Remember the Titans Group Project

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Choose at least one other main concept from this course and show its application with in the movie.

Remember the Titans is covered in countless examples of the attribution theory. The concept that human beings innately ‘assume’, the deconstruction of the assumption and in turn the opportunities and moments where leaders and aspiring leaders as well as those being guided grow and learn from these situations.

Take a look at Sheryl and Nikki. They’re just kids, but this makes the attribution theory incredibly simple to understand. Upon their first meeting, Sheryl throws a basketball to Nikki. Nikki in turn skirts the basketball, avoiding messing up her freshly painted fingernails. Sheryl has made the assumption that Nikki has shown up to play, and in turn play basketball, because that’s what Sheryl does. You can tell by Sheryl’s facial response that she is annoyed by Nikki and her girly hobbies. Sheryl grew up loving basketball, she as a child, can’t understand why Nikki would come to play if she wasn’t going to play outdoors. Sheryl may have looked at the situation under the assumption ‘why did she even show up if she doesn’t want to play’, viewpoint. On the flip side, Nikki SHOWED UP. She clearly was interested in Sheryl or meeting her or she would have come along. Nikki’s upbringing and hobbies are very different from Sheryl’s, resulting in what could be perceived as a rude encounter. When in reality both parties attributed assumptions and connotations to each other’s actions.

As viewer’s we can validate our own attribution process and behaviors. We know that attribution bias is something that happens to all of us. As we watch the main characters, Coach Herman Boone and Coach Bill Yoast have shown natural biases, yet they are both thought of as respectable individuals with values and character. They coach us as viewers to look at our own natural biases from a different perspective. In looking internally, we are able to see things that we are actually biased about that would may deny in public, but that which intrinsically affect our decisions and treatment of others. One particular example is when Coach Yoast, in his association with Coach, is silently conveying that he believes in racial division and that he doesn’t completely support the team. In his severance of ties while at the diner, Coach Yoast makes an internal decision that by default becomes an external result. He allows his feelings and opinions to shape the way he wants people to view him and respond to him in a positive way, from those who are in favor of integration, but also resulting in some backlash from those not in favor. As a leader he has learned that his internal opinions do affect those around him and how he is perceived.

The coaches and individual team members attributional awareness, whether dispositional or situational it is the definitely the cause of certain behaviors. As the coaches and team develop in their internal and external recognition, we see the team come together though mini climaxes thought out the movie. When Gary Burteer chooses to have Ray removed from the team, we see him make a decision publically for the success of the team, as well as what is ethically right to do. Ultimately this leads to the biggest climax of the film, the moment where the team ceases to have controversies between black and white, rich and poor, affiliated and nonaffiliated, for change and against change, new and old, all in an effort to come together as a unified team to achieve a higher goal and greater purpose. Something we all can learn and take away from as team leaders.

The team learns to think outside the Ladder of inference. We see collective group change from the white players against the black players and black players against white players, into the team, looking out for the team. Coach Boone uses his emotional intelligence from the get go, making the team members get to know and share in each other’s experiences, this develops into a new characterization of a bigger unit. As a leader, he teaches his team what he is learning and has already learned, to find the facts, not the assumptions. At the same time he breaks the assumptions that people have made about him. He was assumed to fail, assumed to not make it out of camp, assumed to be let go. Because Coach Boone had intricate knowledge and experience with the Ladder of Inference. He was able to overcome any assumptions about him and to lead his team to overcoming any assumptions about their potential to succeed.

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Works Cited

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Hall, A. T., Bowen, M. G., Ferris, G. R., Royale, M. T., & Fitzgibbons, D. E. (2007). The accountability lens: A new way to view management issues. Kelly School of Business: Blue Horizons, BH 248, 50, 405-413. Retrieved February 9, 2017, from https://services.hbsp.harvard.edu/lti/links/BH248-PDF-ENG.

Levinson, H. (1978). The Abrasive Personality [Abstract]. Harvard Business Review, 86-92. Retrieved January 18, 2017, from https://services.hbsp.harvard.edu/lti/links/78307-PDF-ENG.

Goleman, D. (1998). What Makes a Leader. Harvard Business Review, 1-11. Retrieved January 25, 2017, from https://services.hbsp.harvard.edu/lti/links/R0401H-PDF-ENG.

Yakin, B. (Director), Bruckheimer, J., & Oman, C. (Producers), & Howard, G. A. (Writer). (2000). Remember the Titans [Motion picture on DVD]. United States: Buena Vista Pictures.