Business Lessons From Anime

Introduction

My love of anime started with Naruto. Ever since the first episode, there were many lessons and symbolisms that connected with me. Now with that in mind, I don't watch much anime anymore and here are some lessons I have gathered. If you have any recommendations, please let me know and I would check them out when I have time! Nonetheless, here are the business lessons that I took from watching anime.

Work Ethic

There is no doubt being successful in business requires plenty of work ethic. In Naruto, the character Rock Lee tops the list in terms of work ethic. Lee did not have any Ninjutsu or Genjutsu like most characters in the series, but he worked very hard at the skill he was good at, which was Taijutsu (Physical Skills). Even though he was only a Genin (lowest rank), he was able to become a Taijutsu master thanks to his mentor, Guy (which is also important in business).

"Among strong people exists genius types and hard-working types. If your Sharingan is a genius-type from the Uchiha blood, I am simply a hard-working type who has mastered only taijutsu. -Rock Lee

Even though Rock Lee did not have any special talent like his peers, he saw an opportunity to excel and worked hard on his only skill. In business, there will certainly be others who started with more money or a better education, but one thing we can do to become successful is continue to work hard.

Mentorship

I believe mentorship is rewarding. A student is willing to give his/her energy and time in exchange for the mentor's experience and guidance. With this exchange, there are the accountabilities for both parties to become better, similar to My Hero Academia's Izuku Midoriya and All Might. Midoriya is truly inspired by All Might's heroic attributes and his skills. Unlike his peers, Midoriya was not born with a Quirk, and All Might knew his injured body couldn't take anymore battles. However, All Might saw Midoriya's relentless determination to become the top hero and gave him his power and taught him how to become the best hero.

Because of the relationship of Midoriya and All Might, I understand that a mentor is there to give you guidance to success, leading you to the right path in a faster time frame. He teaches you what challenges will arise during your journey and how to overcome them. Mentors value youth very highly and if there is one they would trade, it would be time, because time is truly our biggest asset. Unfortunately,time does not stop for anything, so in order to fulfill their wish, they would like to give the highest value for your success.

Building the Right Team

If you ask any CEO what the most important asset in a company, they will say the right people for the job. Without a doubt, the best example would be One Piece's Miguwara (Straw Hat) Pirates. The whole anime series is truly marvelous, starting with the captain, Monkey D Luffy. He went out on his own to be the best pirate in the world, and to find the right people to build his crew. Here are the lessons about team building I took from this anime:

Hiring people who are motivated and are good at what they do (diversification). In the anime, Luffy took on Zoro as a swordsman, Chopper as a doctor, Sanji as a cook, and other talented Not only that they are skilled, but also motivated to become the best pirates. A team with similar goals will overcome many obstacles working together.

Numbers are irrelevant. Throughout the series, there were many pirate crews who had over 200 crew members, but were unable to win battles against the Straw Hats. Why? Because they lacked communication and the hierarchy of ranks resulted in them turning against each other. The right team are only the ones that are able to work together and communicate together.

Allowing the freedom for team members to work on their goals. If you have the right people on your team, they do not need to be managed. As a CEO or leader, you must allow your team members to work on their own individual goals, which promotes learning and growth.

High Goal Settings & Big Vision. As a leader of the crew, Luffy set a higher standard of goals throughout the episodes. From fighting small pirate groups to fighting one of the Yonko (top level pirates), this high goal-setting has caused his crew to step up their game as well.

There are many team-building takeaways from watching One Piece. I suggest you give it a try, if you have not done so.

Leadership

I have learned so much about leadership from Code Geass. Lelouch, the main protagonist has shown the characteristic of being a leader and the tribulation that comes with it. Here are several leadership lesson I took from Lelouch:

If a leader does not lead, then how can you expect his subordinates to lead? After the Britannian army invaded Japan, they called it Area-11s. There was not anyone that could take control of this invasion other than Zero (who was Lelouch himself). In a real life example, if you are leading behind your crew then you are not a leader. A leader is a person who works alongside his workers and motivates others to work as hard as they can.

Always prepare your next move before your opponent sees it. Ever since the first episode, Lelouch has prevailed over many challenges whether it is in the battlefield or in the game of chess. Others might see in the chessboard that he has no way of winning, which is exactly how he wants others to depict it, until he makes his move and wins. Business is always about strategizing by letting others think they are winning, and hit them where it hurts the most. That is how you become successful against your competitors.

Learn from your failures then find ways to prevent it.

Had Lelouch not learned how Schneizel operated in a combat situation over his years of playing Chess with him, he would not have been able to defeat the Damocles. Likewise, business is not about who has the best business plans or systems, but how they are able to adapt and learn from their failures.

Ending

Anime can be a hobby or a form of entertainment, but it can also teach us plenty of lessons. Life lessons, love lessons, and ways to overcome obstacles. What are some lessons that you learn from anime?