While watching The Lion King recently, I couldn't help but think of Simon Sinek's quote, "There are leaders and then there those who lead." It's like the old leadership proverb, "He who thinks he leads, but has no followers, is merely taking a walk."
For those unfamiliar with the story, Scar is the disgruntled brother of the king. In his scheme to take over the kingdom, Scar tries to kill his brother and his nephew at the same time (Simba, the heir). During Scar's brief reign, everything falls to pieces: the herd leaves, there's no food, the once-fertile earth is barren.
So what kind of important lessons does this teach us?
- Leadership is not based on position: When Scar was elevated to the position of king of pride rock, he thought everyone would follow him and obey his commands. In fact, even though the pride of lions accepted his position, his poor decision making and lack of influence prevented them from accepting him as a leader.
As I was watching this, I couldn't help think of how much our idea of leadership has been created through archetypes presented in mythology, religion, children's stories, and legends. In many ways, I believe that we instinctively grasp who great leaders are, even if we don't instinctively know how to become great leaders ourselves. Perhaps consciously reflecting on these stories can help get us a little closer. If anything, at least it is entertaining.
"Everything you see exists together in a delicate balance. As king, you need to understand that balance and respect all the creatures, from the crawling ant to the leaping antelope." -Mufasa