The Lion King And His Road To Leadership

For most of us, The Lion King was an important part of our young lives. It is a moving story about the circle of life, that portrays a lion cub’s journey to adulthood and the royal throne.

If for some reason you don’t know the story, here’s a brief summary.

Simba is the son of the powerful and beloved King Mufasa. He is an honored prince who is far from danger, as he grows up in a very caring family and a protected environment. But his happy days turn into tragedy when his cunning and evil uncle, Scar, murders his father and influences Simba to think that the tragedy was a fault.

Scared and guilty, Simba runs from the kingdom and lands in a jungle. There he learns to live a carefree life with his new friends Pumbaa, the warthog, and Timon, the meerkat.

The story rolls on for some time and takes a turn the day his father’s spirit visits him and asks him to go back and defeat the wicked Scar to repossess his Rightful Throne.

After rewatching The Lion King for the umpteenth time after growing up, it becomes clear that the movie was full of life lessons and that it shapes our own lives.

With The Lion King we learned about right and wrong, the importance of following your heart, and some other things that we’re about to list for you now:

1. Respect others, regardless of who they are or where they stand

“Mufasa: Simba, everything you see exists together in a delicate balance. As a king, you need to understand that balance and respect all the creatures, from the crawling ant to the leaping antelope.

Simba: But dad, don’t we eat the antelope?

Mufasa: Yes, Simba, but let me explain. When we die, our bodies become the grass, and the antelope eat the grass. And so we are all connected in the great Circle of Life.

From a young age, Mufasa taught Simba that even though lions are the most powerful animals in the kingdom, they would be nothing without the other species existing in their ecosystem.

Life is all about respecting and treating others the way you wish to be treated.

There are leaders and then there are those who lead. Every individual is an important part of your life and you must respect that person. That is what makes you a good leader.

Actions, not position matters.

2. Lead by Example

“Believe in yourself and there will come a day when others will have no choice but to believe in you.”

– Mufasa

Scar was under the impression that all of the animals would become his loyal followers once he became the next king.  However, this was not the case.

He learned it the hard way that demanding respect is not the same as earning respect.

Simba, on the other hand, became a leader in his own right, by treating outsiders Timon and Pumbaa with respect.  The same applies to us – leadership is not just about having a glamorous title, but rather it is earned by gaining the respect of your co-members.

If you are a leader of a team, your responsibility is to lead and make sure that your members are growing with you along the way.

3. Believe in the Power of Hakuna Matata

“It means no worries for the rest of your days!” 

– Timon and Pumbaa

Is there a better life motto than this?

No, we reply. Because we’ve all been there, thinking about how much time we waste worrying about what needs to be done, instead of focusing on the task at hand.

While some worrying is healthy, chronic worrying actually makes you far less productive at work.

Living by Timon and Pumbaa’s “problem-free philosophy” will help to keep you focused on one project at a time, motivating you to get those tasks checked off your to-do list.

4. Leadership is not about position

“There’s more to being king than just getting your way all the time.” 

-Mufasa

Right in the beginning, Simba famously sings about how he “just can’t wait to be King.” But seeing his father Mufasa meet his untimely fate due to his position showed Simba that being King isn’t a role to take lightly.

Mufasa taught Simba some great lessons about life and leadership and made some big decisions as a ruler to keep everyone safe and content.

A leader must know what he’s in for and be willing to accept the full responsibilities of the role – for better or for worse. Deep inside we all are very powerful to accomplish great things. All we need is the realization that I Can Do It’.

5. Become a Lifelong Learner

“Oh yes, the past can hurt.  But the way I see it, you can either run from it or learn from it.” 

– Rafiki

One of the major plot points throughout The Lion King is watching Simba grow from a rambunctious cub to a fierce lion.  

Along this journey, Simba learned valuable lessons from Mufasa, Rafiki, Timon, and Pumbaa. All of them shaped him into an effective leader once it was time to take his rightful place as King.  

A good leader should strive to be like Simba by taking a lifelong learner mindset.  

Realize who you are and unlock your true potential, by tapping into the power of your deepest motives and values. True leaders commit to perpetual growth, discovery, and learning.

Another sub-life-lesson, just because everyone tells you that you’re a lion, doesn’t mean you can’t do non-lion-y stuff. You should be whoever you want to be, and eat whatever you want to eat.

As you can see, just because it’s tagged as “childhood movie” doesn’t mean it’s just for children!

There are many lessons we can – and should- take from our childhood. So next time you are wondering what to do on a Saturday night when it’s raining, just think to yourself “Hakuna-Matata!”

Which other movies have inspired you to be a better person?  Let us know in the comments section below!

If you liked this blog, you may also like: 6 Life Lessons That FRIENDS Taught Us


Written by

Studying bachelor’s in biotechnology, Aayushi is a really passionate person, who loves to read and travel. She believes people, places, and stories have the power to change anyone and help them understand the purpose of life.

4 Entrepreneurs Who Are Changing The World

Entrepreneurs are people who build, creates and achieves. Those who always searches out for change, react to it and take it as a chance. They start a venture bearing all the dangers, applying their creativity and imagination to pursue their fantasized goals.

We have numerous living examples of youthful and dynamic entrepreneurs who have taken the world by a squall. They are teaching us that a business is not just about money but much more.

Here are 4 of them who are just changing the world with their business:

1. Vibin Joseph BioZEEN (India)

Vibin Joseph is the organizer and Official Executive of BioZEEN, a biopharmaceutical organization that is in charge of vaccinating 33% of the youngsters over the globe. Joseph’s organization bio shares his motto:

“All our activities should benefit society and make our world a better place.”

The immunization manufacturing industry has truly been a niche market hoarded by only a couple of organizations. But Joseph has figured out how to break into the niche in a huge way.

BioZeen will probably “produce lifesaving therapeutics accessible for the entire of humankind“, very soon. They’re well on their way.

He portrays his coworkers as his “BioZEEN family”, where he tries to create an attitude of “we-not-I”.

What’s more? In his extra time, he guides school graduates and teaches science.

2. Dr. Gavin Armstrong Lucky Iron Fish (Canada)

Dr. Gavin Armstrong is helping to win the battle with iron deficiency, a condition that influences about 2 billion people. He’s doing it with the assistance of a lucky iron fish. Well, numerous lucky iron fishes.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CM5Dt4YTCkc

Iron deficiency can prompt “anemia, weakness, impaired cognitive capacity, compromised physical development in children, and expanded danger of illness.” But on the other hand, it’s totally preventable.

Armstrong is the founder and President of Lucky Iron Fish – an association dedicated to reducing iron deficiency with the utilization of literal iron fishes.

The fishes are bubbled in a liter of water with a couple of drops of citrus juice. At that point, the fishes are removed and you utilize the staying iron-rich juices to finish your dinner. The fish are reusable and simple to clean.

Not just this, Armstrong’s lucky Iron Fish has a program that pays the fishes forward to those in need.

3. Yaron Gissin Kalisaya (US)

Yaron Gissin Kalisaya entrepreneur changing the world

Yaron Gissin was on a three-day photography trip in the desert when the idea of KaliPAK was generated. He and his colleagues had to stop their excursion after the majority of their gadgets (counting their cameras) came up short on power.

It would have been helpful to have a convenient source of inexhaustible power.

At the time, he didn’t give up and thought of a business plan that could solve the issue. As a result, today Gissin’s organization, Kalisaya (named after an Incan word used to describe energy from the sun), has built up the KaliPAK.

The product is an effectively versatile, portable, lightweight and rechargeable solar powered generator.

In spite of the fact that the thought developed from a longing to have a convenient power source for recreational travel, the KaliPAK’s appeared with the Israeli Air Force Humanitarian Rescue Mission for Worldwide Disaster Areas.

And wait, it’s also great for vacations 😉

4. Enass Abo-Hamed H2GO Power (Palestine)

“Imagine an electric grid powered by 100% renewable energy, and then extend that grid to power the transportation sector.

To achieve this requires innovative technologies that allow renewables to be stored and dispatched at all times, even when the wind isn’t blowing and the sun isn’t shining. This is what we aim to enable.”

H2GO

Enass Abo-Hamed is a champion of the sustainable power source. Her organization, H2GO Power, aims for “bringing affordable reliable energy to millions across the globe in a greenway, for large social and environmental impact.”

Abo-Hamed’s solid state, carbonless synthetic fuel, and simple storage ability enables H2GO to offer inexpensive, environment friendly power for regions off the power grid. H2GO tries to use overabundance renewables to make self-sustaining energy frameworks.

In the long term, Abo Hamed’s aim is to reduce air pollution caused by conventional power sources, provide power to the people who as of now live without, and to battle the spike incarbon dioxidee that is driving environmental change.

Are you inspired by these amazing entrepreneurs?

Do you want to join their ranks and make your own difference in the world? Then now might be a great time to check out our amazing Global Entrepreneur programme to kickstart your entrepreneurial journey.

Also,  feel free to share with us some more entrepreneurs that inspire you!
Leave a comment 🙂

Written by

Anisha Bhawanani is graduated in Marketing and Finance and loves writing. She usually keeps day dreaming and believes that imagination can create and bring everything into this world. Apart from this, she loves harry potter and is very passionate about traveling and exploring different cultures. One day she wants to win a man booker prize.

5 simple habits to improve how you empower others

To empower means “to give somebody power or authority” and also “to give somebody a sense of confidence or self-esteem”.

When I joined AIESEC, initially, we were told that a good leader has 4 qualities, i.e. being solution oriented, a world citizen, knowing how to communicate effectively, and being able to empower others.

The value that caught my immediate attention was “empowering others”. It was difficult for me to understand how does a person empower other people in everyday life.

I was having a rough week back then. I remember sitting on a bench alone at the Gurudwara near my home when an 11-year-old girl walked up to me with a big smile on her face. She asked me what it was that I was so worried about. I told her everything that I thought was wrong with the world and how I could not do anything to make it a better place.

She held my hand and said, “There are no great deeds. Only small deeds, done with great love.”

I was completely taken aback and amused by how an eleven-year-old girl could teach me such a valuable lesson about life.

We may not stop fights or serve those in the refugee camps today, but we can do something for someone every day.

perks of being a wallflower we can be heroes empower

Not only does that mean you are not insignificant, but it means that you can, in fact, change someone’s world every single day and be a leader.

I once read it somewhere that a leader isn’t always the person who leads or someone who is working for a refugee camp or guiding 10 people in an organization. A leader is a person who, by just being himself, makes an impact on the other person’s life. That ultimately adds to changing the world for the better.

“See the light in others, and treat them as if that is all you see.”

– Dr. Wayne Dyer

The inspiring and kind people who I’ve met throughout my AIESEC journey are incredibly influential leaders. It is worthwhile understanding their thoughts, the way they approach life and, more specifically, the way they treat others.

Meeting them has had a profound effect on my life.

One of the lessons I learned through my interaction with them was the importance of empowering others. And to my surprise, it can be done easily, with 5 basic habits:

1. Don’t criticize without offering help.

Every one of us has the magic power of empowering other people simply by generously giving praise and showing encouragement to help them realize their underlying potential.

“Abilities wither under criticism; they blossom under encouragement.”

– Dale Carnegie

Even if something can be improved, criticizing just for the sake of it, without offering any support will not make any difference. But if you show development points, and offer help or suggestions on how they can be improved, that is empowerment.

2. Drop the judgment.

Empowering others is to understand that every person is different and we can’t judge others based on our conditions or beliefs.

Just because someone doesn’t have the same ambitions as you, or even if they don’t learn as fast as you, you should still support them without judgment, but trying to place yourself in their shoes. Maybe they just have a different learning curve, or they absorb information in different ways.

Or maybe, they didn’t have the same opportunities as you and had to settle with a less ambitious career.

For instance, in our daily life, we meet the cashier at the supermarket, the waiter at the café, the guy who pumps your gas, the doorman, the street cleaner, and the janitor. These people are not transparent. They are people just like us. 

We can all make them feel worth it and cared for, just by smiling at these people, inquiring about their wellbeing, thanking them for the services they provide, and wishing them a good day. It can make a lot of difference in their life, receiving some kindness.

Empowering others means being happy for them, and praising them for their accomplishments, whatever they are. Praising them in any way possible. Always.

3. Empowering others means empowering yourself.

It’s only after you’ve conquered what lies within you can you uplift other people. You have to be kind to yourself first. Pull yourself together every time life throws you down. Empowered people empower others.

Impacting the life of someone else sure is special, but first, you have to make an impact in your own life.

4. Show more appreciation.

 

“Praise is like sunlight to the human spirit. We cannot flower and grow without it.”

– Jess Lair

To empower someone, you have to help the person feel proud of the good things they do. And the simplest way to achieve that is to express your appreciation for everything that person does for you, large or small. This again encourages people, as they know they’re doing well, and wish to improve more every day.

It is time for us to start looking more deeply into the good of other people and tell them, “Thank you. I really appreciate that.”

5. Let them make their own decisions

Hold back from giving answers to your small brother. Let him decide what should be the solution to the problem in front of him. Help him understand the importance of being a good decision maker.

And not just your brother, but anyone you meet. We have a general human nature of giving instruction to other people as if our way is the best way. Stop for a while.

Hold space open for creative thinking. This will require discipline and patience on your part. Provide hints or prompts to help steer someone in the right direction. Allowing them to discover the answer will empower them in future situations.

Empowering others also empowers us.

Empowering others makes the world a better place. It’s one of the most important acts of kindness one can do for his fellow men.

Every nod, every smile, every interaction can completely change the course of someone else’s day. We can either wield that influence in a positive or negative way. The people who I met chose the former.

Smile at each other. Offer some kind words and a genuine caring for those around you. Build people up, instead of knocking them down.

It just takes tiny acts throughout your day. Create these habits with everyone you interact with to empower the world.

If you want to know more about how we can empower each other and make a difference, take a moment to read about these “9 volunteers who are making a difference across the globe”.

And if you’re curious about how AIESEC can help you become a better leader, find out more about our programs at aiesec.in/students.


Written by

Studying bachelor’s in biotechnology, Aayushi is a really passionate person, who loves to read and travel. She believes people, places, and stories have the power to change anyone and help them understand the purpose of life.

3 Leadership Concepts from Jeff Bezos

Are good leadership skills quantifiable?

Well, in Jeff Bezos’ case, they are. Bezos grabbed the title of the “Richest man in the World” this year, but it took him a lot of work and passion to get there.

It was his love for engineering and computers drove him to start his own business, and his first office was his garage. In 1994, he founded Amazon, which is today the world’s largest online retail site.

His idea was simple: providing everything to everyone anywhere in the world.

One of the best values that have been instilled by him at Amazon is customer care. Hence, his business strategies are customer-centric, not competition focussed.

As a leader, he believes ideas are birthed out of passion, not trends. He gave Amazon the following vision, back in 1999:

“Our vision is to use this platform to build Earth’s most customer-centric company, a place where customers can come to find and discover anything and everything they might want to buy online.”

Having clarity of where you want to reach and being able to inspire people by that is one of the mandatory things for every successful leadership story. But it’s not the only thing, naturally.

Here are the three concepts that Jeff Bezos, as a leader, stands by:

Stay true to the vision of the organisation

It’s very easy for a business person to say “I want to be very customer centric”. It’s even one of the trendy topics on business today, right? So what can a company do to walk its talk?

A very subtle but effective technique that Jeff Bezos uses in his boardroom meetings is the use of an empty chair. He does that to make his team conscious of their customer, who isn’t present but is the most important, the main motive, behind all that.

It diverts the attention of the board to customer care instead of formulating plans to gain leverage against Amazon’s competitors.

Jeff Bezos - Focus on customer

Another unusual way Bezos ensures that he’s being customer-centric is to deliver direct emails to the customers. And he has a public mail for the same purpose. This leads to effective communication and first-hand feedback, which help to get to the grassroots of the problem, done by being approachable and accessible.

These are a few examples of how Bezos daily adheres to the vision he has set for his organisation: interest of the target market first, profit later.

“We’ve had three big ideas at Amazon that we’ve stuck with for 18 years, and they’re the reason we’re successful: Put the customer first. Invent. And be patient.” he adds.

Having Backbone

The greatest risk of all is to not risk at all. One of the things that make Bezos memorable among the swarm of billionaires is his rebellion against the socially constructed norms.

“Having a backbone, disagreeing and committing” is a statement that is a part of Amazon’s 14 leadership principles and, according to him, using this phrase can make a team twice as productive.

Bezos is a leader who believes that instinct and intuition lead to creative innovations.

hand drawing a rocket - leadership - Jeff Bezos

He is known for being stubborn enough not to give up, but also flexible enough to be open minded when looking for solutions. He says, “one of the only ways to get out of a tight box is to invent your way out.

Being Bold

“If you decide that you’re going to do only the things you know are going to work, you’re going to leave a lot of opportunities on the table.”

This quote by Bezos sheds light on how he, as a leader, advocates thinking outside the box. He is not afraid of being different, as he believes taking risks to execute unique ideas lead to innovation.

Amazon started as an online book retailer, but with Jeff’s bold ideas it now sells everything you can think of. Anything, from A to Z, as symbolised in their logo.

Jeff Bezos’ recently proposed to use drones to deliver packages to customers. This bold idea has been a point of controversy, as drones are Artificial Intelligence (AI), and are often associated with hostility and destruction. But this is perhaps why this gifted philanthropist wishes to incorporate them in a manner that is more customer-friendly.

According to him, “experiments are key to innovation because they rarely turn out as you expect and you learn so much.”.

Jeff Bezos’ Leadership Trifecta

Leadership isn’t something you learn in books. It is born out of practice.

“The common question that gets asked in business is, ‘why?’ That’s a good question, but an equally valid question is, ‘why not?’”

– Jeff Bezos

Jeff Bezos developed his leadership style and beliefs during his journey to turn a simple idea into a quantifiable project that impacts humankind for its betterment.

You can also find the leader inside you, all you need to do is take the first step, and practice is every day!

Feeling inspired? Check out “Elon Musk: A series of successful failures” for more!

Great things never came from a comfort zone

“Move out of your comfort zone. You can only grow if you are willing to feel awkward and uncomfortable when you try something new.”

– Brian Tracy

You know those signs that say, “this is your comfort zone”, with and then have a circle drawn around the words? Somewhere outside of the circle it always says, “this is where the magic happens”.

But what they don’t say is how getting outside your comfort zone comes with intense feelings. If there are too many unknown factors, we tend not to want to go into that space at all.

Why?

Because we’re scared. Scared to step into the unknown, scared of failure… But if you listen to those fears you may never realize what lies ahead of you, beyond these feelings.

magic happens outside your comfort zone

When thinking of trying new things, there are few things we usually dread more than feeling anxious and uncomfortable. But the funny thing is, we can also get obsessed with this exact same feeling — that life happens outside of our comfort zone.

Because you know that getting out of your comfort zone is crucial for the person that you want to become.

All development comes from outside your comfort zone, especially from failure.

“We are all failures – at least the best of us are.”

– J.M. Barrie

As a human being, we tend to dread struggles and the discomfort that comes with them. What we fail to realise is that struggles and discomfort are a part of the process from the very start.

When you were a kid, your parents always forced you to try new things, right? Some of these you probably didn’t want to do, and in the end, either you succeeded or failed—but you were growing the entire time.

Then somewhere along the line, as we grow up, we tend to stick to the comfortable routine of our everyday life. We start daring less to try the scary new things.

we are all failures, get out of your comfort zone

We don’t always like to try new things because you fear failure, but the reality is: failure isn’t the end of the road, it’s the beginning. Either you succeed and you grow or you fail and you grow, but trying something is always better than doing nothing.

You become a more confident and sociable person when you get out of your comfort zone.

The safety of your comfort zone is what’s holding your growth and happiness back.

It wasn’t until I joined AIESEC that I realised how trapped I was in my own thoughts.

I was an anxious girl. I never went to parties or never talked to people. That sometimes came out as arrogant, but reality being I was in a constant fear of judgement.

“What will people think? What will people say? Or what if I say the wrong thing?”

talk to strangers - get out of your comfort zone

This was until I realised that everyone felt the same way. So there’s usually not much that people can think or say, they’re probably also going through the same struggles as you.

Interacting in situations with people you usually wouldn’t interact with is a great way to get out of your comfort zone and become more confident. Go compliment someone you don’t know. What’s the worst that can happen?

It’s as simple as when you try new activities and experience things you’ve never done before. You automatically start growing out of your box, confidence is just a by-product of it.

If it makes you feel safely uncomfortable, please proceed.

The days you are most uncomfortable are the days you learn the most about yourself.

If you find yourself in a situation that makes you feel safely anxious, awkward, nervous, and/or uneasy, it very well may be the best thing for you. Not only leaving your comfort zone will help you take an endeavour at the things you’ve always wanted to do, but you’ll discover new things you never even knew you might’ve liked before.

Whatever makes you uncomfortable is your biggest opportunity

For instance, I remember the day I discovered my love for sunsets and how much peaceful I felt every time the sky changed colours. I decided to take a picture of the beautiful colours that were in front of me and share it on my Instagram.

Little did I know I had just discovered my passion for photography.

I also started writing about the thoughts that surfaced my mind every time I saw a sunset, which later on came out as another gift I bore that I never knew about.

Even though the ride may not be very comfortable and easy,  it’s going to be worth it. For the ride will not only help you grow, instead, you’ll end up meeting a completely different version of yourself.

nothing ever grows in the comfort zone

Remember that you don’t need an armour in life. You don’t need to shield yourself from the unknown.

Taking the first step is usually the hardest. But I can guarantee you that, once you take it, the only thought you’ll have in your head is: “why didn’t I do this earlier?”

However, I’m about to write something that’s freaky and a bit philosophical, but true. Really take this in: you become your comfort zone.

After you take the first step and go through all those challenges, you start again to feel comfortable with where you are. So you need to keep moving! Always!

The first step towards getting somewhere is to decide that you are not going to stay where you are.

Have you ever pushed yourself outside of your box? If yes, how did it help you? And what kinds of things did you do to make that happen? Let us know in the comments section below!

If you liked this blog, you may also like: Elon Musk : A series of successful failures.


Written by

Studying bachelor’s in biotechnology, Aayushi is a really passionate person, who loves to read and travel. She believes people, places, and stories have the power to change anyone and help them understand the purpose of life.