Marvel’s Black Panther is a critically acclaimed superhero blockbuster full of powerful performance, action, stunning costumes and videography, as well as the enticing look at leadership in the character of T’Challa (Black Panther) as the newly-introduced ruler of Wakanda. The protagonist has recently experienced the death of his father and had to take over the kingdom as the legitimate heir, even though he initially was not too keen on becoming the leader. However, over time, T’Challa shows himself as an influential leader that faces challenges head-on when protecting Wakanda and inspiring his people.
The power that Wakanda had was something that Black Panther tried to preserve throughout his legacy as his father’s heir. The kingdom remained hidden because in the ‘real’ world, whenever a country has something valuable, it tends to draw immense and often unneeded interest, which can result in a conflict (Wallace, 2018). Early on, the leaders of the land saw that if the outsiders knew that they had vibranium, the armed battle would be inevitable.
Thus, the way in which T’Challa’s leadership is formed is reflected in the needs and expectations of his followers. Historically, the kingdom of Wakanda has always been enigmatic and isolated from the rest of the world, even though it had a lot to offer, specifically in terms of technological advancement. Its people have feared outsiders and the negative influences they could pose to their society; therefore, T’Challa adheres to this idea in his policies supporting the isolationist stance.
However, as the story develops, Black Panther realizes his duty as a leader to establish relationships with other societies to become prosperous and reach peace. Achieving this goal was possible by opening Wakanda’s veil of secrecy and revealing the brilliant advancements of the kingdom to the world. While this is not something that T’Challa managed to do flawlessly, by the movie’s end, the audience can see how far the protagonist has come when implementing his outreach policy. This progress defines Black Panther’s specific arc of leadership and the way in which he changed personal opinions and perceptions in favor of the decisions that would benefit his kingdom and its people.
When experiencing the hurdles of leadership, T’Challa learns that a wise leader “builds bridges while the foolish builds barriers” (Coogler & Cole, 2020). Building bridges is a qualifier of a transformational leader who is often challenged with reviewing and assessing people, plans, and policies in order to make well-informed decisions. Besides, building bridges entails close collaborations with potential allies who can bring positive contributions and weeding out those who can hinder the set goals.
For Black Panther, negotiating collaboration with Lord M’Baku and his Jabari Tribe, who initially refused to help Wakanda, meant overcoming not only the fears of outsider danger but also recovering lost connections through hard work and negotiation. M’Baku is blunt in his opposition toward Wakanda and does not want to “give Jabari lives toward your [T’Challa’s] cause” (Coogler & Cole, 2020). However, because Black Panther needed the help of the Jabari, he had to suppress some feelings of pride and act in the interest of his people. As a transformational leader, T’Challa exemplified high moral standards and negotiated favorable conditions for Wakanda despite the initial fears that the exposure of the kingdom to the outside world can be harmful.
As to the implications of Black Panther’s leadership style upon the situation with Wakanda, it is notable that the transformational approach is instrumental for ensuring that the king acts in the interests of his people rather than his personal gains (Northouse, 2020).
While some may see T’Challa exhibiting the traits of a servant leader, the expert and referent powers that he shows throughout the movie can counter this argument. For example, because Black Panther recognizes that he is not the best at understanding technologies, he lets his sister, Shuri, shine in this area of expertise while taking upon himself the challenges of combat in which he is an expert. Referent power is also strong in T’Challa’s transformational qualities because he exhibits strong bonds between himself and his people, and the nature of these connections guides his decision-making that favors Wakanda in the long run. Thus, the dedication of Black Panther to his people leads to reciprocation on their end, making the kingdom stronger.
To conclude, T’Challa’s leadership, as seen in Marvel Studios Black Panther, is highly influential because it allows one to reflect on morality. Despite the doubts that the king has when it comes to changing the established way of living and interacting with the world, he recognizes that the ‘old ways’ must be abolished. In the fearless confrontation of his enemies, T’Challa challenges the odds and makes alliances that help him fight for the right cause. Such traits are admirable in leaders and can be implemented in a range of different contexts, especially when it is important to strengthen the connections between leaders and their followers and inspire their tandem to reach positive outcomes.
References
Coogler, R., & Cole, J. (2020). Black Panther. Web.
Northouse, P. (2020). Introduction to leadership: Concepts and practice (5th ed.). SAGE Publications.
Wallace, C. (2018). Why Black Panther is a defining moment for Black America. The New York Times Magazine. Web.