Mutiny in the Band of Brothers: A Juxtaposition of Two Leaders

The first episode of the critically acclaimed television series, Band of Brothers, juxtaposes two leaders navigating an environment of uncertainty and high-risk stakes. We review this first episode, titled Currahee, with the intention of adding to the library of teaching resources that instructors may use to illustrate leader–follower relations, power dynamics, contingency models, and follower voice and mutiny. This dramatic depiction of a team of paratroopers preparing for military engagement in World War II challenges students to examine the human and organizational antecedents and consequences associated with mundane, incompetent, tyrannical, or inspirational leaders. We provide a detailed set of discussion prompts and points of analysis for selected clips that will guide instructors as they implement this resource as part of an in-class exercise, a video case exam, and/or a written assignment for face-to-face and synchronous or asynchronous online classroom formats.