Allies Helped Batman Be Batman

Robin was more than a sidekick to Batman

Thelma and Louise. Woody and Buzz. Serena and Venus. Frodo and Sam. Ben and Jerry. Batman and Robin.

These dynamic duos stick in our mind for a reason:?together they accomplished truly remarkable things—far more than either individual could have accomplished alone. Sure, while some of these pairings live only in fiction, the deep bonds of friendship (dare we say,?affection) these BFFs share— coupled with how they show up for each other through thick and thin—can inspire us to dream more, achieve more,?be?more.?

Here’s one of our favorite examples: Batman and Robin. The Batman character was introduced to the public in a 1939 comic book. Batman (spoiler alert! secretly he’s wealthy industrialist Bruce Wayne) dedicated his life to fighting crime in Gotham City, driven by the brutal killing of his parents by a mugger. And he did just that—solo, all by himself, spectacularly. The comic book’s writers quickly realized, however, that something was missing in the Batman story, and they took steps to fix it. Just one year later—in 1940—they introduced a new character to the Batman universe: Robin, the Boy Wonder.?

Robin was more than a sidekick to Batman; he was his closest ally and best friend at work. He was a sounding board off which Batman could bounce ideas. He was an extra set of fists when the going got tough. He was the rock that Batman knew he could count on—always and forever. Robin had Batman’s back, and vice versa. Not only that, but Robin injected a bit of humor into the proceedings.

Before Robin’s introduction, Batman was a dark and brooding character. That changed when Robin arrived. Batman and the Boy Wonder had more fun together than they did when they were apart.?

And the writers of the Batman comics didn’t stop with Robin.

A few years later, in 1943, they introduced another character: Bruce Wayne’s trusty valet, Alfred, who, in addition to his domestic duties, supported Batman and Robin in their crime-fighting mission by acting as a detective and taking care of business behind the scenes. Robin and Alfred were Batman’s allies—they had his back, and in doing so, they allowed Batman to?be?Batman.?

And that’s what being an ally is. Our allies allow us to be who we are, and they help keep us grounded when we go off-track.?

We hope you enjoyed this excerpt from?You, Me, We. If you did you'll love the book!

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You, Me, We?is the book for leaders who want to improve not just at work but outside?of work too. It?will help?you?build deep, long-lasting?relationships that set everybody up for success.

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