Interview with Joseph Lalonde about Reel Leadership

Krishana Kraft Aug. 19, 2021

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Joseph Lalonde has a passion for using story to encourage leadership growth. In the coming days, his book Reel Leadership launches, focused on leadership themes in blockbuster movies you may have seen. Check out our conversation and see how your company, organization or ministry might benefit from this resource.

What inspired you to write this book?

I remember when I started on my leadership and personal development journey. I dug in deep and devoured the leadership content placed in front of me. Many warned of the dangers of movies and entertainment. I read and heard how movies would rot your mind because they were fictional stories. Years later, after giving up movies and television, I realized something. People began talking about stories. It was said that stories stick, stats don't, so leaders utilized stories. That's when I realized movies are stories. Then, I looked at movies through a lens of leadership. I found all kinds of leadership lessons in the films I loved and watched.

How have you seen this approach in teaching biblical themes work?

Growing up, I had youth leaders and pastors who would use movies to help us understand and relate to Bible stories. One youth leader used Star Wars. There are so many parallels between Luke Skywalker's journey and our faith journey. Or there are movies likeCourageous, Fireproof, and other faith-based movies also showing ways we grow and transform. However, I don't believe faith-based movies are the only ones that are valuable to teaching biblical principles. The world is constantly searching for meaning. Many times they will unknowingly use biblical themes to get their message across because the Bible message is universal.

How has this approach been effective in reaching people with the Gospel?

Sadly, for many, the Bible can be considered a dusty, old book with boring stories. They don't see the great adventure that is told in the Bible. For me, it was the fact that I didn't know how to relate to the characters in the Bible. When my youth leaders shared great movies, they talked about how the movies relate to our faith walk. Movies bridge this hard-to-see connection.

How will this resource encourage those in leadership working both in and outside of the church?

Reel Leadership will encourage those in leadership both in and outside of the church by letting them kick back and enjoy a movie here or there. The book will help them understand it's OK to watch a movie for fun. It's also OK to watch a movie to learn something. I hope that's what people take away from the book.

Tell me about a time when movies were conversation starters to go deeper with that person and possibly share more about Jesus.

In a previous church season, my wife and I used to regularly go to the movies with high school students. It was a way we connected with them. More importantly, watching movies with our students allowed us to open up a line of communication when movies presented positive ornegative messages. One time, there was a negative spiritual element to a movie we watched with them. We discussed what the movie got wrong about faith. This helped us share Jesus with the students and they saw how the movie got it wrong.

How does this book encourage biblical leadership?

Reel Leadership helps encourage biblical leadership by looking at movies through a different lens. There was a time when movies were a no-no for a Christian. I was told that movies had no place in the church or leadership. I began to realize this wasn't the case as I grew older. Reel Leadership helps us process movies in a different way than most people do. I use this book to help us view movies in ways that can help us grow as leaders and as Christians.

Who would you recommend this book to and why?

This book is great for any biblical leader who enjoys movies but struggles to find a way to use them effectively. You may have been told movies or screen time is bad time. I don't believe that. You won't either when you finish reading the book. Reel Leadership opens our eyes to the wonders of movies and what they can teach.

I think youth pastors will reallyenjoy it. The book will help them discover ways to pull out lessons from movies and share them with students. Even leaders of organizations in the business world can benefit. Whether it is to help them increase their leadership ability or to engage those they lead, Reel Leadership will help them.

Which movie inspires your biblical leadership?

There have been so many great movies out there inspiring me both in business and church leadership. I hate to go back to it but Star Wars (the original trilogy) always inspires my biblical leadership. The stories of Luke Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Princess Leia and Han Solo could be an allegory for parts of the Bible.

Check out this site for more info on Reel Leadership: https://www.jmlalonde.com/reelbook2.

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Krishana Kraft is a marketing copywriter for The Navigators, a spiritual director for Greater Europe Mission (GEM), and author of Tandem Living. She has a background in journalism and a Master's in Spiritual Formation and Soul Care from the Talbot School of Theology (Biola University). While her home base is in Indiana, she travels overseas multiple times a year to help lead soul care retreats with GEM. Follow her adventures on tandemliving.org. Learn More »

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