A business student can only learn so much from textbooks and case studies. The problem is these examples don’t really stick with you. In real life, you may have to encounter different scenarios. And sometimes, the best way of translating reality is through fiction. No doubt nothing resonates with people more than cinema even when it comes to online trading. The lessons we learn from movies stay with us almost forever. We can even use these lessons in real-life decision making.
If you are a business student, these 10 movies deserve to be on your list:
#1: Wall Street
The movie reveals how people are even ready to barter their morals to become rich. It based on the theme of an ambitious stockbroker, Bud Fox, who believes greed is good. The story explains how easy it for one to get carried away with a glamorous lifestyle. As Fox is embroiled in greed, his decisions eventually threaten the livelihood of his father.
#2: The Godfather Trilogy
It’s the all-time best movie every business student must watch. The story focuses on an Italian American crime family of “Don Vito Corleone”. Things get messy when Michael, the youngest son of Don joins reluctantly the family mafia business.
The story highlights why building networks and relationship is important, why it’s critical to understand competition and why it’s ok to help others in the business. No doubt this movie is extremely entertaining and packed with through provoking scenes.
#3: Startup.com
It’s a documentary movie about the rise and fall of a real-life startup “GovWorks”. It also examines the trouble of the Internet revolution. The company managed to raise $60 million USD in funds but it couldn’t survive. It became a reference for so many lessons. It is one of those movies that also throw light on how easily friendships are often ruined by business partnerships.
#4: Catch Me If You Can
This Leonardo DiCaprio movie is based on a true story. A successful con artist who also happens to be charming is able to wow just about anyone with his skills. It actually exemplifies the journey of an entrepreneur. It also touches themes such as problem-solving, creative thinking and being street smart to reach success.
#5: The Devil Wear Prada
If you love Meryl Streep, you obviously must have watched this movie. It will definitely motivate you to pursue your dream job even though things are not exactly what you imagined. It also opens a window into the fashion industry teaching you how to work your way up the corporate ladder.
#6: Thank You for Smoking
It’s a perfect movie for someone looking for tricks to sell their product. It basically tells the story of Nick Naylor, a tobacco industry lobbyist who spins arguments for defending the cigarette industry. He is smart, he is creative. You will learn corporate communication, the importance of PR, crisis management and negotiation skills from this movie.
#7: The Social Network
This movie was a total Hollywood blockbuster. It’s based on the story of the rise of Mark Zuckerberg and Facebook. The movie teaches you how to turn your dreams into reality.
Scaling a company from a dorm room to the most used social media platform in the world wasn’t easy. Some of the events described in the movie are not true but it sure is a great source of inspiration.
#8: Jerry Maguire
This classic movie is an adaptation of a true story portraying what it takes to stay at the top. Tom Cruise, the protagonist faces multiple rejections and people keep betraying him while he continues to take leaps of faith. Penning down a memo gets him fired but he is still desperate to hang onto the athletes he represents. He then starts his own management firm and only one person joins him in this new venture. With only one client, Jerry and his partner struggle to make the business work.
Eventually, Maguire is able to figure out the best road to follow. In the end, he turns out to be successful in life as well as business.
#9: The Wolf of Wall Street
Even though this movie involves crime and corruption, it has great lessons to teach. The Wolf of Wall Street documents the success and failure of Jordan who is a Wall Street stockbroker. Because of defrauding investors, he is served 22 months in prison. After serving jail time, Jordan makes a living by hosting seminars on sales techniques. The movie is great when it comes to power leadership, business ethics, and emotional intelligence.
#10: Smartest Guys in the Room
It’s a documentary movie produced by Mark Cuban, the billionaire himself. The movie looks deep into the fraud and downfall of ENRON, the biggest failure in business history. From what you see in this documentary will make you say big businesses sure can be evil.
The movie teaches a lot about business ethics. If you want to do things right and do the right thing in business, it’s a must watch.
Summing Up
In the future, if you are planning to do CFD Stock trading or associate yourself with the stock market in any way, don’t miss out on these movies. They teach inspiration and motivation.