Leadership Case Study: Analysis of McFarland USA Film

This assignment presents a case study analyzing the leadership demonstrated by Jim White in the film "McFarland USA." The introduction defines leadership, highlighting its role in guiding and motivating teams towards organizational goals. The case study explores White's leadership traits, including honesty, decision-making, and his ability to connect with his students. It then examines his leadership style, identifying his transformative approach and its impact on the team's success, including winning nine state championships. Furthermore, the assignment delves into the leadership skills exhibited by White, such as self-esteem, influence, and problem-solving. The analysis concludes by assessing White's suitability as a leader, emphasizing his planning, motivational skills, and ability to resolve team issues, ultimately agreeing with the film's portrayal of his effective leadership, while also acknowledging his occasional display of anger. The assignment provides a comprehensive review of White's leadership qualities, skills, and the impact of his methods on the team's achievements, illustrating key concepts in leadership management.

Running head: Leadership 0
Leadership
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Case study related to leadership 1
Table of Contents
Introduction..........................................................................................................................................2
Q1..........................................................................................................................................................3
Q2..........................................................................................................................................................4
Q3..........................................................................................................................................................5
Q4..........................................................................................................................................................6
Q5..........................................................................................................................................................7
Conclusion...........................................................................................................................................8
References.............................................................................................................................................9

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Introduction
Leadership refers to the leading a team or group of people or an organisation. In other
words, leadership means implementing planning or strategies, providing direction,
motivating, helping, people and solving the conflicts between members of the group, so this
will help in achieving goals of the organizations. So, leadership is a process by which person
or leader influenced others towards achieving a common goal of the organizations.
Leadership play an important role for every organization because it plays an essential role in
achieving common goal. Leadership is one of the functions of management but it is different
from management of the organization. Leadership is the complex process which includes
behavioural, situational and relational aspects. It may be at lower level or top level of
management. Effective leadership means not only be the boss but more than just being the
boss for their followers (Boyens, 2017). According to the Napoleon Bonaparte, if you have
enough ribbon, then you conquer the world (Schmoker, 1999).
There are four factors of the leadership:
1. Leader – Leader is a person who leads the team or group of members. For a good
leader, there must be some qualities such as honesty, integrity, trust, good
communicator, ability to making better decisions, confidence, accountability, passion,
strong convincing power, influencing skills etc.
2. Follower – Follower is a person who follows the leader. There must be proper
understanding between followers and leader.
3. Communication – Communication must be in that way or channel which is properly
understandable by leader and followers. So, bad communication will create conflicts
between leader and followers.
4. Situation – Leadership style in every situation is not the same, it will be different
according to the situations (John and Chattopadhyay, 2015).
In this case, Jim White who was a football coach at McFarland, California discovered buried
potential in various high schools and after some time he turn them into champions. Then he
built a cross- country team and get success in various football events. This case is based on
various traits of leadership.

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Q1.
Leadership trait refers to the characteristics or quality of a leader. Leadership trait theory is
the important theory of leadership. It is mainly concerned with what is the leader’s attitude
towards the team (Bartleby, 2018). There are several qualities for a good leader. These are:
 Honesty
 Integrity
 Good communicator
 Good influencer
 Ability to making best decisions
 Trust
 Creativity and innovative
 Accountability
 Confidence
 Passion
 Convincing skills
 Understandable
 Knowledgeable(Hasan, 2017)
In the following case, Followings are the leadership traits which were displayed by Jim White
for developing a cross- country team:
1. Proper attention – His focused only on building a cross- country team and he only
became a cross- country coach circumstantially.
2. Making better decisions – While discovering buried potential he made better decision
and he discovered his students very fast. His one student Thomas Valles could run a
5- minute mile.
3. Helper and supporter – Jim White helped the students or runners organize into a
team. According to the McFarland USA movie, Jim white, a middle class coach
helped the Mexican- American boys shoot for the stars and became one of the best
cross- country teams. He set a practice schedule and drives them to meet. His
students also helped each other. For example, Jim White wants for the team sports
uniform and running shoes. But he could only afford cheap- looking shoes and shorts
purchased on sale. One of the team member’s mother bought flashier track suit for
the whole team. So, not only Jim White but also all runners helped each other.

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4. Honest person – Jim White is an honest person and he was credible too. He seemed
honestly chastised when he realized his role was not showed actual in the film
McFarland USA.
5. Understandable – Jim came face to face with his students. When the father of his two
students (Diaz brothers) pulls them from the team then Jim went to the Diaz house to
convince their father to let them continued with cross country team.
6. Confident – Character of Jim White which was showed in McFarland movie was
confident. He was confident about built a cross- country team from several schools
and get success.
7. Creativity and innovative – His planning in developing a cross country team was so
innovative because he discovered students from several high schools (Ambrosino,
2015)
8. Ability to continuous learner (Mukerjee, 2018) – He was not a skilled teacher. He was
learned how to coach his students just as runners learned how to increase their
stamina.
Q2.
Leadership styles are the pattern of behaviour that a leader uses to influence the behaviour
of his followers or the way from which leader provide direction and motivation to the
followers towards achieving the goals of the organization (Megha, 2019). Leadership styles
based on the two types, one is task behaviour and other one is relationship behaviour
(Mehrotra, 2005). Effective leader has combination of different styles which make them
successful in directing, motivating and inspiring the followers. On the basis of task
behaviour there are different types of leadership styles. These are:
1. Autocratic Leadership style – This leadership style based on the control. In this style
of leadership, leader gives orders to the followers and does not take any feedback or
suggestions from the followers. This leadership style can work in production
department where are repetitive job roles or in case of military. High turnover is
expected from this style but level of satisfaction of followers is low and leader does
not get loyalty and long term commitment from the followers.
2. Democratic and participant leadership style – In this type of leadership style, leader
takes suggestions from the followers during the decision- making process but
ultimately final decision takes by the leader. Participant or democratic leadership
style is a very effective leadership approach.
3. Transformative leadership style – It encourage followers to think more and critically.
These leaders are inspiring, motivating and have a big vision.

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4. Laissez- faire leadership style – This style is completely opposite from autocratic
leadership style. Followers are free for taking decisions. There are lack of discipline,
unstructured but also increasing freedom to explore creative strategies and higher
sale rate.
5. Transactional leadership style – This style focus on work, reward and process that
accomplish goals. Leader provides incentives, bonus, commission and rewards for
best performance (Lazzari, 2018).
In the following case, Jim White tells his players “you guys are superhuman; there is nothing
you can’t do with that kind of strength and that kind of heart”. So according to the case, Jim
White followed transformative leadership styles because from this statement it was proved
that he inspired, motivated to his students and encouraged players, so they motivated and
played well. He made his team felt they can accomplish anything.
Yes, Jim white always demonstrated effective leadership behaviour because his cross –
country team won nine California state championships awards within 14 years. This success
would not have been possible without inspirational leadership of Jim white and teaching
them to believe in themselves. His biopic film “McFarland USA” inspired million people. He
convinced his student’s families for playing football. He has so many good qualities which
are needed for effective leadership. He earned the title of “Coach White” by the community
and his students at McFarland (Silverman, 2015).
Q3.
Leadership skills refer to the qualities, characteristics and traits of a leader which helps in
accomplishing the goals. It also helps leader effective and efficient performance and
management of the team (Indeed, 2019). Followings are the leadership skills which was
instrumental in the team, so they achieve their goals:
1. Self- esteem: - This is the first leadership skill of Jim White which was instrumental in
a team. After lost his job as an assistant football coach, after just one match, one of
his student told White “They are treating you like a picker”.
2. Influencer: - Jim White is good influencer as he influenced students and their family
too for playing state championships.
3. Jim White gave people A Picture of a Brighter Tomorrow: - He gave the team a
picture of how running could benefit not only you but also your family.
4. Credible: - Jim White is a credible and trustable person. When his team lost their first
race because they didn’t know how to run at hills. But after proper training, Coach
White confidently told “when we see a hill we are going to smile”.

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5. Proper attention: - When there is lack of options then it is good for leader. It
eliminated distractions. Jim White focused only on the how he builds cross- country
team. He told his one student Thomas Valles that “Running is all you got”.
6. Positive attitude: - There should be positive attitude of leader for achieving the goals
of the organizations. Good leader do not focus on negatives. According to the
McFarland movie Jim White always showed positive attitude towards his team and
goals.
7. Resolve problems: - His students Diaz brothers have a family problem, so he could
not continuing race. So, he gave solution to his students Diaz brothers and their
family then later they continue played football for state championship.
8. Good convincer & motivator: - Jim white has good convincing skills as he convinced
Diaz’s family and motivates his students in every situation.
9. Proper planning or strategies: - There must be proper strategies for managing the
team, so they can achieve their goals. Jim White implemented proper strategies
towards his goals. White and his team overcome poverty and personal turmoil and
get success through their proper strategies and by working hard (Costner, 2015).
Q4.
Yes, Jim White the right person to lead the team because he is able to implement proper
planning, influencing, motivating, helping his team and also able to resolving problems of
their team members. During leading the team he won nine state championship awards
from 1987 to 2001 in cross country by proper planning and strategies for leading the
team. He covered two World Cups, Mexico’86 and France’98, and also won a Scottish
BAFTA. He is a popular award host and after dinner speaker (Speaker corner, 2019). His
character in a film McFarland USA inspire millions of people. Jim White helped the
students not only during running but also helped them in their field. He gave sometimes
his time to them by helping his students in their field. He also took his team to the
California central coast beach at Cayucos. Coach White rescues his one student
Thomas Valles when he was thinking about jumping off an overpass (History v/s
Hollywood, 2019). According to the McFarland film, he inspired his team by telling we
always try and do our best (Dodd, 2015). His story as a leader or coach appeared in
articles in Sports Illustrated and Runner’s World, and on ESPN2 and BBC. The story is
about selflessness and providing hope in people (Highfill, 2006). Hence, it is prove that
Jim White the right person as a leader.
I agree with that, Jim White be the right person to lead the team for the competitions in
future to the certain extent. Jim White is good leader because he has so many qualities

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as per the above mentioned but he was an angry man as according to the film
McFarland USA, when he threw a shoe, it was hit to one of player then he lose his top as
a football coach (Boylan- Pett, 2015). According to journalism at Napier College,
Edinburgh, his career flew down with Scottish and Universal Newspapers. A leader must
have innovative, creative skills and new technology for leading the team into future
competition. But Jim White did not have that much innovative or creative skill for
developing a team into future competitions. Hence, Jim White would not be the right
leader to guide the team in future. He should improve his some skills so, he completely
become a right leader for leading the team and accomplishing the goals.
Q5.
Leadership theories or models guide or suggest leader how to use leadership behaviours
in a specific environment towards achieving the goals of the organizations. Followings
are the leadership theories which show Jim White’s overall leadership:
1. “Great Man” Theory: - According to this theory, great or good leader are born not
made and to rise leadership when needed. Jim White is a great leader and it is
proved in so many cases which were mentioned above (Amanchukwu, 2015).
2. Trait Theory: - Trait refers to the qualities or characteristics of a leader. For effective
leader there must be some important traits or characteristics. Trait theory helps
leader to identify qualities which help in leading the team. Jim White has several
qualities which helped the team to success in state championship or in achieving
their goals (Mind Tools, 2019).
3. Transformational Theory: - This theory refers to the good relationship between leader
and followers, so they can motivate each other to higher level. Jim White followed
transformative style also. He motivated his students in every possible way so they
get success in their goals (Xu, 2017).
4. Participative Theory: - This theory states that followers can also suggest or
participate at the time of decision making process. Jim White gave chance to his
students for giving feedback and suggestions, so it helped in improving planning or
strategies towards achieving the goals.
5. Behavioural theory of leadership: - Behaviour theory also called as style theory of
leadership. This theory is based on the behaviour of the leader towards the team or
his followers. This also includes which type of leadership styles such as autocratic,
participant, transformative and Laissez faire etc. followed by the leader towards his
team. White followed transformative leadership style for developing his cross-
country team (Ahmed, Z. and Nawaz, 2016).

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6. Contingency theory: - This theory refers that there is no single method for leading a
team. It is depend on certain situations. White took decisions for his team according
to the situation as he lived in the small town, McFarland for his team and his goals.
He also helped his students and their families in their field too (leadership central,
2019).
7. Situational Theory: - This theory refers to the leader chose best leadership style
according to the situations. Different leadership style more appropriate for some
decisions. Jim White basically followed transformative leadership style but he also
followed some other style in some situation where they needed to be followed
(Cherry, 2018).
Conclusion
Hence, Jim White is an effective leader because he is inspiring, motivating and helping to
the team towards their goals. If you have zeal then you can become an effective leader.
Effective leadership play an important role in developing the team, improving their
performance and achieving their goals. It is achieved through good relations and interaction
between leader, followers and environment. Jim White had all qualities for effective
leadership. He was not only leader for his team but also an inspirational for his students. As
his biopic movie McFarland USA inspired millions from his character in the movie. As a
leader, he won nine state championship awards and some other awards in just within 14
years. Although he had several qualities for effective leadership then also he is not right
person to lead the team into future competitions because he was angry person, because of
this he lost so many jobs earlier and also he did not had more innovative and creative skills
for leading team in future. So, Jim White was a right person to lead his students but he
needed some more qualities to lead team into future competitions.

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References
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