Dead Poets Society

Dead Poets Society was a great movie to represent different types of leadership lessons. This movie showed how different leadership styles can come together when it comes to changing the way people usually do things. The film showed us that being passionate about things and going against what others think can be very difficult but these are the type of things that make you a good leader. Mr. Keating was able to bring out the best leadership lessons when it came to the boys. He taught them to seize the day, think for themselves and find their own voice.

When it came to seizing the day, Mr. Keating taught his students to make the most out of every moment that is thrown their way. As a student or leader, it can become very hard when you don’t

live for the now instead of always focusing on the future. Carpe diem, which is Latin for “seize the day,” stuck out to me the most because I never lived enough for today. I always want to go beyond and just look towards my future. My future is very important to me, and I feel like if I don’t prepare to be great in life, I will fail. I have to learn that if it is for me, it will happen and if not, it just was not meant to be, but there is something out there for me that will make me happy. You have to make the most out of every opportunity because you never know when it will be your last day. Carpe diem will definitely develop even more lessons in my life when it comes to leadership.
Mr. Keating also taught the boys to think for themselves and to look at the world beyond the big picture. When a situation is thrown your way, it can become a very valuable lesson. The problems that you go through in life can prepare you for better days. Every problem that you encounter in life can either break you or make you. The way you handle the situation shows how strong you really are. This will help you to gain even more leadership skills when it comes to the real world because you will know what to do when all you have is yourself in your corner. I think this is another good leadership skill because I always take things very serious when it is not that big of a deal. I just care so much about my work that when a problem occurs I feel like it is all my fault. I have to realize things will happen I just have to be the bigger person and just make sure it does not happen again. The problems that I face will only make me a better person and change my perspective when it comes to my everyday life.
Another leadership lesson that Mr. Keating taught was thinking for yourself. He made the boys realize that it may be hard to be true to yourself when others are around. When you feel like something is right, you have to be able to stick up for yourself even when others disagree. Mr. Keating taught this lesson in the scene when he used the walking exercise in the courtyard. This is a leadership lesson that people will face each and every day. Some people will make you feel like you are completely wrong even though you worked really hard. Growing up, I always stuck to my first mind. This is a huge thing to do because others will think their ideas is better but if you have put a lot of thought into something don’t give up. Keep pushing for what you know is right even when others try to bring you down. You have to be able to walk to the beat of your own drum without others getting in the way of your happiness.
The last leadership lesson that caught my eye was at the end when Todd stood on the desk. Mr. Keating was able to bring out the leader in one of his quiet students. This showed that even though Todd never said much in class, he stood up for what he believed was right. Todd was inspired by Mr. Keating which made him show his leadership skills through everything that he was taught. In life others may do the wrong thing but you have to be able to stand up and be a leader when necessary. Overall, this was a really good movie. I watched it again to get a better understanding, and it helped me to look at life even more when it comes to the different leadership lessons we face each and everyday.

When the boys first met Mr.

Keating, they thought his teaching was weird and didn’t understand where he was coming from when he first walked into the classroom and walked out and when he asked them to come out into the hallway. Once they got to know Mr. Keating even more they realized he was a wonderful teacher. He was the type of teacher that didn’t judge or look down on them. On the first day of class, he taught the boys about seizing the day and to take the opportunity when it is there. Mr. Keating was trying to get the boys to think outside of the box. He helped them to look at things differently than the normal way. The boys had always done things perfectly until he helped them learn that perfect is not always the way to go. Mr. Keating was looked at as a transformational leader one who motivates and inspires. Transformational leaders usually step out to create a vision, become role models, set out to empower followers, initiate and implement new directions, and make clear emerging values (Northouse 2013). Mr. Keating helped the boys to look at the way they were currently doing things in life, what were they missing out of their life, and what more did they want out of life. He had each boy to do stuff that they normally would not do. Yes, Mr. Keating was successful. The boys looked at the poems beyond what they were really saying when they started the Dead Poets Society Club which was inspired from Mr. Keating. Mr. Keating even had one of his timid students stand up for what he believed was right when they were letting Mr. Keating go. Mr. Keating gained so much trust from the boys even though the other teachers tried to judge the way he did things. Mr. Keating was the type of person that was put into your life for a purpose. He even helped me out by watching this movie because he helped me to live my life as if it is my last. Mr. Keating really inspired Neil. Neil had a passion for acting and when his dad wanted him to quit he went to Mr. Keating for

advice. Mr. Keating helped Neil realize that if it was that important to him that he had to stand up to his father. His father couldn’t run his life for ever. Even though Neil killed himself he got to do something he really loved and got many compliments on his starting role in the play. Mr. Keating maybe wasn’t able to accomplish something with Neil’s father, but it really helped Neil open up to what more he wanted out of life then just going to school and being a normal student. He was there when Neil needed him the most, when he could not even get the same respect from his father. After everything Mr. Keating threw the boys’ way, they never realized they were changing each and everyday. The way Mr. Keating taught showed that a teacher can develop a close relationship with their students. Mr. Keating believed in his students even when others didn’t see their worth. The impact you have on someone can come a long way when you have complete faith in them. Mr. Keating made his students open up in ways that they never thought they would be able to before he got there. He made learning fun with all the different things he had the boys doing when it came to English. I would have loved to have a teacher like Mr. Keating throughout school to make me enjoy learning instead of being bored with the subject. He made English fun and had me look at it from a different perspective than the basic subject/verb. When you let others control your future, you never know what else could be out there for you. I’m glad my parents always let me do what I wanted to do when it came to my life and that they supported me every step of the way. I never felt like I couldn’t go to my parents and talk to them. They were always there for me even when I felt like I failed them. They never turned their backs on me. I knew I could go talk to them even when I didn’t have anyone else to talk to. I never had the opportunity to develop a close relationship with any of my teachers that I had so I honestly think Mr. Keating accomplished more than what he was trying to when he walked into that classroom. The lessons he taught the boys were things they could carry on with them forever.