Leader Philosophies, Themes, and Strategies Employed through “The Last Castle”
(Information from the film will be written in a basic Times New Roman, Font 12; however the information retrieved from Organizational Behavior resources will be italicized, as well as my added comments)
The Last Castle was packed full of leaders; bad, good, and great according to the numerous leadership philosophies, themes, and strategies that I will identify. The movie begins with Lieutenant General (3-Star) Irwin coming off the bus in his dress green uniform, while in handcuffs. He has the entire prison (staff, soldiers, and prisoners) watching him being escorted into the “Castle” prison. While he is escorted, the prisoners are taking bets on how long he …show more content…

I thought the next scene seemed to be important in many ways, as “the whites” were the only ones who were rebuilding a wall in an area where the former castle was built. Although Agillar wanted to give assistance (because his father was a mason), the builders would not listen. I believe we should place the one in a position where he/she can use his/her strengths to better assist an organization. Under “Strengths Based Leadership” one of the realities reads: Reality 3, “A great team member volunteers his strengths to the team most of the time.” Irwin continued to gain respect from other prisoners, not only because of his former status, but because he displayed a genuine concern for others. Furthermore, he gained respect and trust, as he remembered others he served with, and some of their personal details. Irwin gave genuine compliments and educated other prisoners, whether it be chess, history, saluting, customs and courtesies, or choosing who the right people were to lead and build the wall. According to Leading Leaders, Trust and Education play a significant role in leading others, Raising Trust Capital pg. 196, Get Them to Trust One Another pg.202, “Trust building takes time,” and “Find ways to demonstrate that your interests are the same as your followers.” Over time, Irwin convinced others that they could overthrow the Colonel. Although they were prisoners, they still deserved to be treated as human beings and