Peter (Charlie Weber), an ex-CIA agent, has left behind the life of intrigue and espionage. He’s become a painter, living in a small town. He’s just trying to get by. However, something changes all of that. A young woman, Sophia (Madison Bailey), walks into his life… Claiming to be his daughter.

He can’t believe this. He and his ex-wife Elena (Rryla McIntosh) lost their child when Elena was shot.

But the thought of “What if” enters his mind. He goes down a rabbit hole that exposes more than he ever knew.

Peter’s story can help us explore leadership ideas and principles. Let’s do a Reel Leadership deep dive into The Painter.

Quotes And Leadership Lessons From The Painter

1. Watch your assumptions:

Peter is on the phone with his wife. They’re deep in conversation but you get a sense that Peter knows something is off.

He was right.

A man is sneaking up on him. Viewers are tense as they wait to see if the man is going to kill Peter. The man does not.

The man turns out to be Byrne (Jon Voight), Peter’s father.

Great leaders watch out for assumptions. They know the trouble assuming can cause – Leadership lessons from The Painter
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The director purposely played up this section of the movie. They wanted the audience to be held in suspense. They wanted you to think Byrne was going to kill Peter. They wanted you to assume.

And then sigh when you realize what was happening.

We assume a lot of things. We assume:

• Employee motives
• Financial projections
• Outcomes to projects
• And more…

We have to be careful with assumptions. There’s an old saying about assuming things. I won’t repeat it here, but it gets to the heart of the matter.

2. Byrne:

Or a strength…

Byrne recalls Peter’s young days. In this recalling, we discover Byrne is not Peter’s biological father. He has adopted Peter after a terrible accident killed Peter’s parents.

Peter had hearing loss as a result of the incident. The doctor called it hyper-sensitive hearing.

In talking to Byrne, the doctor told him the hyper-sensitive hearing could be a weakness. The condition would make it difficult for Peter to be out in public, as everything would overstimulate his audio cortex.

Byrne saw something else. The hyper-sensitive hearing could be a strength.

What do you see as a weakness? Maybe in yourself… Maybe in others…

Could what you perceive as a weakness actually be a strength? Could you find some way to turn it into a useful asset?

Great leaders look for ways to make weakness into strength. Discover the reverse of what you expect.

3. It’s okay to be different from others:

Peter had become a painter after Elena was shot and they lost their baby (or so they thought). He and his wife had also divorced. It was a sad situation for everyone involved. Peter moved to an isolated cabin. He wanted to be alone.

To make ends meet, Peter began to sell his paintings. He had them on display at Lucy’s Tavern. He receives a call from Lucy (Leah Gibson) that a painting has been sold. He could come collect his payment.

But Lucy also had more in mind. She wanted to get Peter, now calling himself Mark, out of the house. Out to have some fun.

Be okay with being different – Leadership lessons from The Painter
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Peter reluctantly agreed to a beer. Then Lucy tried to push him for a second. Lucy was frustrated that Peter didn’t want to get out and have more fun.

Let’s be honest. We’re all different. Some of us are extroverts. Others are introverts. Then there are ambiverts.

Each person is uniquely designed. The way they interact and recharge may differ from yours. However, that doesn’t make them wrong.

Embrace the differences of those on your team.

4. Find ways to include critical redundancies:

Whenever Elena would get Peter gifts, she would get him two. Especially when it came to books.

Why? Elena knew Peter’s propensity to get paint on his stuff. She wanted to make sure he had a good copy, even if one got ruined.

They called this critical redundancy.

Organizations need to find ways to build critical redundancies into their business structures. If they don’t, they can find themselves in a world of trouble.

IT departments do this a lot of times with their data backups. They have backups:

• On-site
• In the cloud
• Physical copy off-site

Backup redundancy reduces the risk of data loss in the event of a security breach. The organization can be back up and running far quicker than if it had only one backup.

Where does your organization need to have critical redundancies?

5. Elena:

The hardest thing to see is what is right in front of you

Elena had sent Peter two copies of a book on master painters. Inside, she had penned a note for him.

Peter was confused by the note. What could it mean? Could it hold some meaning?

The note did. Elena had hidden a flash drive in each book. The flash drives contained data on a secret CIA program called The Interns. They were kidnapping kids and training them to be government assassins.

Does Elena’s note ring true for you? It does for me.

We’re so close to some things that we can’t see what’s right in front of us. We fail to see how our partners are feeling. We fail to see why an employee is struggling. We fail to see what’s really happening in our organization.

It can be beneficial to take a step back from things. To reevaluate what’s going on.

Doing so gives you the opportunity to see your world from a different angle. Give it a try. You might see something that’s been right in front of you the whole time.

6. Know who you can go to:

CIA Section Chief Naomi Piasecki (Marie Avgeropoulos), along with Agent Kim (Luisa d’Oliveira), dispatches CIA operatives to take out Peter. He takes out all of the CIA operatives with ease. However, he knew he and Sophia were not safe. They needed to get to someone who could help.

Luckily, Peter knew of someone. That someone is a computer repair shop owner named Niles (Jason Gray-Stanford). The two head to his shop, where Niles helps them get some information off the flash drive before the Ghost (Max Montesi) attacks.

Do you know where you can go when things get tough? Do you have someone you can count on?

The best leaders I know have built a support system of people they can call on when the going gets rough. These are their 3 AM people.

Build a network of people you can call on… at any time. You’re going to need a band of brothers (or sisters) to help you.

7. Sophia:

And then?

Byrne breaks the news to Sophia and Peter that Elena is dead. She’s been killed (We later learn Byrne was in the room when the Ghost killed Elena). Peter asks for a moment to process what has happened.

Peter wanted to devise a way to find out who killed his ex-wife. And then formulate a plan to exact revenge.

Sophia asks, “And then?” It’s a great question to think about.

In your organization, think about these “And then” situations:

• You have a gangbuster of a year, and there’s a windfall of finances
• It’s a tough year, and money is tight
• An employee quits without notice
• You acquire your biggest customer ever

Whenever something good or bad happens, consider the “And then” scenarios. What will happen afterward?

Ask yourself “And then?” – Leadership lessons from The Painter
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Will you save the windfall? Or spend it rewarding your employees?

When money is tight, will you cut back on spending? Or will you fire employees?

Each situation requires you to think of “And then…”

8. A mission that touches the heart will move your people:

Elena had recorded a video for Peter before her death. The video gave Peter a new mission in life.

The mission was to protect Sophia, their daughter.

Talk about a man on fire. Peter took the new mission to herat.

What’s the mission of your organization? Is it powerful? Does it move people to action? Or does it fizzle out?

Give your organization a mission that will ignite the fire within your team. When they have something worth working toward, they will do great things.

9. It’s good for your people to question you:

Agent Kim had begun to question Naomi’s actions. She felt like Naomi was escalating the situation with Peter.

Naomi pushed back. She didn’t like being questioned (you probably won’t either). However, Agent Kim’s questions were valid. They could have saved her life if she had asked them earlier.

You’re not unquestionable. In fact, leaders should be asked the tough questions. They should be held accountable.

If your people are concerned about your actions, listen to their concerns. They are seeing things you aren’t.

10. We can become misguided:

Byrne had been kidnapping and torturing children into killing machines. Even his own granddaughter!

He thinks there’s nothing wrong with what he’s doing. He’s helping the country be better protected. Heck, there are probably other countries doing the same thing.

That doesn’t mean Byrne is right in what he was doing. He was still wrong.

Leaders can become misguided if they’re willing to do immoral activities – Leadership lessons from The Painter
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Don’t let yourself become blinded to what’s right because you see an expedited way to get results. The expediting will often lead to moral compromises.

Once you start compromising morally, you’re on a slippery slope you probably won’t recover from.

Reading those words probably sent a visceral reaction through your body. You might have cringed. There may have been a tinge of pain. You may have even cried a little.

That’s because words carry meaning and power when spoken. They give life to the thoughts living inside your head.

Rev J. Martin once said, “Words are free. It’s how you use them that may cost you.” And it’s true.

Photo by Brett Jordan on Unsplash

Are You Using The Right Words?

You may be struggling to get a team member to do what you want them to. You’ve talked to them multiple times. You’ve had one-on-one conversations. All with the hope that something will change.

But nothing does.

Or maybe you’re struggling in your marriage. You want things to get better. You talk it out, yet nothing changes. It hurts. It feels like you’re lost in a never-ending battle to win the love of your spouse.

You feel stuck…

I want to encourage you today to check your words. The words you’re using to communicate with another person matter.

Have you ever visited a foreign country? One that doesn’t speak your language? Then you know how much the right words matter.

When Pamela and I visited Japan, we knew very little Japanese. We still know very little Japanese. Thankfully, the people of Japan had more command of the English language than we did of the Japanese language.

Finding and using the right words with them mattered. The same goes for your employees, family members, and friends.

We all have our own internal language. Words that mean one thing to you may mean a completely different thing to the person you’re communicating with. Using the wrong words could lead to a complete misunderstanding or blow-up.

Find The Right Words

Finding the right words to use when communicating with others is difficult. But you can do it.

To find the right words, try the following:

Ask what they heard:

Take the time to ask what the other party heard. You’re giving them the chance to communicate what they heard, even how they heard it. You can begin to understand how they hear you.

You can then begin to craft your words so they sound the way you hear them but they connect with the other person. You can improve your communication with them.

Ask what they meant:

Sometimes, we hear the words spoken by another person and completely misunderstand them. The same way they misunderstand us. What if you took the time to ask someone what they meant?

If they’re willing, they will explain their words. And you can begin to understand and decipher their unique language.

Pause and listen:

There are times when we just have to pause and be quiet. Let the other person speak. The more you hear them, the more you understand them, the more you can begin to pick up on their vernacular.

Being quiet can be a great way to find the right words to speak to them.

The Long Walk is a 2025 film adapted from Stephen King’s 1979 book of the same name. While I missed this film in the theater, I was able to catch it on the almost 14-hour flight to Tokyo.

What’s The Long Walk about? The story revolves around a tough and televised competition. There are 50 boys. Each one must maintain a pace of 3 MPH. If they fall below the pace three times, they are executed by one of the guards. Whoever makes it the longest wins a monetary sum and a wish fulfilled.

The film focuses on Raymond Garraty/#47 (Cooper Hoffman) and Peter McVries/#23 (David Jonsson). Throughout the competition, the two form an unbreakable bond. A friendship they never thought either could have.

The story is a great backdrop to explore leadership. Let’s take a look at the leadership lessons in The Long Walk.

Quotes And Leadership Lessons From The Long Walk

1. Not every acceptance is a good acceptance:

Ray received a notification that he was selected to participate in The Long Walk. He was to represent his state in the competition.

Being accepted for something seems like a great thing. Except when it could cost you your life.

Ray was ready to lay down his life for a chance to receive the prize and have a wish fulfilled. We learn later on the real reason he wanted to win: to take out The Major (Mark Hamill). The Major had killed his father, William Garraty (Josh Hamilton). It would be poetic justice to turn the tables on The Major.

We have to be cautious about what we’re accepted into.

It could be a new organization: Do the core values line up with yours? Does the organization follow its stated values?

It could be a friendship group: Who are they? What do they talk about? How are they living?

It could be a church: What are their beliefs? How do they treat their community?

Acceptance isn’t always good.

2. Embrace the new leadership jitters:

Ray meets Pete. He asks Pete if he’s ready for the competition.

Pete’s answer? He’s a little jumpy. Maybe that’s okay…

I loved Pete’s answer to Ray’s questions. He’s going to do this thing, even if he’s jumpy. And he’ll be okay.

Don’t let your nerves get the best of you as you start out in leadership. It’s scary. It’s new. But it’ll be okay.

Lead through your jumpiness.

3. Raymond Garraty:

I wouldn’t mind having some money, but there’s more important things.

The boys involved in the competition were talking about the money they could win. Ray says he’d like the money, but there’s something more important in life.

The system that had been created in this dystopian world told the boys that money was the only way out. This belief created a sense of desperation in those who volunteered to be a part of it.

In the end, no one really signs up voluntarily.

Why are you leading? Why are you working? Is it for the paycheck?

Know your reason for working and leading. It has to be about more than the paycheck – Leadership lessons from The Long Walk
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If so, I want you to check yourself. The paycheck that comes from your job only goes so far. Sometimes, the paycheck creates a desperation. It can create a set of golden handcuffs.

You get so comfortable with the pay that you forget about the important things. What are those things?

• Your family
• Your relationships outside of work
• The things you enjoy doing
• Your health

Make sure you’re balancing your paycheck with what it can’t offer.

4. Great leaders slow down to help others:

Adam ‘Curly’ White/#7 (Roman Griffin Davis) was one of the boys accepted for The Long Walk. Early on, Curly gets a charley horse. He tries to walk it out but can’t. As he slows below 3 MPH, Ray goes to him.

Ray begins to talk him through the charley horse. He gives him pointers. Through it all, his advice fails. However, what he did was brave, heroic, emblematic of a leader.

He slowed to help someone else.

We’re so focused on getting to the finish line that we forget not everyone can keep up with our pace. We try to push them. We try to tell them of the consequences.

Great leaders are willing to slow down and work with their people – Leadership lessons from The Long Walk
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What don’t we do? We don’t slow down to help them.

Imagine slowing down. It may feel wrong. But what if it helps someone else? Could you slow down, then?

Think about this the next time someone on your team is going too slow. Could you slow down to help them?

5. Be careful of wanting tough things to get too easy:

Pete states that he wants the eliminations to get easier. Seeing the other boys get taken out by the guards along the route was disturbing. The thoughts of how they died… the thought that it could be him. It was almost too much.

Ray speaks up. He says he’s afraid the eliminations will get easier. He’s afraid he’ll become numb to the death around him.

Wanting things to be easier can be a death to your soul – Leadership lessons from The Long Walk
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When you think about the difficulties of leadership, do you want things to get easier? Do you want it to be easy to terminate someone? Do you want it to be easier to reprimand someone?

Be careful. When tough things become easy, you may have lost your soul.

6. Bad leaders rarely see what they do as wrong:

Gary Barkovitch/#5 (Charlie Plummer) taunted Rank Sanders/#19 (Daymon Wrightly). Rank couldn’t take it anymore and tried to hit Gary. In the process, Rank fell. He stopped moving. He fell below the 3 MPH minimum.

Because he fell, he was executed by the guards.

The other boys felt that Gary had murdered him. Gary didn’t see it that way. He couldn’t accept that he did something to cause Rank’s death.

When you do something wrong, are you able to see it as such? Are you able to accept responsibility?

Your actions may not cause direct harm. The harm may be indirect.

Be aware. Be accepting that your actions will ripple beyond what you think.

7. There are things your team members don’t need to see:

Richard Harknes/#49 (Jordan Gonzalez) twists his ankle. He begins to slow down. Two boys on bikes are watching him. Waiting to see him executed. Arthur Baker/#6 (Tut Nyuot) sees the boys watching. He’s concerned for what the boys will see.

Art starts telling the kids they shouldn’t watch. It’s not good. They shouldn’t be there.

And they shouldn’t. They shouldn’t see what’s about to happen to Richard.

In an effort to be open and honest, we think team members should be privy to everything happening in the organization. The truth is, there are things that they shouldn’t see or know about.

Be careful what you share. Be careful how you share it.

Your team members don’t need to see everything.

8. Raymond Garraty:

I want my wish to change things.

Ray and Pete are discussing what they will wish for if they win. Ray tells Pete he wants his wish to change things.

Why? Because Ray is tired of the competition. He’s tired of The Major. He’s tired of the death (The Major had killed Ray’s dad).

It wasn’t about winning the money. For Ray, winning would mean changing things.

Consider why you’re leading. Are you doing it for money?

Or are you leading to change things in a positive way?

9. Ray and Pete:

Every moment matters.

As the competition narrows in The Long Walk, it comes down to Ray and Pete. Ray begins to tell Pete about growing up and how he never thought about death.

In the end, Ray repeats something Pete had said earlier in the movie. What was that?

Every moment matters.

As you lead your team, recognize that every moment matters. Every moment can leave an impact on someone.

How are you making this moment matter?

10. A leader’s dream/wish can become their people’s dream/wish:

Ray decides to slow down. To stop. He would let the guards kill him. His action would give Pete the win. Pete could then live comfortably and get his wish.

What Pete wished for in the end wasn’t his original wish. No, Pete chose to wish for Ray’s wish: a carbine gun to kill The Major.

A great leader can pass their dreams and desires onto the next generation of leaders – Leadership lessons from The Long Walk
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Ray so influenced Pete that his wish became Pete’s.

That’s what happens with great leaders. When you lead with integrity, hope, and kindness, your wishes and desires become those of your people.

Lead in such a way that your dreams become the dreams of those you lead.

Having the wind knocked out of you hurts. You feel aimless. Like there’s no hope.

If we’re honest, being in a funk sucks. That’s the truth.

The funk comes from:

• A major project that failed
• Employees talking about you behind your back
• Becoming unemployed or the idea of losing your job
• A thousand minor cuts to your psyche

Leaders who get sunk by the funk wind up jobless, aimless, and alone.

Photo by Malicki M Beser on Unsplash

But we don’t have to be sunk by the funk. There’s hope for you and me when we get in one of these moods.

How do we do that? Keep reading!

Don’t Get Sunk By The Funk

Create a support system that will hold you up even in your darkest days:

Many leaders fall into a funk because they see leadership as a lonely calling. One where it’s you against the world. Everyone else needs to back the heck up.

But that’s what gets us to feel down, to feel depressed. We’ve isolated ourselves so much that we don’t have anyone to call on.

Instead of separating yourself from those around you, find people you know, like, and trust. Create friendships with them. Share your story and trials with them.

They will be there to hold you up.

Move your body:

One of the best ways to get out of the funk is to move your body. This means exercise, people!

Exercising can be challenging, especially if you’re depressed. Depression causes us to sit in bed, eating a gallon of our favorite ice cream. It all sounds good in the moment but when that ice cream container is empty, you’re left feeling more miserable than before.

However, when you get out of bed and pound the pavement, you feel better. Maybe running isn’t your thing so you hit the gym and pump iron.

Whatever it takes to get your body moving, do it. Your body and mind will thank you for it.

Seek professional help:

There are people out there who are trained professionals. They’ve studied the science of depression and anxiety. They’ve practiced the craft to help others get better.

Stop avoiding them. Find a mental health specialist who is able to take on your case.

Sometimes it can be as simple as a phone call where you and the therapist discuss the issue. Othertimes, it may require multiple calls or visits.

Yet, you’re worth it.

Be willing to do what needs to be done, even if that’s calling on someone else.

Go to church:

Your faith, or lack of faith, can play a large role in how you are doing mentally. I’ve found that being in a church with people who are also seeking a deeper relationship with our creator is refreshing. It’s a balm to a weary soul.

It’s easy to want to run and hide from God. But it’s something that will hurt you.

Find a great church. Seek God.

The Super Mario Bros. movie broke records in 2023. It dethroned Frozen II as the highest-grossing animated movie. It brought in over $1.36 billion. And now we have a long-awaited sequel: The Super Mario Galaxy Movie!

Does it deliver? Do Mario (Chris Pratt) and Luigi (Charlie Day) save the Princess, Rosalina (Brie Larson)? Would it be a Mario Bros. movie if they didn’t?

In The Super Mario Galaxy movie, Bowser’s (Jack Black) son, Bowser Jr. (Benny Safdie), kidnaps Princess Peach’s (Anya Taylor-Joy) sister, Rosalina. Bowser Jr. has a plan to destroy the galaxy and have him and his father live on Planet Bowser, a planet he constructed from the bedtime stories Bowser would tell his son.

This leads to Mario, Luigi, Toad (Keegan-Michael Key), and Yoshi (Donald Glover) to travel across the galaxy. They must save the Princess. This time, she’s not in another castle. She’s on another planet. And, with the help of classic Nintendo character Fox McCloud (Glen Powell) from the Starfox video game series, the Super Mario cast rescue the Princess.

Let’s look at the leadership lessons found in The Super Mario Galaxy Movie. The movie spans galaxies. So will the leadership lessons.

Quotes And Leadership Lessons From The Super Mario Galaxy Movie

1. Find the story people want you to tell:

The movie begins with Rosalina telling the Lumas (star-shaped creatures that call her mom) a bedtime story. The story? One of Princess Peach.

The Lumas begin to ask for another story. They want to hear the story about the Plumbers (Mario and Luigi).

Rosalina relents. She retells the story they want to hear. Peace is restored to the household.

You may desire to tell your story to your team. That may fall flat. In response, you may try to tell them the story of the organization. Still, flat…

What do you do?

Ask them what story they want to hear! You may discover they’re looking to hear how Jim in maintenance fixed a difficult problem. Or how the IT Manager replaced the servers and improved efficiencies.

Do you know what stories your people want to hear? They don’t want to hear stories about heroic leadership. They may not even want to hear stories about the good the organization is doing.

Your people want to hear stories of success of people just like them. Share those stories with them. These are the stories that will inspire them to greatness.

2. Mario and Luigi:

Woo hoo! Wah ha ha! Yahoo!

Mario and Luigi are riding dirt bikes in the desert. They exclaimed these phrases as they jumped, slid, and had fun.

They did something cool. They had to verbalize it.

Make sure you’re expressing yourself while leading. It’s exciting to hear – Leadership lessons from The Super Mario Galaxy Movie
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Are you verbalizing when your team does something cool? Do you verbalize when you do something cool?

There’s something special that comes from exclaiming joy and happiness in what you do.

Find ways to express your joy and the coolness of what you get to do.

3. Mario:

Okay… I guess we’ll just follow that terrifying noise.

Mario and Luigi were called in to look at a creepy pipe. There had been a strange, eerie noise coming from the pipe.

When the brothers arrive on the scene, they can hear the noise. It’s terrifying. But…

Duty calls. They’ve been summoned to fix the problem.

Mario and Luigi steel themselves. They have a job to do, no matter how terrifying. They enter the area and discover the source of the noise…

It’s Yoshi!

Leaders have to enter into the terrifying. Many times, it’s not as scary as it appears – Leadership lessons from The Super Mario Galaxy Movie
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The cause of the noise wasn’t terrifying. It was someone in need of help.

Let’s be honest. Leadership can be scary. Downright terrifying…

You have to handle the emotions and actions of the people you lead. You have to step into positions of power you may not be comfortable with. You may even have to let someone go.

All of these situations can be terrifying.

Yet, you are a leader. You’ve been chosen for these situations. 

Be Mario… Follow the terrifying noise. Then deal with it.

4. Beware of seeking validation:

Bowser Jr. had been missing his father. Bowser had been imprisoned, unable to return to his son. In response, Bowser Jr. tried to build something his father would love.

Bowser Jr. states:

It’s really cool, right? I think my father is really going to love it.

Why did Bowser Jr. do this? He wanted his father’s validation. Something he rarely had.

There’s nothing wrong with having your skills, talent, or value validated. We all long for that.

However, validation can become deadly when it is all we seek… Or when we seek it for the wrong reasons.

Beware of validation. It can make you do the wrong things so you can feel better about yourself.

5. Leaders believe in their people to make the right decision:

A Luma comes to Princess Peach. The star asks Peach to help save his momma.

Peach is trying to decide what to do. Should she say yes? Should she say no? What would be the consequences?

As she’s trying to decide, Mario and some of the Toads bust through the door. The Toads tell Peach she can’t go. It’s too dangerous.

Mario has a different opinion. He tells Peach and the Toads that she would make the right decision. Mario believed in Peach.

I’ve watched a lot of leaders talk about their employees when those employees aren’t around. A lot of the talk isn’t positive. In fact, it’s downright negative.

I’ve heard:

• We can’t praise what they do. It’ll go to their heads.
• They keep making mistakes.
• We can’t trust them.

It’s sad. It’s frustrating. And it’s wrong.

How can you lead someone when you don’t believe in them? How can you get the best out of them when you always say what they can’t do?

Instead of being a negative leader, start believing in your people. Tell them you think they can do it.

The more you encourage, the more you’ll get out of them.

6. Mario:

He could just use some guidance.

Mario tells Bowser his son is looking for him. Bowser believes Bowser Jr. must hate him. He’s been gone for so long. He’s not been a good father to him.

Instead of agreeing with him, Mario had a word of encouragement for Bowser. Mario told Bowser that Bowser Jr. could use some guidance… even though Bowser Jr. had tried to cut his head off.

Mario saw the promise in young Broswer Jr. He believed that with a little guidance, the lad would be better.

Many times, bad employees can become good employees with the right guidance – Leadership lessons from The Super Mario Galaxy Movie
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Who on your team do you feel is falling behind? Maybe they’re not adapting to the workplace as quickly as you thought. Or you’ve seen them struggling with the requirements of the job.

Think about this…

Have you given them the guidance they need?

People need guidance. They need to know their boss has their back.

Give them the guidance and reassurance they need.

7. Bad leaders can change:

Bowser had his heart set on killing the Mario Brothers. It was his lifelong dream. He’d also passed that dream onto his son. They would take over the world and kill Mario and Luigi.

After being incarcerated by the duo after the first movie, Bowser got to know the brothers. He began to change his mind.

The brothers weren’t so bad after all. The world didn’t need to be conquered.

He was a changed man. At least for a time…

Never think people can’t change. They can. Sometimes for the better. – Leadership lessons from The Super Mario Galaxy Movie
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Have you ever met a bad leader? You watch how they demoralize their team. You’ve seen them berate and destroy others.

It’s demoralizing.

And you see no hope for them.

I want to encourage you not to give up on them. Bad leaders can change. They can do so by getting to know good leaders. By getting the right training. By seeing what really can be done.

Bad leaders can change. Help them to do so.

8. Call for help:

Fox McCloud’s spaceship had crashed. It was inoperable. The crew wasn’t going to get anywhere.

That’s when Luigi calls out on the radio. He sounds like someone from the movie Smokey and the Bandit. It’s pretty hilarious.

But someone hears. The Lumas did! And they arrive to help the crew get to their next destination.

Leaders often think they’re alone. No one is coming to help them. They’re right… but not for the reason they believe.

There’s a fault in many leaders. They’re scared to ask for help. They believe that if they do so, people will see them as a failure, less than, or someone who can’t lead.

Don’t be that leader. The best leaders know they need help. And they’re not afraid to reach out to those who can assist.

Call for help!

9. Rosalina:

The Toads raised and protected her until she grew strong enough to protect them.

Rosalina finally gets the chance to tell the audience her bedtime story. Except it’s not a bedtime story. It’s the story of Rosalina and Peach, sisters who were separated at a young age.

The story goes that the sisters were made of stardust. Together, they could harness the power of the cosmos. The connection made unsavory characters come after them.

To save one another, Rosalina had to send Peach away. Peach was sent to a world where the Toads protected her. The Toads raised and protected her. Then… when Peach was old enough, she became the protector.

The roles reversed. The protected became the protector.

A similar thing happens in leadership. People are protected and led by strong leaders. Those strong leaders encourage, raise up, and protect their people. Eventually, their people grow up strong. They’re now able to lead.

Great leaders aren’t looking to lead. They’re looking to raise the next generation of leaders.

Be willing to work with those you lead. Guide, nurture, and mold them to be new leaders who can take over.

10. Be wary of those who would lead you astray:

Bowser had begun to change. His view of the Mario Brothers had changed… Until he was reunited with his son.

Bowser Jr. shows his father what he’s built. He tells Bowser:

This is who you are. This is where you belong. Tonight, we destroy the Mushroom Kingdom. Tomorrow, the universe!

In the blink of an eye, the old Bowser is back. He’s ready to kill, maim, and destroy. His son had led him astray.

Watch out for people who will lead you astray. It will lead you down a dark path – Leadership lessons from The Super Mario Galaxy Movie
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Watch out for those who would try to lead you astray from the narrow path you know you should follow. It’s a hard path. But it’s a worthy path.

If people are encouraging you to do the wrong thing, tell them to stop. If they won’t, move on from them.

The wrong influence will bring you down.

11. You can lead even when you don’t know how:

Mario and Luigi battled Bowser and Bowser Jr. The battle was fierce. Then Luigi gets Bowser Jr.’s paintbrush, called the Gaddbrush. The Gaddbrush brush can create goo, bring about vicious enemies, and more. It’s a powerful weapon!

When Luigi gets the Gaddbrush, he begins to paint. What he paints isn’t what he was trying to. When he’s finished, he’s painted Mr. Game & Watch. He’s a silhouette character with limited movement.

Luigi said he never knew how to draw. Luigi’s lack of talent didn’t stop him from creating something powerful.

Mr. Game & Watch smashed Dry Bowser (Bowser had fallen into lava and emerged as a bone version of himself). He was victorious in the moment.

We think we need all the gadgets, gizmos, and skills to be successful. We think experience or knowledge will get us there.

While those things will help us lead better, they aren’t the only things that will help us become successful.

You can fumble your way through. Sometimes, the inexperience will expose new ways of doing things. Sometimes, you’ll find yourself learning on the go and gaining traction faster than if you had already been trained.

Don’t be afraid of a lack of experience. You can learn and grow and become the leader your team needs you to be.