Situational Approach In The Lion King

The movie, The Lion King, includes several different demonstrations of leadership theories. By following the story of a young lion, whose father is the king, and their “pride” or community, the film shows an array of different leadership approaches from two main leaders (Allers and Minkoff). The most prominent leaders in The Lion King are Mufasa, the king of the “pride lands” and the main character’s father, and Scar. Scar is Mufasa’s bitter and jealous brother that rules over the hyenas just outside of the “pride lands” (Allers and Minkoff). Between these two, very different leaders, the situational approach, the path-goal approach, and the transformational approach are all applied. Mufasa is not only the protagonist of The Lion King, but he is also an excellent leader with his son and the members of his community. The first leadership approach that Mufasa demonstrates is situational leadership, especially when he interacts with his son, Simba. The situational approach, as described by Peter Northouse, stressed that leadership includes directive and supportive aspects, that must be applied with appropriate amounts of either, depending on the situation (93). Mufasa mostly used this approach when dealing with Simba, and Mufasa adjusted his use of supportiveness and directedness to fit the exact situation. For example, when Simba disobeyed Mufasa

Although Mufasa and Scar’s leadership practices were some of the larger examples in the movie, there were also many others throughout it as well. The theories represented were different due to that fact that Mufasa and Scar had entirely different ways of leading their followers, with Mufasa being more supportive and participative, and Scar being more directive. Therefore, this film is an excellent example of leadership