A few months ago, I saw Thor: Love and Thunder at the cinema. I found it completely interesting. It’s no surprise, though, since I love superhero movies. It was also refreshing to watch a movie where the language spoken is English. I’ve been watching only Korean movies for months now, and haven’t been able to find an English (language) movie that sparks enough interest in me. Sigh.
Anyway, while I find superhero movies – English or Korean – fascinating, I don’t t think I have learnt life lessons from them. This is why I was particularly delighted about what I observed in Thor: Love and Thunder.
I’ll tell you all about it. If you’ve seen the movie (I definitely recommend that you should), take your mind to the scene with the two Thors, Gorr, and the children at the Shadow Realm. That’s where the lesson on leadership and delegation lies.
For some context, Gorr kidnapped some kids from Asgard. He has taken possession of Thor’s new sword, and he wants to use it to open Eternity so he can make a wish. Gorr is also a god-killer, and is pretty powerful. He has the ability to call forth multitudes of shadow-like beings that are totally separate from him. So, he can be fighting while his other shadow beings are wreaking havoc. Clearly, it is too much for one person to handle. What did Thor do?
- Analysed and planned: Thor recognises this situation and shows some insane quick thinking skills. He “blesses” the kids and their weapons (which includes a toy ?). Now, they have thor-like powers and can fight the shadows while Thor faces Gorr. Pretty cool. He came up with this plan under intense pressure and implemented it fast
- Boosted their morale: These are kids, remember? So, they are scared and most definitely confused. Thor comes in and “gingers” them by giving a quick pep talk to let them know how much they can do if they put their minds to it and just act.
- Equipped and directed them: After letting them know that they can, he equips them with the thor-like powers I mentioned above. Now, they no longer just believe that they can do it, they also have the skills. Thor gives them the go-ahead to fight and does what I think is the best part next….
- Trusted them to do the right thing: After giving them the belief and ability, he just goes after the bad guy. He trusts them to do well! I found that part amazing. He did not once look back in worry that, “what if blah blah blah”. Nope, he squarely faces his own business and lets them face theirs. This is a call to you (or anyone) who breathes down the neck of the people you’ve assigned tasks to. Free them and you’ll see good results. This reminds me of my project supervisor, who does exactly this! I admire it so much.
From the above, I’ve definitely learnt how to approach a problem while leading a team. However, I am going to look at this from the perspective of the children. How did Thor’s leadership and delegation skill make those kids feel? I have a few words: trusted, able, powerful,
This reminds me of one of my current side jobs, which is SEO writing. I wrote an article that my boss praised for being exemplary. To be honest, I was surprised because I just did not see why. What was so special about the article? From his experienced eyes, he saw the excellence in my work that I simply couldn’t see. One talk led to another, and I was being promoted to the editor role. Of course, I was stocked! But I was nervous too.
What has my boss done? He analysed my skills and saw that I could take on larger responsibilities. While doing this, he boosted my morale by complimenting my work and potential.
Next was to equip me. We jumped on a call where he edited some articles and I observed. I also chimed in here and there (and was elated anytime he showed his approval). This made me more confident and convinced that I could take up the role. After the call, he handed me a document with a list of guidelines for my new role as an editor.
After I edited two to three articles, he announced that he would no longer check my work, and I should ensure that I edit thoroughly. To me, this was the equivalent of, “Based on the articles you have reviewed, I trust that you are capable of handling the rest”. This made me trust more in my abilities and put in more effort.
After editing close to 25 articles and counting, my confidence grows daily, and it was because someone showed me some good leadership and delegation skills.
I am inspired and want to be like Thor, my project supervisor, and my boss.
These are 500 words (or more ?)! Talk to you tomorrow!