Leadership lessons learned from one of my fave Anime
If you have been around for a while it shouldn’t be a secret to you that I’m a mahoosive Anime fan. yes, those animated comic characters you might never ever have paid attention to before. If you’re a fellow fan though, please let me know your recommendations or favourite anime!
One of my all-time favourites, which we just recently re-watched, is Demon Slayer. Not only are the graphics and scenes simply mind-blowing, but the story of Tanjiro and his sister Nezuko is plastered with wisdom and such potent nuggets that I felt are SO crucial when it comes to leadership that I just had to write an article about it. A post about leadership could not be more Millenial than this, so if you fancy learning from this side of this generation, or if you are part of it, keep on reading.
Lesson #1: Kindness is a super weapon
Tanjiro, despite being a badass fighter and having endured a lot of hardship in his life, has the kindest soul out of all characters in the show. So much so, that when someone enters his subconscious with the goal to actually harm him, he is so overcome by this kindness that he simply cannot do it. On other occasions, This character trait leads to energy boosts in fellow fighters and brings back the sparkle to the eyes of those who lost touch with themselves. Tanjiro even shows kindness towards his enemies, the demons, and they find peace in their last moments thanks to his genuine care and love. This is leadership on a different level. it’s the right mix between caring so much people feel seen, but not too much so they only rely on you. On the contrary, they feel empowered to be truly themselves and follow their heart and what truly matters.
Lesson #2: Train, Fight, Rest, Repeat
Tanjiro’s journey can be divided into 3 different segments, of which the first one is the rigorous training he undergoes to learn the skills needed to succeed in his mission. What I deeply love about anime like Demon Slayer or Naruto, is how much the main characters keep on learning and growing, they never give up despite how hard the training is or how tough their opponents are. They have a goal, they put in the work, and they achieve it. Of course, you could argue “But Josi, this ain’t real”, but it actually very much is the same in our reality too. Life is one big training session divided up into smaller ones, it’s plastered with challenges (the fights) we have to overcome and moments of peace where we get to enjoy the fruit of our labour or the times we need to rest and recharge before we can charge into the next battle. If anything, the fact that anime characters often seem to rest more compared to us, makes them almost more real, wouldn’t you agree?
Lesson #3: They never give up
I just touched on this in the last point: most main characters in anime have a goal. And the unwavering commitment towards it, you just can’t sway them off their path. Yes, there are moments of doubt, like Tanjiro when he realises he is not yet strong enough to beat one of the demons. He acknowledges his emotions, has a good cry, and then uses this energy as new fuel to get back into training and get better, breaking through a glass ceiling he first perceived as unbreakable. What I love about this specific anime is also the belief of others in Tanjiro. Unlike in real life, he faces more support than comments like “You are delusional”, “this is impossible” or “Who do you think you are”. They see his potential and support him rather than judge him (of course there are some exceptions, but once they get to know Tanjiro, they see his potential and resilience too).
So how does it translate into becoming a better leader?
You don’t need to have extra hard skin to be a great leader, instead kill’em with kindness
Make sure to rest after you have undergone your training and overcame a challenge or achieved a milestone, then repeat.
Stay on your path and keep on doing your thing
What are your thoughts on this? Did I spark some curiosity to give “Demon Slayer” a go? ;)
With love,
Josi
