A Leadership Lesson From Robin
Robin learned from Batman’s example to become a leader in his own right, Nightwing. Who you learn from matters.
What if Dick Grayson (aka Robin) had been taken in by Oswald Cobblepott rather than Bruce Wayne after tragically losing his high-flying parents, who plunged to their death while performing on the flying trapeze?
It was an interesting question posed as I traveled with my son, Joshua, last weekend and we were listening to an audiobook delving into the world of Batman. It sparked an interesting discussion that lasted for some time.
How would Dick Grayson's life have been different?
What if the Pengiun became the major influencer in Dick Grayson's young life? Would he still have become Robin, the Boy Wonder, but a sinister version of himself? Or would he have become an entirely different character altogether?
People do what people see.
It's a maxim that my mentor, Dr. John Maxwell, says often. And it is true.
Our lives are strongly influenced and directed by the actions of those around us, especially those who are in our inner circle of influence. Their actions, words, mannerisms, thoughts, and beliefs find their way into our subconscious and we take on these attributes, at least in part, as who we ultimately become.
Young, impressionable Dick Grayson, mourning the death of his parents, needed a new role model. He needed a new leader in his life to help shape and mold him into the man he would one day become. Someone who could help him cope with the loss, and develop his own Black Belt Leader Within.
Enter Bruce Wayne.
Bruce had also lost his parents in a senseless botched robbery that left his parents dead. Alfred, his butler, became his surrogate parent and through his guidance helped young Master Bruce deal with his loss, develop his talents and abilities, and to deal with his own grief and loss. He was the voice of sanity that kept Bruce focused on becoming a crime fighter with a moral code of conduct rather than a simple vigilante that roamed the night.
Bruce saw in Dick Grayson a younger version of himself, and an opportunity to help lead his young ward through the darkness of his anger and channel that in a way that could make a difference. As Dick gained Bruce's confidence and trust, he began to learn, train, and prepare himself to join Batman on a quest to rid Gotham City of the criminals that were running rampant on the city streets.
But what if Dick had been taken in by Oswald Cobblepott, the Penguin? Can you imagine the direction his life would have taken because of the people he had influencing, guiding, and leading him through life? What would he have learned, experienced, and embraced as his own?
Instead of Robin, perhaps he took on a different persona and became the Vulture, pursuing a life of violence and crime rather than crime fighting.
And if his cleverness and physical prowess as a crime fighter would have been channeled in a different direction, how much more of a threat to the City of Gotham would the likes of Penguin, Joker, or Riddler have been if they had mentored and trained young Dick Grayson rather than Batman?
People are influenced, molded, and shaped by the influencers in their lives.
People do what people see.
Batman took on the role of a leader, first teaching Dick Grayson to observe and learn as he fought crime. From there, he transitioned to having Robin fight crime alongside him, still teaching, influencing, mentoring, and molding his young ward to step into the role being created for him.
This is what leaders do. They create more (and better) leaders.
Because Batman led well, leading by example, Robin had the opportunity to learn the right way to lead himself, and later lead others, becoming a leader in his own right as he morphed into the crime fighter, Nighthawk, continuing to perpetuate the life and legacy of Batman in future generations.
So, what leadership lesson can we learn from Robin?
The person you are following and learning from matters. Leaders reproduce who they are in the lives of those they are leading. Choose your leaders and your mentors well, for you will become like them, for better or worse. People do what people see.
There are Robins that will come into our lives. Individuals who are broken, shattered, or reeling from a life event that knocked them to their knees. We have the opportunity to help them pick themselves up off the ground, nurture, influence, and mold them so they can discover, develop, and deploy their own unique Black Belt Leader Within. We must lead ourselves well and make good choices because they are watching. They will become us.
If you want to know how well you're performing as a leader, take a look at those you're leading, mentoring, and influencing and see how they are living their lives. Followers take on the qualities of those they admire, and those they are closest to. You can learn a LOT about your leadership ability by taking an honest look at those you're leading.
Remember, the role of a leader is to reproduce other leaders. To help others discover, develop, and deploy their own unique Black Belt Leader Within. Each successive generation should be a better, more equipped leader, as they have had the benefit of learning from the collective wisdom and insights of those who came before them.
And like it or not, we are all leading someone, somewhere, right now. The question is how well are we leading them by the way we're living our own lives, and what are we leading them to become?
People are influenced, molded, and shaped by the leaders, mentors, and influencers in their lives.
People are watching you, so be intentional about how your lead yourself.
What will they learn from following, observing, and learning from you?
People do what people see.
What do they see in you?