5 Leadership Lessons I Learnt from The Super Mario Bros. Movie! (Spoilers ahead!)

I am a HUGE movie lover and an avid fan of vintage video games.?

So when this movie came out, I knew I had to watch on the big screen!

While it might have been a "children's film", I came to realise that there were many lessons that we could learn and apply in our everyday lives. Especially for leaders.

This is what I love about leadership. I actively choose to view the world through a lens of how I can connect everyday lift and the little things that we do to one of the most critical factor that determines an organisations success.

Ready? Hereeeee we go!?

1. You are NEVER too small to make a difference.

Mario is a 5 ft 1 inch Italian plumber with a heart of gold who does his absolute best in all that he does! Unfortunately in bot the game and the movie, the antagonist of his journey is a 10 ft dinosaur/turtle hybrid who seeks to destroy Mario so that he never gets the Princess.

Throughout the entire movie, Mario was always seen giving his all.

• Proving to his family that the career choices were what was best for him and his brother.
• Going through the obstacle course to prove to Princess Peach that he was ready to join her in her adventure.
• Winning in his fight against Donkey Kong despite the odds stacked against him.
• Fighting his way out of the giant Eel with Donkey Kong after they got eaten.
• Finally defeating bowser in his home world even after taking am major beating, and almost being roasted alive.

What I found most admirable was his undying spirit that kept him going. He never allowed brooding, challenges, or failures, to direct his life. Instead, he knew that to accomplish the things he wanted, he was going to have to put in the work first - even if it meant getting eaten by plants.

Key Takeaway: It's not about your size, the way you look, or how capable you may be. What starts you off with a strong foundation is the amount of heart you choose to operate from, to keep going even when everything tells you to stop.

2. Find a tribe that will support you.

Wahoo! As Bowser was preparing to invade the mushroom kingdom, Mario and Princess Peach found themselves venturing into the distant Kong Kingdom to seek help from Cranky Kong and his massive ape army.

Through a ritual of combat, Mario and Princess Peach were able to win over Cranky Kong and gain his trust and support, even a quick trip to the garage to build a couple of Karts so that they could battle well.

What stood out the most to me for this lesson was that a strong tribe/community/army is crucial for growth. Both Mario and the Princess knew that they would be heavily outnumbered and had to get support. Despite the loss on the Rainbow Road, Bowser's army was still heavily reduced, having lost his lieutenant and many of his bony soldiers.

Key Takeaway: Support can come from the most unexpected of places. While it does not guarantee the immediate win, it helps give an advantage in furthering your growth and giving you the aid that you require at your context. That also means that on your next milestone, you'd need a bigger form of help (in their case, the golden star! ??)

3. Even villains suffer from pain.

Anyone who has played the game before would know that Bowser is the big baddie at the end. He is huge, notorious, covered in spikes, and gives off the general vibe of a school bully.

In reality, Bowser too suffers from his own form of pain, using the being evil and "world dominating" as a mask for his true emotions towards a certain Princess in the movie.

The intention was never to wreak havoc. All he ever wanted was love. Chaos and destruction were the substitute to the healing that he needed, should he have his heart torn to shreds by Princess Peach.

Isn't this reflective of most "nasty" leaders? There are pains that they are feeling that they don't share about, often because they don't know how to process such emotions which leads up to an overall lashing out towards innocent bystanders along the way.

Key Takeaway: Don't be too quick to judge when others are nasty. Come from a place of compassion and see where they are coming from instead. While this does not justify their harsh words and perceived ill-intentions, it shows a need for someone else to take the first step to having some empathy in the relationship.

That being said, I DO NOT CONDONE WORKPLACE ABUSE.

4. Life goes on.

No movie about an underdog is ever complete unless the protagonist faced assumed tragedy, only to return after alive and kicking!

Even after Mario and Kong faced certain "doom" on the rainbow bridge, Princess Peach knew she didn't have time to mourn and had to carry on with the mission to protect the Mushroom Kingdom. She raced back with Toad and evacuated her entire kingdom, making one last stand against Bowser when he arrived.

This scene reminded me that as a leader, you need to strike a healthy balance of your emotions along with the situations you are in. While tragedy strikes, you cannot afford to allow your emotions to takeover to guide the way forward. There needs to be an internal resolve, focus, and strength to say "This sucks, but there are more important things at hand."

Key Takeaway: As a leader, challenges and obstacles are part and parcel of the journey, otherwise, there's nothing to lead for! The waves will feel tumultuous, and when they come crashing, you are sure to go under. The big question is, do you want to be buoyant and make your way back to the surface? Or would you prefer to sink and drown? Life will go on either way, so you may as well be a part of it!

5. Victory favours the courageous.

Luigi is well-known for his tendency to be fearful even over the smallest of things, easily scared, shocked, and terrified by surprises.

Fending off zombies, meeting ghosts, and eventually being kidnapped by Bowser, Luigi had every reason to be scared of his unknown environment!

By the end of the movie, he displayed a massive breakthrough in facing his fears when he realised that his brother was in danger and sprung to rescue him, literally taking the heat on behalf of his brother.

Gaining a boost from the golden star, Mario and Luigi received immense power and eventually gave the finishing blow that ended his destruction.

It is true that victory favours the courageous. Often we hold ourselves back from greatness because we feel fearful, afraid to make mistakes, to take baby steps towards our own growth. With the right conviction to drive us forward, anything is possible! Sometimes, you'd find the inner strength to face your challenges. Other times, the reason to will surface and instinctively, you will know what you need to.

Key Takeaway: You cannot always wait until you are ready before you decide to take action. Getting started with imperfection while feeling scared, nervous, fearful, is infinitely better than waiting for perfection to happen.

To Summarise

1. It is not the size of your muscles, but rather the size of your heart that matters.
2. Find a tribe that will back you and support you in your journey.
3. Heroes learn from pain, villains become the source of it.
4. Life has to go on, regardless.
5. Victory and success comes to those who are willing to step forth to claim it.

Until the next one,

Stay Buoyant.

Shawn.

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