The story of Coach Ken Carter has taken the sports world, entertainment business, academic disciplines, and business world by shock through the characteristics of one individual leader who chose to exemplify the concepts of transformational leadership and bring to the forefront a group of boys who were statistically destined to fail but, instead, became leaders themselves. While numerous films could easily have been chosen in order to evaluate scripted leadership skills under the direction of a specialized team of writers who purposefully place these aspects into the characters in the film, however, even more true to life, the film adaptation of the real life and experiences of Coach Carter allows the viewer to see the real impacts of true leadership skills.
As Samuel L. Jackson portrays the life and decisions of Coach Carter in the movie named for the real life star, the transformation of the student athletes becomes realized within the team. Using aspects such as respect, motivation, enthusiasm, fairness, and, at rare incidences, flexibility, the film, Coach Carter, shows the true, real life leadership skills that are required for effecting change in any situation.
Consider first, the most relevant need for a leader within the film. Granted, these young men have been brought up in a community which had failed them, but Coach Carter had been brought up in the same community and managed to overcome the low expectations the community and world had for him. This gave him an immediate intrinsic motivation to see these boys become all that they could be. He had a need to see them succeed because he had succeeded in life. This connection to the boys made him a leader that they could eventually find a common ground with and follow to become leaders themselves.
Early in the film, Coach Carter met with the boys who had no concept of respect as this had never been given to them. He immediately enforced the term “sir” in regards to the boys and expected them to do the same. He explained that he would respect them and teach them to respect themselves. By enforcing a dress code and academic goals, the team began to show an appearance of self respect which resulted in receiving respect while learning to also give respect. By not allowing the boys to accept anything less than respect nor to exhibit actions that were not repsectful, Coach Carter’s own self respect rubbed off on the young men who had never experienced this before. Respect for those who follow an individual goes a long way in being an effective leader.
Once the boys recognized that the coach would give respect when it was given, a unique transformation began to take place. The boys began to feel the sense of enthusiasm that Coach Carter had for them. Not only during practice, when he would push them through hard work and continuous drive, but also off the court when he showed an enthusiasm for the boys as individuals. He did not just aim to lead a basketball team to winning games, but also to lead a group of young men beyond the expectations and statistics that had plagued their life skills. This enthusiasm of the leader allowed for the boys to also follow by gaining enthusiasm in themselves and others. This was no longer a game but a real life changer. The boys began to help each other succeed and, through tutoring and working together in practice, became a team of leaders. Their hard work inspired others just as Coach Carter had inspired each one of them.
Of these boys who Coach Carter was in charge of leading, was his own son, Damien Carter. The sense of fairness to all of the boys was shown on Damien’s first day at practice. As Damien entered the gym late, the coach gave him the same punishment that he would have given to anyone else. As his own son ran, Coach Carter continued to work with the other boys on the team. There was no special treatment among the followers even if that follower was his own son. Fairness shows the team that they are part of a team instead of a group of individuals.
However, just as many leaders experience, a strict plan of action may be the best course at most times, but the element of flexibility but be shown in order to establish compassion in those who follow. Although the coach had certain deal breakers as far as being on the team, he also knew that circumstances sometimes call for a bit of a change in the plan. For example, although Cruz had left the team twice, when the coach saw that the team was the only chance that he had for a better life, he took him back yet again. This compassion and flexibility showed that he was a true leader who wanted nothing more than the success of those who he was in charge of leading.
Transformational leadership takes a group of individuals and leads them to a greater place than even they could have ever envisioned for themselves. Traditional leadership skils are required such as respect, motivation, enthusiasm, fairness, and flexibility. However, a true intrinsic motivation for the betterment of the team is required in the leader. Coach Carter exemplified the concepts of a transformational leader as he took the Richmond Oilers from being expected to fail to being winners on and off of the basketball court.
