A couple of weeks ago, I had the opportunity to see the Black Panther with my wife in Miami, Florida. This was a big deal for me, personally, because we have not been able to attend a movie for the past year due to our busy schedules and lifestyle. Thankfully, we were able to create time and see this incredible movie that impacted the lives of so many people across the country.

 

          As I watched this amazing movie, not only was I captivated by the incredible storyline, but I was inspired by the leadership lessons that were expressed throughout the movie. In effect, this was not just an ordinary movie for me, it was a movie that I felt did a great job of allowing the audience to experience what extraordinary leadership looks like within a community of people. Based on the movie, there were a variety of blogs, articles, and posts about its meaning, and I felt compelled to share seven leadership lessons that I was able to identify.

 

 

The first leadership lesson that stood out to me in the movie is that effective leadership not only consists of leaders who love the people they have been blessed to lead, but also knowing that great leaders understand they are called to serve and protect.

 

As a leader, every decision that is made is not about personal gain. It's about doing what's best for the people you have been blessed to serve and protect. Although this act of leadership can be tough, a great leader acts in this way because of the love they have for the people they have been blessed to serve. It was clear the Black Panther loved his people and executed his role as the leader of his country with pride. He was confident in his role as leader, and consistently demonstrated that he valued his coveted position.

 

 

The second leadership lesson that stood out to me in the movie is that effective leadership not only endures great pain for the benefit of others, but they are required to solve and overcome some of the most challenging situations and circumstances.

 

In effect, as a leader, painful situations and circumstances are to be expected, great obstacles and challenges are part of the job, and one of the reasons why one is chosen to lead is because people believe that they have the ability to endure challenging situations. Throughout the movie, not only did the Black Panther endure great pain and challenging circumstances, but he was able to impact the people he was serving as a leader because of his ability to overcome unexpected trials.

 

 

The third leadership lesson that stood out to me is effective leadership will never stop growing and evolving. In effect, though things can be going extremely well, a great leader is always reflecting and thinking of ways they can sharpen their leadership skills.

 

The Black Panther continued to grow, evolve, and become more effective as a leader and person throughout the movie. His leadership team were seen constantly reflecting and thinking about ways they can make Wakanda better.

 

 

The fourth leadership lesson that stood out to me in the movie is that effective leadership leads by example. In effect, great leaders do not just talk about what they want, they express it through their actions and behaviors.

 

Within this amazing movie, the Black Panther not only discussed his vision, and what he wanted to do for the people of Wakanda, but he actually lived it out through his actions and behaviors. This type of example impacted others around him and enabled him to make a positive difference in the world.

 

 

The fifth leadership lesson reflected in the movie that demonstrated effective leadership was the use of strengths to get things done and the importance of surrounding yourself with other gifted individuals to make your vision a reality.

 

In effect, when I think about great leaders, I notice they have an ability to identify, recruit, and surround themselves with other gifted people in areas that enable them to make their vision come to life. The Black Panther not only used his strengths to make an impact on different occasions, but he was able to make his vision for Wakanda a reality based on the support he received from the amazing people in his circle.

 

 

The sixth leadership lesson that I was able to identify in the movie is that effective leaders value everyone despite differences, economic levels, or what the person can do for you. In effect, when I think about extraordinary leaders, I think about leaders who respect and value everybody they come in contact with despite there status or difference.

 

Subsequently, throughout the movie, the Black Panther not only respected the diverse groups of people within Wakanda, but he treated everyone the same despite their position or economic status, which I thought was amazing!

 

 

The seventh leadership lesson in the movie that stood out to me is that effective leaders care about legacy. In essence, great leaders are concerned about the present and future generations that will be impacted because of their actions. Throughout this movie, this was because the Black Panther valued the work of past generations and was focused on creating a positive legacy for the future generations of Wakanda.

 

As you might imagine, there were countless other leadership lessons that can be discussed through the entire movie, but these were the seven leadership lessons I wanted to highlight as we celebrate the success of the movie.