Leadership • November 03, 2023

Remember the Titans: How Attitude Reflects Leadership

A leader’s attitude sets the tone for the entire team, significantly impacting team dynamics, productivity, and overall work environment. As John Maxwell said, “Everything rises and falls on leadership.” Simplified, team attitude reflects leadership.

This article explores the power of a positive attitude, the importance of leading by example, and the role of Emotional Intelligence (EI) in leadership. We discuss practical strategies for developing a positive attitude in leadership, with lessons from the movie “Remember the Titans” as a case study in attitude reflecting leadership .

A confident manager leading a team-building activity

A positive culture leads to an increase in morale and productivity

The power of a positive attitude

A positive attitude in leadership is a powerful tool . It encourages an uplifting atmosphere, leading to an increase in engagement, collaboration, and ultimately, better performance.

Conversely, a negative attitude can bring everyone down, creating a toxic environment that hinders morale and productivity. It is essential for leaders to be self-aware and continuously work on developing and maintaining a positive attitude that reflects their commitment to the success of their team and organization.

Leading by example

When leaders model positive attitudes and behaviors, they build trust, further a positive culture , and create a sense of shared purpose among their team members. Demonstrating these qualities cannot be understated; they can inspire and motivate team members to achieve greatness.

Leaders can demonstrate a positive attitude by:

  • Showing respect
  • Maintaining a solution-oriented mindset
  • Setting the standard for the team
  • Ensuring their words are consistent with their actions
  • Encouraging open communication
  • Recognizing team members’ contributions
  • Nurturing a sense of stability and reliability
  • Providing opportunities for team-building activities
  • Inspiring a shared vision and purpose

All of these attitudes and actions produce quantifiable productivity results. Furthermore, they advance team cohesiveness, creating an interdependent reliability that is critical to team building.

The role of emotional intelligence in leadership

Emotional Intelligence (EI) enables leaders to better understand and manage their emotions and those of their team members. EI is essential for leaders to effectively communicate, build strong relationships, manage conflicts, and inspire their teams to achieve goals.

Leaders with a high EI are more self-aware of their emotions and can manage them effectively. This awareness helps them maintain a positive and stable attitude, ultimately setting a good example for their team.

Leaders who understand and empathize with the emotions of others communicate more effectively. Empathy fosters open communication, builds trust, and strengthens team relationships.

EI also furthers a leader’s ability to maintain a solutions-oriented and problem-solving mindset . This mindset leads to better decision-making that benefits the team and organization.

Remember the Titans: A case study in attitude reflecting leadership

“Remember the Titans” is a movie about a 1970s high school football team struggling to form a racially-integrated unit for the first time during the Civil Rights Movement. The movie provides invaluable insights into the “attitude reflects leadership” relationship and leading by example.

What is the quote attitude reflects leadership?

A pivotal scene in the movie involves two main characters, Gary and Julius, who are the best players on the team. Gary is also a Captain on the team. During a heated exchange, Gary states that Julius has the worst attitude he has ever seen. Julius responds with, “Attitude reflects leadership, Captain.” This powerful quote highlights how important a leader’s attitude is in shaping the behavior and performance of their teams.

Outstanding leadership qualities

Other exceptional leadership qualities are shown by Coach Boone, played by Denzel Washington. Coach Boone is consistent in his fairness, respect, and commitment to the team’s success. His high EI helps him control his emotions and those of his team, creating an environment of trust, respect, and a sense of belonging.

Through Coach Boone’s exemplary leadership, the team puts aside racial differences and works together towards a common goal.

How does attitude reflect leadership?

Simply, attitude does reflect leadership. Negativity will create a negative workspace that leads to counterproductive team tension. On the other hand, setting the example and leading with a positive attitude and consistency will result in exponential productivity gains and organizational success.

“Remember the Titans” is an extraordinary case study for leadership in difficult circumstances. Fairness, respect, open communication, and emotions management are a few lessons learned that increase team engagement, collaboration, and performance. EI is a leadership enabler; genuinely empathizing with team members allows leaders to set and recalibrate team “tone” and optimize productivity.

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References:

  • Gottfredson, R., & Reina, C. (2020, January 17). To Be a Great Leader, You Need the Right Mindset . Harvard Business Review. Retrieved August 27, 2023, from https://hbr.org/2020/01/to-be-a-great-leader-you-need-the-right-mindset
  • Groysberg, B., Lee, J., Price, J., & Yo-Jud Cheng, J. (2018). The Culture Factor (1st ed.). Harvard Business Publishing. Retrieved August 27, 2023, from https://store.hbr.org/product/the-culture-factor/r1801b?sku=R1801B-PDF-ENG

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Leadership Geeks

Leadership in “Remember the Titans”

‘remember the titans’ summary.

Remember the Titans is the story about the racial integration of two coaches and a team made up of both black and white people. It’s a deep story with dealing with difficult topics like racism, discrimination and athletic. Ultimately, it’s about how group of people with diverse beliefs and backgrounds can come together to triumph  — despite their differences.

Leadership Lessons from ‘Remember the Titans’

1. managing differences.

Like how Coach Boone managed the cultural and ethnic discrimination between the two camps, every good leader must recognize and manage the different expectations, beliefs and values of a team. He helps bring peace and resolves the conflicts with wisdom as they come by.

2. Demanding excellence

A good leader demands excellence from his team. Besides just bringing the team together, Coach Boone never compromises on the standard he requires from his football team; a team that is strives toward perfection in their game.

3. Hold on to your values

Toward the end, there was immense pressure on Coach Yoast to give up his belief of integration and unity of blacks and the whites, and to accept the tempting offer by the school board. As a leader, you’ll always face immense pressure from the power players and this is usually the crunch time where you will have to choose between doing what’s right, and what’s popular or socially accepted.

Remember the Titans

‘Remember the Titans’ Leadership Quotes

Here are a few of the best leadership-related quotes that we liked from the movie.

We will be perfect in every aspect of the game. You drop a pass, you run a mile. You miss a blocking assignment, you run a mile. You fumble the football, and i will break my foot off in your John Brown hind parts and then you will run a mile. Perfection. Let’s go to work.

– Coach Boone

All right, now, I don’t want them to gain *another yard!* * You blitz… all… night!* If they cross the line of scrimmage, I’m gonna take every last one of you out! You make sure they remember, *forever*, the night they played the Titans!

– Coach Yoast

I’m not gonna talk to you tonight about winnin’ and losin’. You’re already winners ’cause you didn’t kill each other up at camp.

examples of problem solving in remember the titans

People say that it can’t work, black and white. Here, we make it work every day. We still have our disagreements, of course, but before we reach for hate, always, always, we remember the Titans.

– Sheryl

I’m a winner. I’m going to win.
I don’t care if you like each other or not, but you will respect each other.

Ronnie “Sunshine” Bass : I can’t make that pitch Coach. Coach Boone : Yes you can. When I was fifteen years old I lost my mother and my father in the same month Ronnie, same month. 12 brothers and sisters I was the youngest one of them, now I wasn’t ready either, but they needed me. Your team needs you tonight, you’re the Coronel, you’re going to command your troops! Twins right 48 zero read, *go!*

‘Remember the Titans’ Movie Trailer

LEADERSHIP GEEKS MOVIES RATING: (4 out of 5)

Other Leadership Movies

You can find out more about other leadership movies from the list below.

  • The Pursuit of Happy-ness
  • Kingdom of Heaven
  • The Thin Red Line
  • Saving Private Ryan
  • Forrest Gump
  • The Star Wars Trilogy
  • The Million Dollar Baby
  • Twelve Angry Men
  • The Last Samurai
  • Coach Carter
  • Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
  • Facing the Giants
  • The Blind Side
  • Remember the Titans

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20 Remember The Titans Quotes That Reveal The Power Of Unity

20 Remember The Titans Quotes That Reveal The Power Of Unity

Remember the titans is widely recognized as one of the best biographical sports films of all time. here are 20 remember the titans quotes about unity and leadership..

Remember the Titans is widely recognized as one of the best biographical sports films of all time. The movie is based on the true story of African-American coach Herman Boone (portrayed by Denzel Washington ), who led the T. C. Williams High School football team to a state championship in 1971.

The events of the movie take place in

a time where racial tensions were still high. In an attempt to reduce racial segregation,

the city consolidated all high school students into one public senior high

school -- T.C. Williams. In addition, Herman

Boone was hired to lead the school's football team

examples of problem solving in remember the titans

At first, both white and black players

refused to even speak to each other. Coach Boone decides to take action and

after a long struggle, the boys begin to understand the real meaning of 'team'.

The ongoing training under the strict guidance of Coach Boone made the players

gradually ignore racial prejudice, and ultimately bring their community

The following Remember the Titans quotes are some of the most memorable lines from the movie. Some of them are harsh, but extremely motivational .

Here are 20 Remember the Titans quotes about teamwork and leadership:

I'm not gonna talk to you tonight about winnin' and losin'. You're already winners 'cause you didn't kill each other up at camp. COACH BOONE
You listen, and you take a lesson from the dead. If we don't come together right now on this hallowed ground, we too will be destroyed, just like they were. I don't care if you like each other of not, but you will respect each other. And maybe... I don't know, maybe we'll learn to play this game like men. COACH BOONE
According to Greek mythology, the Titans were greater even than the gods. They ruled their universe with absolute power! Well that football field out there tonight, that's our universe. Let's rule it like Titans! COACH BOONE
Yeah. I hope you boys have learned as much from me this year as I've learned from you. You've taught this city how to trust the soul of a man rather than the look of him. And I guess it's about time I joined the club. COACH YOST
Attitude reflects leadership, captain. BIG JU
People say that it can't work, black and white; well here we make it work, everyday. We have our disagreements, of course, but before we reach for hate, always, always, we remember the Titans. OLDER SHERYL
I don't scratch my head unless it itches and I don't dance unless I hear some music. I will not be intimidated. That's just the way it is. COACH BOONE
We will be perfect in every aspect. You drop a pass, you run a mile. You miss a blocking assignment, you run a mile. You make a fumble, i will break my foot off in you John Brown hind parts and then you will run a mile. Perfection. COACH BOONE
Now, I ain't saying that I'm perfect, 'cause I'm not. And I ain't gonna never be. None of us are. But we have won every single game we have played till now. So this team is perfect. We stepped out on that field that way tonight. And, uh, if it's all the same to you, Coach Boone, that's how we want to leave it. BIG JU
Well I'm not going to cut 'em and eat 'em. The best player will play, color won't matter. COACH BOONE
It's all right. We're in a fight. You boys are doing all that you can do. Anybody can see that. Win or lose... We gonna walk out of this stadium tonight with our heads held high. Do your best. That's all anybody can ask for. COACH BOONE
Coach Yoast: I think this is a very good time for prayer and reflection... Bertier: Coach, I'm hurt. I'm not dead.
Sometimes life is hard for no reason at all. CAROL BOONE
I’m a winner. I’m going to win. COACH BOONE
Blue Stanton: We need a water break sir. Coach Boone: A water break? Water is for cowards. Water makes you weak. Water is for washing blood off that uniform and you don't get no blood on my uniform, boy you must be outside yo mind! We are going to up-downs, until Blue is no longer tired, and thirsty
Everywhere we go - everywhere we go - People wanna know -people wanna know - Who we are - who we are, - So we tell them - so we tell them - We are the Titans! - We are the Titans!- The Mighty Mighty Titans! -The Mighty Mighty Titans! Team
Whatever kind of ambition it took to do what you did around here, this world could use a lot more of it Herman. CAROL BOONE
Now I may be a mean cuss. But I'm the same mean cuss with everybody out there on that football field. I don't give a damn about how sensitive these kids are, especially the black kids. You ain't doin' these kids a favor by patronizing them. You crippling them; You crippling them for life. COACH BOONE
CAUSE BABY THERE AIN’T NO MOUNTAIN HIGH ENOUGH, AIN’T NO VALLEY LOW ENOUGH … BLUE STANTON
You got anger, that's good you're gonna need it, you got aggression that's even better you're gonna need that, too. But any little two year old child can throw a fit! Football is about controlling that anger, harnessing that aggression into a team effort to achieve perfection! COACH BOONE

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Police Officer Is Now Family After Saving Three-Month-Old

Being a new parent is terrifying because you’re always expecting the worst. But when the worst actually happens, and your baby stops breathing, you hope that a stranger like this police officer will be there to save the day.

A Harrowing Incident

Officer Mike Harton sits with Tooka, he girl whose life he once saved

CBS News/YouTube

A normal day at the movies turned into a new mother ’s worst nightmare five years ago when her three-month-old daughter Tooka stopped breathing. Nikki Huckaby ran out of the theater and screamed for help.

“I was standing there, and that’s when she came running toward this way,” Officer Mike Harton recalled to CNN . “[The baby] curled back, trying to take a breath, and then she went completely limp on me.”

It was then that Harton’s training kicked in and he started performing chest compressions and back blows, trying to get Tooka breathing again.

“All I was thinking, is like, she cannot die in this movie theater,” Huckaby recalled.

“All I could think in my head was, 'Not on my watch, not on my watch,'” Harton added.

Saving a Life

After 30 long seconds, Tooka finally released a small cry. It was music to the mom and officer’s ears. “That cry was the best cry ever,” Harton said.

“I literally watched a miracle happen before my eyes,” Huckaby said.

From that moment on, Harton began calling Tooka “Little Angel” and the officer became a part of the family ’s life. He was even asked to be Tooka’s godfather. Today, he’s there for all of the five-year-old’s big life events: birthdays, holidays, and the first day of school. Tooka even wants to be a police officer when she grows up.

“That day, an angel came down,” Harton continued. “She did more for me than I did for her. My life changed that day. Our family got extended, and it’s amazing.”

Positive Relationships

In the interview, Huckaby explained that she and Harton wanted to share their story to show that positive police relationships can — and should — exist.

“A lot of people don’t get a chance to have that positive relationship with police officers. I hope this story is an example of how you can come together from different worlds and really be family because we are humans first,” Huckaby said.

It’s a nice reminder that the police in our communities do more than we think and are there to serve first and foremost. By highlighting more of these examples, we can deepen our relationships with police officers who show up for those in need, lend a helping hand, and continue to show up long after their official duties are done.

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Police Officer Gives Stranded Teens a Ride to Their Prom

Prom tends to be a memorable experience for most high school kids. It is, after all, the social event of the year.

But for two kids from Dunn County, North Dakota, it's not the prom itself that left a lasting impression. It's what happened on the way that turned it into one heck of a night to remember.

What Happened When Two Teens Got Stranded on their Way to Prom

Killdeer High School Students at their 2024 Prom

Killdeer Public School District #6/Facebook

Dunn County Sheriff Officer, Corporal Tyler Rintamaki never made it to prom. That is, until now.

Rintamaki and another deputy were headed back to the office when they spotted a truck on the side of Highway 22, flashers on and facing the wrong direction, per KFRY-TV .

“We thought it was odd, so we stopped and checked on them," Rintamaki said.

That's when the officers met Danica Mindt and Ian Gloria, juniors at Killdeer High School. The teens were on their way to prom when their truck unexpectedly broke down.

“The truck started beeping at me, making some weird noises and popping up this caution light. I knew something was wrong,” said Mindt.

Not knowing what else to do, the teens were about to call 9-1-1. But, as luck would have it, they didn't have to.

The officers immediately sprang into action. Unable to fix the truck, they decided to go with Plan B.

"Determined not to let the unexpected setback spoil the students' special night, Corporal Rintamaki and Deputy Jermeay provided a kind and compassionate gesture by offering them a courtesy ride to prom," the Dunn County Sheriff's Department wrote on their Facebook page.

However, they didn't just give them a ride. They also gave them pictures to prove it.

Riding to Prom in Style

Killdeer High School juniors Danica Mindt and Ian Gloria taking prom photos in front of Dunn County Sheriff's Dept. vehicles.

@danica_mindt369/Instagram

With only moments to go before their scheduled prom photos, and the clock ticking, Mindt and Gloria worried that they'd miss out.

But Rintamaki wasn't about to let that happen on his watch. He offered to take some "one-of-a-kind" photos for them.

“I was like, ‘Well, we can just take photos for you. We can take photos here in front of the police car,’“ he said .

So, with the road stretching behind them and two police cruisers flanking them, the duo struck a pose in a roadside photoshoot they'll never forget.

Ten minutes later, the teens made it to their high school prom in what may just be the most epic entrance ever — in the back of a police car with sirens wailing.

They even made it in time for their official photoshoot. All thanks to the Dunn County men in blue.

As for the villain in this tale? Mechanics are still trying to figure out what's wrong with the broken-down truck.

A Night To Remember Thanks To the Kindness of Strangers

Killdeer High School juniors Danica Mindt and Ian Gloria

The Dunn County Sheriff's Office commended the officers on their act of kindness, writing:

"Their selfless act reflects the values of service and community that define law enforcement, ensuring that Danica and Ian arrived safely and on time to create cherished memories at their prom." Dunn County Sheriff's Office

Because of the police officers' good deed, Mindt's and Gloria's prom "was a blast."

But it wasn't just a night the high schoolers will never forget, it was one for Rintamaki too.

In a cool twist of fate, Rintamaki was finally able to cross prom off his own list of life experiences.

Having never made it to his own high school prom years ago, the unexpected encounter gave him a chance to finally say he'd been, proving it really is never too late for second chances.

Copyright © 2024 Goalcast

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Remember the Titans’ by Jerry Bruckheimer Film Analysis Essay

Introduction, five-stage model.

Remember the Titans denotes a United States games movie created by Jerry Bruckheimer and its director Boaz Yakin at the close of the twentieth century. The design of the movie was obtained from a screenplay by Gregory Howard, and the movie is anchored in a true account of a black coach, Herman Boone, represented by Denzel Washington, who attempts to initiate ethnically divided players at a secondary school in Washington, D.C. in 1971. Thespian Will Patton represents Bill Yoast, who was an adjunct trainer that created a passage to aid Herman.

The actual account depiction of team members Julius Campbell (acted by Harris Wood), in addition to Gerry Bertier (acted by Ryan Hurst), emerge in the matched plot. Moreover, Kate Bosworth and Kip Pardue materialize as major characters.

A shared attempt to consign to the creation of the movie was generated by the Walt Disney Pictures’ and Run It Up Productions Company to mention a few movie studios. The movie was commercially distributed by Buena Vista Pictures and explores civil subjects like favoritism, athletics, and racialism. In late 2000, the soundtrack of the movie was created by Walt Disney Records and portrays songs written by a number of recording musicians.

In 1971, at Williams High School, a desegregated secondary school, African American coach, Herman, is adopted to train the football players in the school. Herman acts as the successor of the present coach Yoast, proposed for the Virginia High School Hall of Fame, and revering Bill Yoast, Herman took up the position as his assistant coordinator in the coaching rank.

Bill initially rejects Herman’s proposal, but rethinks following the white players assurance to stay away from the team if he fails to participate. Shocked by the prospect of the learners losing their opportunities at scholarships, Bill changes his decision and engages in the role of defensive director. African American and white football members of the team regularly disagree in ethnically motivated disputes at the football camp, encompassing several involving Campbell and Gerry.

Following forceful persuasion and thorough athletic preparation by Herman, the team realizes racial accord and triumph. After going back from the football camp, Herman is informed by an affiliate of the school board that it has been planned that if he fails to win all the games, he will be laid off. Consequently, the Titans get through the entire season unbeatable while struggling with racial discrimination, prior to gradually winning the backing from the community.

Shortly prior to state semi-finals, Bill is informed by another affiliate of the school board that he would be initiated into the Hall of Fame should the titans fail to win even a single game, to insinuate that they want Herman to be laid off because of his ethnic background. In the course of the game, it turns out evident that the referees are prejudiced against the Titans. Bill cautions the head officer that he would go to the press and reveal their heinous act if the game were not to be refereed evenhandedly. Eventually, the Titans emerge the victors, but Bill is informed that his attempts have led into his failure of candidature for induction.

In the course of the victory celebrations, Gerry is involved in an accident, caused by his driving through crossroads. Even though Gerry could not represent the team due to paralysis at the lower part of his body, the Titans carries on the triumph to the finals. A decade afterward, Gerry passes away in a further car accident following being knocked by a drunk driver at the time that his team had just won an award in the Paralympics.

All the team members, the athletes, and the coaches come together to attend Gerry’s memorial service. In the epilog, the viewers learn the occurrences of the coaches and the team members following the episodes. For instance, Herman proceeded to coach the Titans football team for another 5 years before his retirement while Bill assisted Herman for another 4 years before his retirement. Herman and Bill are still the greatest of buddies and maintain their affiliation.

In the “forming” stage, the team members come together for the first time to meet Coach Herman and the stage ends when the team is seen participating in a camp in Gettysburg College. In the “storming” stage, there are numerous examples of members of the team trying to overcome one another. Bill and Herman also get to know the evil plans of the school board. The phase ends when Campbell and Bertier assess each others feat in the team, and this makes them vividly identify their roles.

In the “norming” stage, Gerry requests Coach Herman to remove his friend from the team for nonperformance; Gerry is ready to allow his amity suffer for the excellence of the team. In the “performing” stage, the scenes demonstrate that they are beginning to perform and operate as a team, marking a defining moment in their victory. The team goes through to the championship unbeatable. In the “adjourning” stage, the team performs excellently even with the misfortune and demise of Gerry. In addition, the epilog shows that the coaches retired and the players progressed to other activities and later life professions.

  • Chicago (A-D)
  • Chicago (N-B)

IvyPanda. (2020, April 30). Remember the Titans' by Jerry Bruckheimer Film Analysis. https://ivypanda.com/essays/remember-the-titans-by-jerry-bruckheimer-film-analysis/

"Remember the Titans' by Jerry Bruckheimer Film Analysis." IvyPanda , 30 Apr. 2020, ivypanda.com/essays/remember-the-titans-by-jerry-bruckheimer-film-analysis/.

IvyPanda . (2020) 'Remember the Titans' by Jerry Bruckheimer Film Analysis'. 30 April.

IvyPanda . 2020. "Remember the Titans' by Jerry Bruckheimer Film Analysis." April 30, 2020. https://ivypanda.com/essays/remember-the-titans-by-jerry-bruckheimer-film-analysis/.

1. IvyPanda . "Remember the Titans' by Jerry Bruckheimer Film Analysis." April 30, 2020. https://ivypanda.com/essays/remember-the-titans-by-jerry-bruckheimer-film-analysis/.

Bibliography

IvyPanda . "Remember the Titans' by Jerry Bruckheimer Film Analysis." April 30, 2020. https://ivypanda.com/essays/remember-the-titans-by-jerry-bruckheimer-film-analysis/.

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Movie Reviews

Tv/streaming, collections, great movies, chaz's journal, contributors, remember the titans.

Now streaming on:

"Remember the Titans" is a parable about racial harmony, yoked to the formula of a sports movie. Victories over racism and victories over opposing teams alternate so quickly that sometimes we're not sure if we're cheering for tolerance or touchdowns. Real life is never this simple, but then that's what the movies are for--to improve on life, and give it the illusion of form and purpose.

Denzel Washington and Will Patton are the stars, two football coaches, one black, one white, whose lives are linked for a season, even though neither wants it that way. In 1971, a high school in Alexandria, Va., is integrated, and the board brings in Coach Boone (Washington) as the new head coach, replacing Coach Yoast (Patton), who is expected to become his assistant. Yoast understandably does not want to be demoted in the name of affirmative action. Boone doesn't like it, either: He lost his own job in North Carolina, and "I can't do that to this man." But Alexandria's black residents gather on Boone's lawn to cheer for the first black coach at the newly integrated high school, and Boone realizes he has a responsibility. So does Yoast: His white players say they won't play for a black coach, but Yoast doesn't want them to lose college scholarships, so he swallows his pride and agrees to be Boone's assistant, leading the whites back to practice.

All of this is said to be based on life, and no doubt largely is, but life was perhaps harder and more wounding than the film. "Remember the Titans" is not an activist 1970s picture, but more conciliatory in tone. It is more about football than race relations, and it wants us to leave the theater feeling not angry or motivated, but good.

We do. There are true and touching moments in the film, on top of its undeniable entertainment value. I was moved by a scene near the end where an injured white player, who once said he would not play with blacks, now only wants his black "brother" in the hospital room. And there is a delicate series of scenes in which the same white player breaks up with his girlfriend rather than break the bonds he has formed with teammates during an August training camp.

Those training camp scenes include the usual identifiable types (the fat kid, the long-haired Californian, the "Rev") who first clash, then bond. It's been seen before, but the director, Boaz Yakin (" Fresh "), brings old situations to new life and carries us along in the current of a skilled popular entertainment. I like the way he shows Boone forcing the blacks and whites to get to know one another.

I admired the way the screenplay, by Gregory Allen Howard , doesn't make Boone noble and Yoast a racist, but shows them both as ambitious and skilled professionals. There are times when Boone treats his players more like Marines than high school kids, and Yoast tells him so. And times when Yoast tries to comfort black players who Boone has chewed out, and Boone accuses him of coddling blacks as he would never coddle his fellow whites.

These scenes are tricky, and Washington and Patton find just the right notes to negotiate them. Washington is gifted at delivering big speeches without sounding portentous or seeming to strain. There's an early morning training run that leads the players to the Gettysburg battlefield, and his remarks there place their experiences in a larger context.

Still, the story sweeps certain obvious questions under the rug: (1) We see that the whites don't want to play with the blacks, and are afraid of losing their starting positions. But what about the blacks? Weren't they in a black high school last year? Aren't they losing their team, too? Aren't some of them going to be replaced by white starters? The movie shows the whites as resentful and possessive but assumes the black players are grateful for the chance to leave their old school and integrate the other team. Maybe they are, and maybe they aren't. The movie doesn't say.

(2) Since there was certainly an all-black high school in town until this year, there must have been a black coach at that school. What happened to him? Did Coach Boone put him out of work, too? That crowd of cheering blacks on Boone's front lawn--have they so quickly forgotten the team and coach they used to cheer? In the real world, such questions would be what the story was all about. But then we would have an entirely different kind of film. "Remember the Titans" has the outer form of a brave statement about the races in America, but the soul of a sports movie in which everything is settled by the obligatory last play in the last seconds of the championship game. Whether the Titans win or lose has nothing to do with the season they have played and what they were trying to prove. But it has everything to do with the movie's sleight of hand, in which we cheer the closing touchdown as if it is a victory over racism.

The movie is heartfelt, yes, and I was moved by it, but it plays safe. On the soundtrack we hear lyrics like "I've seen fire and I've seen rain" and "Ain't no mountain high enough," but not other lyrics that must also have been heard in Alexandria in 1971, like "We shall overcome."

Roger Ebert

Roger Ebert

Roger Ebert was the film critic of the Chicago Sun-Times from 1967 until his death in 2013. In 1975, he won the Pulitzer Prize for distinguished criticism.

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Remember The Titans (2000)

Rated PG For Thematic Elements and Some Language

113 minutes

Wood Harris as Big Ju

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Craig Kirkwood as Rev

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Remember the titans to build a cohesive team.

Updated: Oct 20, 2011

How does the movie Remember the Titans help managers deal with mergers, integration, and other challenges? In today’s epinion, BLR CEO Dan Oswald shows how it’s helping at his recently-merged company.

So why ‘remember the titans’, more articles on e-pinions, 3 thoughts on “remember the titans to build a cohesive team”.

Excellent article and reminder about the “messages” that one can learn to apply life and our businesses. However, time needs to be taken to breakdown and explore with team members as individuals tend to see only what they believe and miss messages team members take from same exposure. Example is recent movie “Moneyball”. Ask a financial analyst what they got from the movie and likely to hear ” why don’t my CEO listen to me and the numbers”. At same time a organizational development individual will see the team focus of taking role players versus ” superstars” to build a winner. What is important is to draw out and share the different messages with each other! Just food for thought.

Great movie and even a better soundtrack! Your article did a good job of using the movie and the characters as an example of how a team with many differences can ultimately pull together to accomplish a common goal. I would even go a step further and say that instead of overcoming differences, you should strive to appreciate the differences in others and build on the combined strengths of the team. Thanks-I may have to pull that movie out and watch it again soon.

Loved this article…definately going to use this anaology in one of my training sessions…thanks so much for sharing.

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Wind Goodfriend, Ph.D.

“Remember the Titans:" Can Football Reduce Racism?

Football season can be more than just football..

Posted November 2, 2012 | Reviewed by Ekua Hagan

There are a lot of movies about racism, and there are a bazillion movies about sports. There are even several that combine both topics, but by far my favorite of these combo-packs is the classic movie, Remember the Titans .

Based on a true story, we see a high school football team forced to deal with the racial integration of a Black school with a White school in 1971 Virginia. Each team is led by a dynamic and likable coach, played in the movie by Denzel Washington (Coach Boone) and Will Patton (Coach Yoast).

While I don’t think the writer/director of this really excellent film read a bunch of psychology theory on prejudice before crafting the screenplay, the film almost eerily follows the steps put forth by classic studies on how to get two groups of people to overcome stereotypes and prejudice.

What Doesn’t Work: The Contact Hypothesis

When psychologists were first trying to figure out how to reduce prejudice between two groups, the most popular idea was called the Contact Hypothesis (originated by a guy named Williams in 1947). The idea is that the reason we don’t like other groups (other races, religions, sexual orientations, or whatever) is because we simply don’t spend a lot of time with people who are different. So, all we need to do is hang out with those people more, and poof! Our prejudices will go away. So, “contact” is the key.

While this sounds pretty great, it’s unfortunately not reality. It turns out that simply hanging around people who are different might lead to friendships and overcoming obstacles—but more often, it backfires. We end up just noticing behaviors that confirm our stereotypes, we end up in terrible arguments, and we often just hate each other even more.

In Remember the Titans , this unfortunate tendency is displayed early on as the two teams are forced to integrate. They become competitive for positions on the new team, they refuse to acknowledge each other’s perspective, and they simply become more ingrained in their prior beliefs. So the Contact Hypothesis has a huge caveat, which is that what matters is the type of contact between groups.

This is where we can learn from both psychological theory and from the real-life football team. How did they eventually overcome their racism and work together to win the state championship?

Step 1 in Reducing Racism: Equal Status

The psychologist who first really offered an update to the Contact Hypothesis was Gordon Allport, who proposed four criteria for successful contact and reduction of prejudice between two disparate groups. The first criterion is that the group members must have equal status; one group can’t have more power, more members, more money, or more anything else than the other group.

We see this equality in the Titans, when head Coach Boone makes it clear that the best players will get the starting positions, regardless of their race. Each individual must work hard to earn his place, and the amount of effort required is equal, no matter what color his skin might be. Only with this equal status can any resentment be erased from either side.

Step 2: Common Goals

Allport’s next criterion for successful intergroup contact was that the group should have a common, or superordinate, goal. The goal must be difficult enough that neither sub-group could achieve it alone, but also achievable (not just a pipe dream that will inevitably lead to disappointment).

This example is obvious when the Titans must work together to win each football game and, even more importantly, grow as a team to achieve the championship. We see specific examples of how the team members must work together as the offense and defense point out weaknesses in players of the other race; what’s important in this process is that each “side” of the divide had reciprocal strengths and weaknesses, again bringing about a sense of equality.

examples of problem solving in remember the titans

One important part of the “common goal” ideology is that the two original groups (here, the Black students and White students) must bond together to form a new, mutual group membership. “Us” versus “Them” must become “We.” This new, integrated group becomes easier to form when there’s a common enemy; in our example, it’s the other football teams from other schools.

Step 3: See Individuals, Not Just Group Members

One of the more esoteric criteria that Allport pointed out is that for stereotypes to really be eliminated, each group must see members of the opposite group as separate individuals and not simply as a representative of the entire group. If an alien from Planet X appears and I get to know him as Blark the Alien, that’s great. But, if Blark really loves hotdogs, even if we’re friends, I still might just assume that all people from Planet X equally love hotdogs. Again, even if this is a relatively positive or even benign belief, I’m still assuming something about every citizen of Planet X. That’s still a stereotype. To overcome my stereotypes, I have to realize that Blark is an individual being who might not have the same preferences as everyone else from Planet X.

This particular aspect of the theory is highlighted at the beginning of the football training camp when Coach Boone requires each Black student to meet with each White student, individually, and both students must learn personal details about his counterpart. By learning to see the individual differences among members of the out-group, they are forced to recognize that “those people” (for both races) are not all the same. Thus, stereotypes about “those people” become meaningless.

Step 4: Supportive Authority

Allport’s final criterion for ending intergroup hostility was that any authorities present must be supportive of change and integration. For these young men, their role models are their parents and coaches. If they see bad examples, they will follow suit. This hugely important step in the process is seen in Remember the Titans as the parents from the community see their children befriending another race, and they are forced to face their own prejudices.

Even more importantly to the football players, however, is the interaction between Coach Boone and Coach Yoast. Just like the players, the two coaches are competitive, suspicious, and stubborn. However, due to Steps 1-3 outlined above, they too learn to see the good in each other and eventually become friends.

Admittedly, racial harmony is not as easy as a two-hour Disney movie. Remember the Titans simplifies thousands, if not millions, of years of intergroup hostility from when humans were first fighting over space in a cave. But it is based on a true story. Thousands of people have truly gone through such transformative experiences and learned to open their hearts to people who might appear different on the outside, but share the same dreams and spirit on the inside. And can’t we make the end of “Titans” a goal for ourselves? Team sports can, sometimes, lead to more victories than just the ones on the field.

Copyright Wind Goodfriend, Ph.D.

Wind Goodfriend, Ph.D.

Wind Goodfriend, Ph.D. is a social psychologist at Buena Vista University, with research expertise on stereotypes and on romantic relationships.

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Home — Essay Samples — Entertainment — Remember The Titans — Critical Analysis Of The Film Remember The Titans

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Critical Analysis of The Film Remember The Titans

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Published: May 14, 2021

Words: 888 | Pages: 2 | 5 min read

Works Cited:

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  • Goleman, D. (1998). Working with emotional intelligence. Bantam Books.
  • Goleman, D. (2000). Leadership that gets results. Harvard business review, 78(2), 78-90.
  • Lussier, R. N., & Achua, C. F. (2015). Leadership: Theory, application, & skill development. Nelson Education.
  • Northouse, P. G. (2018). Leadership: Theory and practice. Sage publications.
  • Robbins, S. P., Coulter, M., DeCenzo, D. A., & Woods, M. (2017). Supervision today!. Pearson.
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Home / Essay Samples / Entertainment / Remember The Titans / Importance Of Team Building In Remember The Titans

Importance Of Team Building In Remember The Titans

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Team Building, Ethics, and the Six Pillars of Character as depicted in Remember the Titans

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