Harry Potter and the leadership educator: using film to teach team leadership

PurposeThis article focuses on how the film, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (Columbus, 2001; Rowling, 1998), can be used to teach the concepts related to team leadership. In addition, the article offers a discussion of the student and professor perspectives on using film in the classroom and provides recommendations for implementation.Design/methodology/approachWe applied Tuckman and Jensen’s (1977) stages of small group development to frame a vicarious learning experience utilizing the movie, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. This approach is grounded in experiential learning, guiding learners through a shared experience, reflection, conceptualization, and experimentation.FindingsPopular culture artifacts (PCA) can be used to transport learners to a context within which they can vicariously experience leadership concepts that might otherwise be abstract.Originality/valueIntentional preparation and facilitation can result in engaged, effective leadership learning through film.