On Dead Poets and Integrity

Dead Poets Society presents leadership and compares strategies in leadership between Mr. Keating and Principal Nolan. Keating is the representative of and acts with integrity and positive leadership, while Nolan represents negative, authoritarian leadership. One of the largest points that the movie makes that relates to this class is the emphasis on empowered followership that Keating makes.

Nolan, in his teaching style that we see late in the movie, as well as in his role as principal, does not respect the boys as people, but rather sees them as means to an end. They are vessels that need to be filled with practical knowledge in order to be successful in the professional world that will keep up the reputation of academic success something that serves his but not wholly the needs of the students. Even in the values of the school are listed concepts that hinder development as effective and creative leaders ("tradition," "discipline"). The characters respond to this practice and his methods of reinforcement (corporal punishment) by actively subverting him, for example tapping into radio during study group or forging a letter in his name for Neil to audition for the play. By contrast, Keating uses the approach of empowering the boys through developing their creativity and individuality with approaches such as the poem writing assignment and the practice he goes through with Todd creating poetry spontaneously, and encouraging him to have a voice. Keating's pursuit of empowering his students and encouraging their free thinking is evidence of his work as a leader that practices with integrity. He is rewarded for this behavior in the final scene of the film where the students that felt affected by his leadership rose, in defiance of Nolan, to salute the exiting Keating. Leadership without integrity does not prosper according to Dead Poets Society, something that Komives, Lucas, and McMahon would agree with.