Dora the Explorer is my hero !!!!!
Although I am a huge fan now, I must admit that I have not always been so positive about Dora. That’s right folks, I’m an ex-hater of the precocious young lady who brings joy to the hearts of millions of boys and girls around the world.
Before you get turned on, let me explain …
You see, I have a six-year-old son who I affectionately call “Big Man.” Big Man and I love going to the neighborhood video store to explore the islands and buy a movie or two. Everything was fine until last year when something a little strange started to happen …
The Big Man started asking for Dora videos! Call me a caveman, but it made me a little nervous to see the fruit on my spine, which is responsible for continuing the surname, routinely going through parenting classics like Bob the Builder, Spiderman, Superman, and Batman in favor of a cartoon. made for little girls.
So I did what any good parent would do …
I beat him up and called the family therapist. Just kidding. I decided to sit down with him to watch some episodes and see for myself why the Big Man was so excited. Wow, I was surprised when I saw the first episode. Not only did it revive me that the family name was safe, but I was excited, because it was obvious to me that Dora was teaching leadership skills that could be applied in both life and business.
Leadership is influence
By now I’m sure you’re asking …“TC, how the hell can you get business lessons from a Dora the Explorer cartoon?”
Thanks, I’m glad you asked! The first thing I noticed was that Dora was a great leader and her team loves her! They go anywhere and do whatever Dora asks them to do. John C. Maxwell says, “Leadership is influence, nothing more and nothing less,” and Dora has influence!
Also, Dora was excellent at using her leadership skills to get everyone involved. That’s right, when you move in with Dora, she has a job for you! He even had a job for me and the Big Man. We had to memorize a song and watch out for a cunning fox trying to rob us. Dora made it fun to be on her team! And you, if we were on your team, would it be fun? Would the job be satisfying? Would we know what we wanted our job to be and how we fit into the bigger picture? Or would we stand, frustrated, waiting for the leader to lead?
Take away food is simple; People are social creatures who love to be in groups and we need each other to be satisfied. Every group needs a leader and if it is to be in business, it must be a group leader.
Strong leaders make it easy, fun, and rewarding for people to follow. They know how to involve team members and how to keep you motivated. If you are a strong leader, many people are likely to follow you happily, on the other hand, if you are not a strong leader, you probably have trouble getting people to join your team and those who join are not happy or unmotivated. .
If you want to improve your leadership skills, I recommend that you read the title of the book “The 21 Indispensable Laws of Leadership: Follow Them and People Will Follow You” by John C. Maxwell. Put the principles into practice and you can be like Dora!
Leadership is vision
The second principle that I noticed while looking at Dora was less obvious but very profound. In fact, every good leader uses one … Drum roll, please …Dora uses a map!!! That’s right, before every adventure Dora takes her team on, she first looks at her map. Do you have a map? In the business world, a map is a business plan. Do you have things planned or are you winging it? One of my mentors once told me, “Rich people have a plan and poor people improvise it!” Which one are you? If you don’t have a plan, there are plenty of good books available to help you put it together. I recommend “The E-Myth” by Michael Gerber
Leadership is communication
Lesson three was about people and examined how we, as leaders, treat those who follow us. Dora is a great leader, she was always positive with her team, even when they did not do things well. Regardless of what her team faced during each episode, Dora stuck together and her team always responded by doing the job. And you? Do you keep it positive when adversity hits? Many leaders struggle with this principle. Too often, leaders hit their teams with negative words and then blame the team when the results are bad. Don’t let it be you. Instead, let’s be like Dora and help all of our team members reach their potential by using friendly and positive conversation, even when dealing with negative situations.
If you are saying to yourself; “TC the real world is not a cardboard, if you are kind all the time, people will take advantage of you.” My answer is simple. Goodness should not be confused with weakness. A strong leader has the ability to correct negative behavior in a spirit of love and kindness. Master this skill and your favor with people will be unmatched. If you are still struggling with this concept, I recommend that you read one of the best books on communication of all time, “How to win friends and influence people” by Dale Carnegie
Leadership is relationships
Last but not least, my new hero, Dora the Explorer, reminded me that it’s important to celebrate with your team when you achieve a goal (big or small). Every episode after we accomplish our mission, me, the Big Man, Dora and Boots dance and sing that catchy hymn “we did it”! You should also celebrate with your team. Not just because celebrating is fun, but also because it’s healthy. Celebrating will help keep your team motivated and, most importantly, ensure that they always feel appreciated.
Let’s check
Good leaders have influence and use it to involve their entire team
Good leaders have a clear plan for the future of their team
Good leaders know how to communicate effectively with their team.
Good leaders know how to build relationships with their teams.
Please take action and, when possible, put some of these ideas into practice in your life and in your business.
Thanks for reading, today’s article has come to an end … “We did it !!!!!!