Remember the Titans Group Project

Christyna Phillips, Roy Walton, Jacob Enszer, Allison Boening

Group Assignment 1

February 8, 2017

MBA 612

Professor Thomas

Remember the Titans

Chose one of the main characters from your movie and explain your group decision about that person’s emotional intelligence. Using at least two or three of the elements we discussed on this topic, why did your group decide that this was their level of EQ and was it effective?

Coach Herman Boone played by Denzel Washington characterizes the example and ideal emotional quotient. The emotional quotient (EQ) is the ability to recognize, and manage emotions. Coach Herman Boone shows thought out the movie that he has a high EQ because of his ability to have great emotional control power.

One of the first steps in having great emotional control is learning how to recognize your emotions. From the very beginning of the movie Boone had to deal with a very hostile environment. When the segregations of a school district racial divide is removed, it initially brought out hatred from all sides. Boone became the Head Coach at T.C. Williams High, the only African American coach in the district. This came with additional stresses and confrontational situations that would test the emotions of even the greatest of people. With a city divided, Coach Boone understood that he had to stay within himself and not let his emotions get the best of him or he would be fired, or many other worse scenarios could have played out as well. He recognized this very early in the movie, which ultimately led to his football team taking on a part of him. They learned to block out the noise of the real world and keep their emotions in check as a brotherhood, although it wasn’t easy at first. The main reason we gave Boone a high grade in recognition is because he never lost sight of his emotions no matter the circumstance. He always stuck to his goal and didn’t let his emotions change his path.

Coach Herman Boone’s management of his emotions are what set him apart from everyone in this movie in term of having high level EQ’s. His ability to control his emotions without letting them get “hijacked” would have almost seemed impossible for someone put in his situation. He had School Board Directors look for even the smallest of reasons to fire him, Hall of Fame Committee Members pay off the referees to get him to lose, half of the town’s population wanted him dead and gone, and he even had someone throw a brick in to his house where his family stays. Even through all this he didn’t do anything irrational. He never showed any of the signs that may trigger an emotional hijacking such as fear, depression, or anger in all aspects of life. His emotions were the same on the field, at practice, at home, and in the streets with the public. This is why we thought that Coach Boone’s management of his emotions were second to none.

Combining both Boone’s ability to recognize and manage his emotions is why we felt he has a high EQ. Given the circumstances he was put in he never let his emotions get hijacked by fear or anger. All the hatred and animosity that the entire town had shown him never phased Coach Boone’s ability to do his job, and do it effectively. He managed to bring the team together after all the racial divide tried to do all it could to stop it from happening. He banded the team together so well that it won a State Football Title. Not only did his calm, confident, and toughness be brought to light at the right time for these kids on the team. It also came together at the right time to diminish a lot of the racial divide in the city because of what he was able to accomplish with all the chips stacked against him. Therefore, his level of EQ was extremely high and especially effective.

Identify two people who used contrasting approaches to motivate others. Give specific examples.

Coach Boone is an authoritarian who presents a very tough exterior, had a difficult childhood, and is a seasoned civil rights activist. His background and experiences influence his behavior and his leadership style. When he first met the Titan coaching staff he knew that he was not wanted. He was pushed but he did not push back, he remained polite, respectful, and diplomatic. He made clear his agenda was winning football games.

Coach Bill Yoast was a respected member of the community, a winning coach who cared about his players. His background and position in the community gave him a different demeanor and leadership style. His leadership approach draws on the relationships he has with his players and the community and he tries to explain what is going on without being a complete authoritarian.

Although these two have different approaches to motivate others, one thing that made them very similar was that they shared the belief Motivation is what brings a team together, to win you need to work together as a team. I think that the difference in their leadership styles stems from the fact that Coach Yoast has a relationship with many of the boys and their families, while Coach Boone tried to go in and prove himself in an openly hostile environment. If Boone weren’t as tough as he was, it would have been difficult for him to earn the respect that he needed to teach the team.

There was a scene in the movie where Coach Boone took the team to Gettysburg and gave them an inspiring speech to motivate and unify them. The speech was about how the team

needed to come together and work as one. If they wanted to win, they needed to learn how to respect one another by looking beyond race and working together as one. He challenged them to avoid the ordinary and inspired them to meet expectations. They were inspired by the creativity and sacrifice needed to exceed what they themselves thought possible.

In another scene, during the Northern Virginia Regional Championship football game Coach Yoast realized that the Hall of Fame board had fixed the game against the Titans so that they would lose. He demanded that the referee call a fair game, or he would notify the authorities. Mr. Yoast’s decision to give up the hall of fame was for the good of the team. He was motivated by a deep-rooted desire to eliminate racial segregation in sports. Due to that desire, Mr. Yoast took that opportunity to prove to himself that he could rise above racially motivated gains for the overall good of all. He could have easily kept his mouth shut about what he witnessed the Hall of Fame board doing, but instead he chose to speak out about the issue. Thus, showing the team that they had to always do the right thing regardless of the cost. Always strive for excellence and never leave any doubt in the minds of others. In this particular instance, Coach Yoast’s moral judgment motivated the team to act in accordance with him if they ever witnessed anything bad taking place in their lives.