Leadership Lessons to Learn From The Minions

Being a minion fan, and while watching the latest minion movie, it occurred to me that those little yellow creatures - funny, silly, adorable, and spontaneous as they are – do enjoy many of a leader’s characteristics that we can all benefit from.

If you are not familiar with who the minions are, then I would highly advise that you put all minion movies on your “movies to watch” list as I am sure you will enjoy each one of them. In this article I would like to highlight a number of leadership lessons that we can all learn from the minions. Below are a number of these lessons:

  

They never turn their back on a team member

No matter what the minions go through, they never leave a team member behind. It is very interesting how the whole team slows down so that the minion left behind is able to catch up. Successful teams are defined through the care and bonds among the team members and the minions sure do it very well.

  

    They are not afraid to take a chance

Taking a chance and taking risks when needed are major elements of success and progress. When you reach the edge of the cliff and the only way you can to progress is forward, you need to develop the habit of taking a leap of faith and jumping into the other side. Fear is the main reason behind most failures.

They know how to play

You have heard it said many times to “Work hard, play hard”. I am a firm believer that a healthy

lifestyle is based on balance; this is where play falls in the right place. Most of us get so consumed by their job and duties to the extent where we forget what it means to have some play time. Play time is as essential for adults as it is for children. Successful leaders make it a point to dedicate a portion of their day for play and leisure. This time slot should be the main slot on the schedule during the weekends.

Our minion friends are the experts at this as they know how to enjoy themselves and insert the element of play even when they are working. An old man once told me “in life, you have to get out and stop to smell the roses”. I wonder how many of us are enjoying their life the way they should.

                                                                                                                      

                                                     

They always see the positive side of things

Even when things look like they have hit a brick wall and can only get worse, the minions always see a positive way out in each challenging situation. It is very common for leaders to go through tough challenges that seem hopeless to resolve. These are the most critical of all times as all the team members will have their eyes and hopes on their leader for answers. Do not let how any situation look like fool you, think the minion way and look for the positives of each situation; there is always a way out.

They do not hold grudges

Even after the evil lady locked the minions up in a torture room after all the help they gave her, they met her with a big welcome and wide smile the next time they saw her!

Holding grudges and hard feelings towards the others can only act a blocking stone in the path to happy and successful life. Jealousy, hatred, and negative emotions that are directed towards us from people around us are all inevitable; however, it is always up to us how to choose how to react to such happenings. My advice to you is: never hold a grudge; assess the situation, choose your attitude and move on.  

They never give up

Any top leader will not think twice before telling one key principle they go by is “Giving up is not an option”. The minions have actually mastered the art of not giving up as they would always reach where they want and get what they want regardless of how many times or tries it takes. Leaders think in one direction only: win, win, win, win. How many times are you willing to try to make things happen for you? Your answer defines how much of a leader spirit you have in you.