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Editor’s note: As “Top Gun” celebrates its 40th anniversary, we are looking at leadership through a different lens — analyzing what iconic films get right (and wrong) about leading under pressure. This is the second installment in our series; if you missed it, check out our leadership lessons from Star Wars here.
By Acting Lieutenant Anthony Molina
It’s been 40 years since “Top Gun” first hit theaters, and nearly 30 years since I arrived in San Diego as a young sailor fresh out of the U.S. Navy’s Recruit Training Command in Great Lakes.
I still remember waking up that first morning, looking out the barracks window over San Diego Bay and feeling like I had stepped into the beginning of my own adventure. In those first few weeks, I couldn’t help but explore the San Diego locations from the movie — Kansas City BBQ, the Embarcadero waterfront, the hidden corners of NTC (now Liberty Station), and even the slope above the airport where Maverick had his love spat with Charlie (cue “Take My Breath Away”).
Like a lot of people from my generation, “Top Gun” made service feel exciting. It made elite performance look cool. It inspired confidence, competition and the idea that young men and women could become part of something exceptional.
Nearly three decades later, after five years in the Navy and more than two decades in policing, I still appreciate what the movie represents. But experience has also taught me that real leadership under pressure looks very different than it does in Hollywood.
Elite training matters — but so does disciplined thinking
“You don’t have time to think up there. If you think, you’re dead.” — Pete “Maverick” Mitchell.
That might be true on rare occasions in police work, but during most real-world incidents, officers must constantly assess and adapt. Like most high-risk professions, policing requires recognizing that skills are perishable and that training must be ongoing.
When our time to react is suddenly cut down to fractions of a second, trained instincts kick in, and even a brief moment can feel like it slows just enough to make a decision — one we may have been preparing for over years of training.
Whether it’s EVOC, active shooter drills, firearms qualifications or SWAT training, good training pushes people to perform under stress while still operating within clearly established boundaries. Real-world training cannot tolerate recklessness masquerading as confidence.
That’s something “Top Gun” gets right. Elite teams don’t avoid pressure. They train for it relentlessly.
Confidence is valuable. Ego can be dangerous.
One of the best leadership lines in “Top Gun” comes from Iceman after Maverick abandons his responsibility to cover Cougar while engaging a MiG: “Who was covering Cougar while you were showboating with that MiG?”
That line hits differently after years in policing.
Confidence matters in law enforcement. We want officers who are proactive, decisive and willing to act when situations become dangerous or chaotic. But confidence without discipline can create just as many problems.
In police work, ego can show up as freelancing, tunnel vision or the desire to become the hero of the story. The problem is that gaps begin to form elsewhere when someone is chasing personal glory — gaps that can place partners, victims or the public at risk.
Good leaders understand that high performers need guidance, not humiliation. The goal isn’t to extinguish confidence or initiative. The goal is to channel it in ways that strengthen and inspire the team rather than compromise it.
Teams win missions — not individuals
Back in my undercover days at the Regional Auto Theft Task Force (RATT), there was nothing like riding a GSX-R750 sport bike after finishing a deal with a prolific auto thief. Long hair flowing, engine revving, looking like I was the one making everything happen.
But that wasn’t reality.
There was always a team behind the operation — investigators, surveillance units, intelligence gathering, case agents and even prosecutors — all working together to build cases and put criminals away. I just happened to be the visible piece people remembered (mostly because of the hair).
Even fictional police characters like LAPD Detective Harry Bosch represent entire teams working behind the scenes to solve cases and protect communities.
I wasn’t a fighter pilot, but I do know that behind the real “Mavericks” in the military are wingmen, co-pilots and teams of people working together to accomplish the mission. “Top Gun” gives us glimpses of that on the flight deck and inside the Combat Information Center — the people behind the scenes who make successful missions possible.
In policing, your wingman may be your partner, dispatcher, supervisor, investigator, drone operator or air support crew, but the principle is the same: nobody succeeds alone.
The transition from operator to leader
Although I was initially reluctant to put in for sergeant almost seven years ago, I’m grateful I listened to my mentors and made the jump into supervision. It’s become one of the most rewarding parts of my career.
One of my earliest challenges involved an officer with tremendous passion for the job who just needed to dial it back a little. He was showing up to every hot call, even those outside his beat. He wasn’t afraid to work, but he still had a lot to learn about balance, discipline and supporting his partners.
The trick was pulling back the reins just enough without extinguishing that incredible flame.
In “Top Gun,” we watch Viper navigate this same challenge with Maverick. Even with other instructors frustrated by Maverick’s behavior, Viper shows patience and wisdom. He corrects issues without making them about himself.
For me, leadership starts with self-awareness. I can say, “What were you thinking?” in two completely different ways, and if what’s behind it is my own ego or frustration, that’s going to come through immediately.
Learning to recognize my own baggage and set it aside allows me to approach conversations more productively. I can still address the problem while also recognizing the positive. The entire conversation changes.
That officer never lost his flame. In fact, he eventually landed a specialty assignment where he channeled his passion into incredible work alongside his team.
Real-world leadership isn’t Hollywood — but inspiration still matters
A few weeks ago, I greeted local residents participating in the Emergency Vehicle Operations Course (EVOC) portion of our Community Engagement Academy. Watching them navigate the course reminded me that good training should challenge people. It should build confidence, expose limitations and create opportunities to perform under pressure — but within boundaries designed to manage risk.
Unlike Hollywood, behind every exciting moment are safety protocols, instructors, communication, planning and accountability. Movies skip those parts because they’re less cinematic. In policing and the military, those details are often what keep people alive.
Today, my wife and I live in the hills overlooking parts of the same San Diego Bay I stared at as a young sailor nearly 30 years ago. From our home, I can still see the water and the base that once represented the beginning of an unknown future.
Maybe that’s part of why “Top Gun” still resonates after 40 years. It reminds us of ambition, adventure and the desire to be part of something bigger than ourselves. Experience eventually teaches us that leadership is less about speed and bravado than trust, discipline and taking care of the people beside us.
But that original spark — the one that inspires people to serve in the first place — still matters.
And yes, after all these years, when the opportunity comes up to jump into one of those EVOC cars during training, I still feel the need … the need for speed.
Where to watch “Top Gun” this week
If the author’s leadership analysis has you wanting to revisit the films, you’re in luck. Both movies are currently trending as they celebrate the original’s 40th anniversary.
- In theaters: Starting this Wednesday, May 13, both “Top Gun” and “Top Gun: Maverick” are returning to theaters nationwide for a special one-week-only event. You can see them in premium formats like IMAX and 4DX through May 19.
- Streaming: Both films are currently streaming on Paramount+.
- Digital: You can rent or buy both movies on Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, and Vudu.
→ CONTINUE THE SERIES: Leadership lessons from Star Wars
About the author
Anthony Molina is the Acting Lieutenant of the Community Policing Unit at the Chula Vista (California) Police Department. A sworn law enforcement officer for 24 years, he has served in a variety of assignments including Patrol, Public Information Officer, homicide investigations, undercover task force operations, Mobile Field Force, and as a supervisor on the department’s Uncrewed Aerial Systems (UAS) Team — where he helped launch and develop the nation’s first law enforcement Drone as First Responder (DFR) program.
Anthony is a proud husband and father who grew up as an Air Force “brat” before serving five years in the United States Navy prior to beginning his law enforcement career.
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