Let the next great King of Wakanda be you!
Everyone has been raving about Marvel's latest masterpiece, 'Black Panther', with the film's cultural elements and Michael B. Jordan's portrayal of the villain Erik Killmonger being the main talking points.In fact, our writer loved the movie so much, she officially declared Black Panther as the greatest avenger.
While most people marveled at T'Challa's brand new suit and his awesome toys, we noticed something else: that T'Challa has the makings of a great leader and a King.
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To help us become the best leader we can be, here are some of the leadership skills that we managed to pick out from the King of Wakanda himself so that we could apply them in real life:
In the movie, T'Challa faced challenge after challenge - first with M'Baku and then Killmonger - and never did he once waver or shy away. Sure, he could easily blame his circumstances or the position he was put into, but he also knows that it's not easy to be King.
As a leader, people would look up to you to lead the charge. Challenges can crop up when you least expect it to, so a good leader would know when to keep calm and formulate a good plan to tackle the headache. Besides, who wants to follow someone who doesn't have what it takes to lead the charge, kan?
And we mean everyone! Despite his status as the ruler of Wakanda, T'Challa shows respect to those who have been there before him, and those around him. It doesn't matter if it's just a child or the head of the Jabari Tribe, T'Challa never lets his position get over his head (OK lah, maybe one scenario or two in the movie).
When you come from a position of power, sometimes it's easy to forget that those working with you deserve some respect too. Don't be that guy! A good leader would know to treat everyone as equals, even the kakak who washes your plates in the pantry (we ❤ you, kakak!). As the saying goes: 'Respect is earned, not given'.
Here's one trait we absolutely loved about T'Challa: he listens to those around him. As the King of Wakanda, he has the actual power to overrule the voices around him, but we liked that he didn't. He took Nakia's advice to help the world with Wakandan tech, something that could potentially bring unwanted attention to Wakanda but it was also something T'Challa thought was necessary.
Hence, a good leader must develop the ability to listen, and listen well. Your teammates might not have the seniority that you have, but that doesn't mean they do not have the experience that could help you. The worse thing you could do as a leader is to turn a deaf ear, so it's important to listen to what other people have to say. If only Napoleon listened to his doctor about that little pain in his stomach...
Despite his status as a Ruler, T'Challa has shown humility time and time again. He was humble when he asked his father for advice on how to rule the kingdom, and he was rightfully modest when he asked for help to defeat Kilmonger. He knew when to step back and not throw his weight around.
Some people might find it hard to let go of their ego, but a good leader knows the good virtues of being humble. There's no point shouting how great you are when people view you as a snob, so have a piece of that humble pie, kind sir.
In the final battle against Kilmonger and his troops, did the Black Panther sit on the sideline and watch as his army wins the battle for him? Nope siree, he certainly did not. The Black Panther led the way into battle as his band of trusty warriors follow closely behind.
So, want to be a good leader? Show your team how it's done instead of telling them what to do. There's really no better way of rallying the troops and instill confidence in them than you charging alongside your team on the frontline. Better yet, land the first blow so that your teammates can finish it off.
The Black Panther may look super intimidating with its Vibranium claws and scary-looking mask, but underneath the suit, T'Challa knows how to emphatise. We loved how he shed a tear for Kilmonger after learning of his tragic backstory (we did too), and he even found it in his heart to forgive both Kilmonger and W'Kabi for acting the way they did under certain circumstances.
People always view leaders as strong, tough, no-nonsense figures, but a really good one would know how to understand and share the feelings of another. While we don't mean that you should try and be BFFs with your teammates and make them like you, but taking the time to understand what they are going through will show your teammates that you care.
Long story short: the entire 'Black Panther' storyline stems from something T'Challa's late father did (we're not going to spoil it for you, so you gotta watch it yourself to find out what happened). So, unfortunately for our hero, he spent the entire movie trying to right the wrongs and restore things back to the way they were.
Yeah, we know it's frustrating to pick up someone else's slack - or worse, clean up their mess! - but a good leader would be able to put all those feelings aside and tackle the problem at hand. A good leader would own up to a mistake a team member made and ensures that it would never happen again. Besides, this will look really good on you when your company's performance review rolls around.
Sumber 7 Leadership Skills We Can All Learn From The Black Panther