Dora the Explorer is a Leadership Coach

Dora the explorer is my heroine!!!!!

Although I’m a huge fan now, I have to admit I haven’t always been so positive about Dora. That’s right folks, I’m an ex-hater of the precocious little lady who brings joy to the hearts of millions of boys and girls around the world.

Before you get mad, let me explain…

You see, I have a six-year-old son whom I affectionately call “Big Man.” Big Man and I love going to the neighborhood video store to explore the islands and pick out a movie or two. Everything was going well until last year when something a bit strange started to happen…

The Big Man started asking for videos of Dora! Call me a caveman, but it made me a little nervous to see the fruit of my loin, which is responsible for carrying on the family name, routinely overlooking parent-friendly classics like Bob the Builder, Spiderman, Superman and Batman in favor of a cartoon. made for little girls.

So I did what any good father would do…

I spanked him and called the family therapist. I’m kidding. I decided to sit down with him for a few episodes and see for myself why Big Man was so excited. Boy, was I surprised when I saw the first episode. Not only was I relieved that the family name was safe, I was excited, because it was obvious to me that Dora was teaching leadership skills that could be applied in life as well as in business.

leadership is influence

By now I’m sure you’re wondering…“TC, how the hell can you learn 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, nothing less,” and Dora has influence!

Also, Dora was great at using her leadership skills to get everyone involved. That’s right, when you play with Dora, she has a job for you! She even had a job for me and the Big Man. We had to memorize a song and keep an eye out for a sneaky fox that she was trying to steal from 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 our job was like and how we fit into the bigger picture? Or would we be standing around, frustrated, waiting for the leader to lead?

Takeout 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 you are going to be in business you have to be a group leader.

Strong leaders make it easy, fun, and satisfying for people to follow. They know how to engage team members and how to keep the team motivated. If you are a strong leader, chances are a lot of people 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 unhappy or unmotivated.

If you want to hone your leadership skills, I recommend reading the book title “The 21 Indispensable Laws of Leadership: Follow Them and People Will Follow You” by John C. Maxwell. Put the principles to work and you can be just like Dora!

leadership is vision

The second principle I noticed while watching Dora was less obvious but very profound. In fact, every good leader wears one… Drum roll, please…Dora uses a map!!! That’s right, before every adventure that Dora leads 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 improvising? 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 Electronic 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 didn’t do things right. Regardless of what her team faced during each episode, Dora stuck together and her team always responded by getting the job done! And you? Do you stay positive when adversity strikes? Many leaders struggle with this principle. Too often, leaders hit their teams with negative feedback and then blame the team when results are poor. Don’t let it be you. Instead, let’s be like Dora and help all of our team members reach their potential by using kind and positive conversations, even when dealing with negative situations.

If you are telling yourself; “TC the real world is not a cardboard box, if you are nice all the time, people will take advantage of you.” My answer is simple. Kindness should not be confused with weakness. A strong leader has the ability to correct negative behavior in a spirit of love and kindness. He masters this skill and your favor with people will be unparalleled. If you are still having difficulty with this concept, I recommend that you read one of the best communication books 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 accomplish a goal (big or small). Every episode after we accomplished our mission, me, Big Man, Dora, and Boots would dance and sing that catchy “we made it” anthem. You should celebrate with your team too. Not just because celebrating is fun, but because it’s healthy. Celebrating will help keep your team motivated and, more importantly, ensure that they always feel appreciated.

let’s review

Good leaders have influence and use it to engage 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.

Take action and, where possible, put some of these ideas into practice in your life and business.

Thanks for reading, today’s article has come to an end…”We did it!!!!!!