View the movie 300 (2007)
Question #1
What do you think of King Leonidas as a leader? His men appear very loyal to him. How much of that loyalty do you think is because of his position as king, and how much is due to the loyalty that he has earned by his actions? Does it matter if loyalty is achieved by position versus a leader’s actions?
Question #2
Examine the scene early in the movie where Leonidas has the confrontation with the messenger and his party. Were you in his position, would you have handled it similarly? Notice the subtle but very powerful non-verbal communication between Leonidas and the queen. Instead of her slight nod of approval, imagine she had shaken her head. Do you think he would have acted in the same highly-aggressive way?
Question #3
Reflect on how Leonidas handled the deformed Spartan who wanted to be part of the battle group. Did he handle this encounter well as a leader? The outcome of this meeting was very costly. Might you have handled it in a different way if you were in that position?
