Ep. 38: Aragorn at the Black gate: Leadership, heroism, & an appeal to values

What would embolden you to take on a suicide mission against a terrifying and colossal evil? What makes a leader? How can a leader be convincing and motivate those he proposes to lead? Aragorn in The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King shows us the answers.

Using his famous speech at the Black Gate of Mordor for illustration, Matthew explains how a real leader “walks the walk” and motivates his troops by an appeal—not to sacrifice for a “noble cause greater than themselves”—but rather, to their own selfish values they stand to gain and wish to defend.

Referring to a past article written on this blog, he breaks down the speech with passion, sharing why he thinks it is among the most powerful and moving epic battle speeches ever performed on film.

Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w02oEnTgSes

Read the article: https://matthewboulton.ca/2019/03/10/aragorn-values-and-leadership/

Learn more at https://matthewboulton.ca/ or https://www.facebook.com/matthewboulton.ca/

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