is essential.
However I don’t particular want to sit cadets through an entire episode (let alone all 79 episodes, plus the 4 spin offs shows and 11 Movies), so the question is: -
What clips/episodes from TV and movies would it be worth considering to support cadet training?
The other one I will probably be using will be the guard scene out of Holy Grail to demonstrate why you need to brief correctly and not get frustrated when given stupid questions or be surprised when people misunderstand you.
There’s a lot of sense in your reasoning. Youngsters and the not-so-young will relate to it.
Using what have now become mainstream iconic examples is neither geek nor fringe (as a key observation, I suspect the definition of ‘geek’ is now getting close to being an aspirational status rather than having the negative meanings/intents that it once had)
This merits a lot more thought…and possible application.
It’s all very well to only refer back to Sun Tsu, Montgomery and Napoleon etc- but there’s some neo-classic scenes and heroes available and ready on the Enterprise.
wilf_san
ps
Kirk’s first survival tip: don’t stand too close to the guy in the red jersey
Ones I have seen used for this are Saving Private Ryan where Tom Hanks leads the landing party, or fails to as it is. Shows the expectation of leaderships.
I know the Army use Band Of Brothers as the basis of a considerable amount of their training for Soldiers joining under 18.
I will try and think of more I know of. I have seen black adder used but cant remember which part.
As an icebreaker to teaching ACP16, I show the new cadets “How Not To Be Seen” sketch from Monty Python. Generates a laugh and gets them into the lesson a bit easier.
I also like to mix a few youtube videos of aircraft into my aircraft knowledge/recognition lessons.
“Top 10 Flybys” and the US Army Helicopter video to AC/DC’s Thunderstruck are a couple I have used, and they make a dull(to some cadets) lesson suddenly a lot more interesting.
We used to show scenes from “An Officer and a Gentleman” - particularly the first scene at AOCS with Foley “welcoming” the new recruits (How Foley looks and acts), and also Mayo’s first and second attempts at the obstacle course (looking out for himself, then looking out for the team).
[quote=“cygnus maximus” post=8861]Some will remember watching 12 O’Clock High during IOT, not sure if they still show it as part of leadership lessons?
Blackadder is always good especially if the cadets want to be aircrew, Rik Mayall must have been coached by a Harrier pilot![/quote]
Ah yes, 12 O’clock High… the best two hours’ sleep I had during IOT (the Whittle Hall Lecture Theatre wasn’t called ‘The Sleeping Bag’ for nothing)…
According to our old WExO, who was on the course behind me, they showed it to his course in the CHOM theatre, so that they had to sit on upright wooden chairs to force them to stay awake. :lol:
When I went on my SNCO course a few years ago, the Wing CO took an evening lesson where he showed us Remember The Titans as an example of Tuckman’s stages of team development (forming -> storming -> norming -> performing, IIRC). I thought it worked really well. And it’s a good film.
I’ve heard Band of Brothers used in the past as an example of effective leadership, particularly the actions of Major Dick Winters and primarily how he interacts with his men. Another bloody good series.
[quote=“Chief Tech” post=8857]The other one I will probably be using will be the guard scene out of Holy Grail to demonstrate why you need to brief correctly and not get frustrated when given stupid questions or be surprised when people misunderstand you. [/quote]Funny as the Holy Grail scene is, it’s not a great example as the brief was perfectly clear!
Specific examples of leadership in tv/movies for me, would be episodes of Stargate SG1, particularly episodes involving General Hammond. Also Heartbreak Ridge is a god one for baby NCOs to watch, to show it’s not all about screamy shouty stuff, and ways to generate respect…
[quote=“cygnus maximus” post=8861]Some will remember watching 12 O’Clock High during IOT, not sure if they still show it as part of leadership lessons?
Blackadder is always good especially if the cadets want to be aircrew, Rik Mayall must have been coached by a Harrier pilot![/quote]
12 O’Clock High - very good shout. I love that film.
Black Hawk Down is another good one with a number of scenario leadership situations.
The other one I have used is extracts from Kenneth Branagh in Shackleton. Fantastic for examples of leader considering Task Team & Individual.
[quote=“GOM” post=8864]
Ah yes, 12 O’clock High… the best two hours’ sleep I had during IOT (the Whittle Hall Lecture Theatre wasn’t called ‘The Sleeping Bag’ for nothing)…
According to our old WExO, who was on the course behind me, they showed it to his course in the CHOM theatre, so that they had to sit on upright wooden chairs to force them to stay awake. :lol:[/quote]
I found the comfy chairs in the smaller of the Defence Studies rooms particularly snooze-inducing! Shame really as the lessons were really good especially from the USAF Major who tended to use that classroom. He’d normally let people doze too which was good of him - Maj Connors I think it was, B52 pilot, top guy!
First 20 mins of Full Metal Jacket followed by Kim Joug Uns Korean Peoples Army morale inforcement DVD (Munity on the Bounty will do if you cant get Kims DVD)
[/quote]Funny as the Holy Grail scene is, it’s not a great example as the brief was perfectly clear!