Leaping lions

How to run an effective Kingdom in 3 steps with Peach

1. Have a high degree of Emotional Intelligence Now some of you may be wondering, what exactly is emotional intelligence? Emotional Intelligence is something that all leaders need to have in order to be successful. It is a variety of different ideas and concepts that make up great leaders. The main five consist of Self-Awareness, Self-Regulation, Motivation, Empathy, and Social Skill.

Self-Awareness is the skill of recognizing your own mood, actions and your drives. SelfRegulation is the concept of thinking before judging.

Motivation is the passion to work beyond the idea of money.

Empathy is the understanding of another team members actions.

And lastly, Social Skill is the ability to find common ground between teammates.

Each factor brings a different thing to the table, and each leader should know and understand these concepts in order to run an effective Kingdom.

2. Work towards becoming a Transformational or a Servant leader Now that you have learned how to have a high degree of Emotional Intelligence, the next

step is working towards becoming a Transformational or a Servant leader.

A Transformational leader is one who creates a goal, builds very strong relationships with the people they work with, and gets their team members to buy into their ideas. I believe that I am a transformational leader because I try and build relationships with my followers so that we can have trust within each other. I work hard to bring

encouragement to my team and have a comfortable environment.

A servant leader is one who serves first, and leads second.

Servant leaders work towards helping their teammates improve on anything and everything. A servant leader is a leader that is always trying to figure out what motivates people. Why are they doing what they are doing?

They recognize their teammate’s empowerment, perfectibility, and purpose. A leader recognizes a teammate’s empowerment by realizing that everyone has new and exciting ideas that will help improve the process that they are involved in.

It’s about encouraging people to have roles and excited to get things done! I also believe that I am a servant leader because I am always there to serve the group. I try to be as kind and helpful as I can be and motivate my teammates.

Servant leaders also recognize purpose. This means figuring out your “why”. Why are you here doing what you are

doing right now? Purpose is about figuring out that drive to find out what YOU are passionate about. A servant leader helps their teammates and themselves figure out the answer to that question. They focus on the individual member and help shape and mold them into leaders.

Perfectibility is the last inner

drive that servant leaders demonstrate and recognize in their teammates.

Perfectibility has to deal with the drive towards improvement. Now we all know that perfection can physically and mentally not be reached, but we can all work on striving to be better at something than what we already are.

In order to run an effective kingdom, I believe that you need to learn how to become either one of these kinds of leaders. These types of leaders understand how themselves, and

others around them work.

Both types of leaders, servant, and transformational have their similarities and differences. But overall, both sets of leaders are leaders that strive to help their teammates to perform. And that is exactly what a kingdom needs.

3. Build strong relationships with the people in your kingdom Now that you have successfully learned about steps 1 and 2, we are on to our final step, building relationships.

If people in your kingdom don’t trust the person who is leading the kingdom, what does your kingdom have? Nothing.

The person in charge of the kingdom needs to build trust with their teammates. The leader needs to understand people’s needs, wants, etc.

The leader needs to build that trust with the people around them so their

teamm ates know they can always go to them about anythin g.

Relatio nships are key in having an effective kingdom.

If all these steps are completed and perfected, you are bound to run an amazing high Emotional Intelligent kingdom in no time!

One of Bowser’s followers fills us in on what it’s like to work for Bowser!

One of Bowser’s followers has come forward to discuss Bowser’s leadership. This is a Nintendo Leadership™ exclusive story and the first time a Bowser follower has come forward to discuss how it is to have Bowser as a leader. This follower asked that we keep their identiy a secret.

Nintendo Leadership: Thank you for taking the time to sit down with us today.

Anonymous Follower: You’re welcome I am glad that we have time to sit down and talk.

I hope that this interview will give Bowser a moment to reflect on his leadership style.

Nintendo Leadership: Let’s begin with, what is Bowser’s leadership style?

Anonymous Follower: Bowser has a lot of work to do in terms of being more of a leader and less of a boss.

told to do something we are just expected to do it without explanation or knowing how that relates to the plan and overall goal(s). His ideas are hidden to all of us, yet he knows exactly what the game plan is.

It’s like he has some sort of hidden agenda.

Nintendo Leadership: Could you elaborate more on what you mean by being a leader and being a boss?

Anonymous Follower: Yes I can.

Being a boss is being someone that simply creates orders and doesn’t care about any of us and he doesn’t help us when we ask for help or need help; he says our job is to get the work done and his job is to supervise. A leader is someone who gives instruction, but they also make sure you understand and ask if we need any clarifications or any sort of help, leaders care about their subordinates, and a leader will get their hands dirty and help out the subordinates in any way they can and if they can’t then they try and find someone who can help.

Nintendo Leadership: I’m sorry that is the experience you are having. Do you think he realizes that is the kind of leader he is?

Anonymous Follower: I feel that he does realize that he is that leader. I can speak for a majority of my colleagues, but Bowser is closed off to all of us on his intentions and plans, but I feel that he knows what he is doing. If we are

Nintendo Leadership: Wow, that has to be stressful for anyone to go through. What happens if you try to ask how your task relates to the overall goal(s) or plan? Have you tried to ask?

Anonymous Follower: Well I have never personally tried to ask Bowser that question and the reason behind that is usually when someone questions what he says or asks for clarification he usually gets angry and blasts fire at them, so it makes it really hard for me to want to go and talk to Bowser or ask

Nintendo Leadership: One last set of questions for you what would you believe Bowser could do to improve his leadership and what is a blindspot that Bowser has?

him anything because I don’t want that to happen to me. Which is poor self regulation to me.

Nintendo Leadership: What is self regulation and what does a self regulator look like?

Anonymous Follower: I feel that what Bowser could do to improve his leadership and a blindspot that he has are one in the same. Bowser will not or does not realize that if he were to share the plans, goals, and the purpose behind what he was doing then I feel we would all be more willing to trust him and potentially be able to help him achieve his goal/plan and help give us purpose. Once he realizes that and executes that then and only then will he be on his way to becoming a decent leader.

Anonymous Follower: Self regulation is a person’s ability to channel their moods in useful and beneficial ways, they don’t let emotions control them and they take time to think things through and they do what is best for the team, and they are able to roll with the punches in a sense and figure out the negatives of what they are doing or how they are acting and they’re able to work to find an alternative solutions.

Mushroom Scale of embarrassment:

Not that embarrassing!

That’s pretty embarrassing!

Never show your face again!

“I am one of the leaders of the Goomba Squad, I was having a very bad day since we were trying to be defeated by Mario and Lugi. The other goombas were looking to me for guidance and instead of self-regulating and controlling my moods, I let my anger get the best of me and in the end some

of the other goombas got stomped on!”

Rated: “It was just another day in the Mushroom Kingdom protecting Princess Peach. Everything was going smoothly until I accidentally dozed off to sleep. When I woke up Peach was missing! Bowser had kidnapped her once again and I had to call Mario and Luigi to lead the way and rescue her. I felt like I let my team down.”

Rated:

An Interview with Yoshi Nintendo Leadership got an exclusive interview with Yoshi.

Here he discusses leadership styles, teamwork, and being a part of the dream team.

NINTENO LEADERSHIP: What's it like being a part of the Mushroom Kingdom Dream Team?

YOSHI: It's great being a part of something so well respected in the mushroom kingdom!

NL: What do you think your niche in the team is?

Y: Well, I'm the personalizer.

NL: What does that include?

Y: Well you see, before a decision gets made I think about the teams feelings and how it would affect them. I also make sure to regulate the emotions of my fellow team members. I can do this by making sure people are channeling their emotions in useful ways. This could be using anger or frustration to motivate you. It is also important for people to get back up and persevere if they get knocked down or face other obstacles.

Y: I would say I am an emotional intelligent leader. I have to make sure I am self-aware of my strengths and weaknesses. I also have to Self-Regulate, and control my emotions and channel them in useful ways. I also have to motivate my followers to want to achieve great results. I also have to be empathetic towards my followers and make sure to treat people fairly. I also have to have social skills to maintain relationships.

NL: Wow! That seems like a lot of work!

How do you do it?

NL: The Dream Team consists of so many key players; Mario, Luigi, Toad, Princess, and of course you Yoshi. How does the team stay together with all those different personalities?

Y: I have to remind myself to stay empathetic and keep other team members emotions in mind.

It is especially important to treat people fair to prevent misunderstandings, so that the team can remain functional and so we don’t lose key members. I also have to remind myself it is all about the team.

NL: What is your personal leadership style?

Y: That’s a hard question to answer, because we do have conflict within our group, but we use it constructively. We also have trust to suggest different ideas within the team without fear of getting rejected. We aren’t a perfect team, but we work well together because of our trust and buy in on one share vision.

NL:

Wow that’s remarkable, how

did your team start off? Were you always so functional?

Y: Of course not! Team building is a process and we will never be the “perfect team.” We started getting to understand ourselves and our teammates on the basic level. The key was understanding each other’s strengths and weaknesses.

What makes a leader?

Peach’s key accessories into becoming a successful leader The skinny jeans- The first thing to having great fashion is having the right pants. Now, I believe skinny jeans are the best fit for everyone. They are very flexible and comfortable at the same time. Skinny jeans give you the option to pair your pants with all different kinds of shoes; boots, flats, the options are endless! This is very similar to SelfRegulation. SelfRegulation is about thinking before taking action, and having the ability to suspend judgment. Skinny jeans give you the option

to think before you take action. How will my jeans look with these kinds of shoes? Or, they give you the ability to flaunt what you have, and make others be open to change on their style of jeans. Skinny jeans and Self-Regulation go hand and hand!

The shirt- The next step to having amazing fashion is the shirt. Now I like to go with a fun flowy blouse. The work place is perfect for a blouse. A blouse gives you so much freedom on any sort of pattern or style you wish to choose! A blouse can be looked at as similar to Motivation in the work place as well. Motivation is all about giving energy off to your teammates. It’s about having that passion that goes beyond the workplace. Imagine being excited to be there and making your company stronger! It’s about having that desire to go beyond the money. The blouse is the perfect comparison! Have fun with what you are doing, and put passion towards it! Be confident with you are, and your energy will feed off of others!

The shoes- After the pants and shirt is decided, the next step is the shoes! I like to have fashionable, but comfy shoes at the same time. You want to be

able to have a pair of shoes that are easy to walk in because trust me, you will be doing a lot of walking! Everyone knows the saying “you never truly know someone into you walk a mile in their shoes.” This statement is very true, especially in the work force. This can be related to Empathy. Empathy is the ability to understand other people. It’s about taking that step back and focusing on your teammate’s emotions for a change. “Taking a walk in other peoples shoes.” So make sure to wear those fashionable, but comfortable shoes! They will come in handy when you start to do a lot of walking!

The necklace- After the pants, shirt, and shoes are completed, next comes the accessories! I always like to have a bright colorful necklace to add onto my outfits! The best necklaces are the ones that can quickly clip together in the back.

You don’t want those necklaces that don’t clip when you are trying to hold your arms up for what feels like a year to get it to click by yourself. This is also similar to an area in the workforce, Social Skill. Social Skill is the ability to form tight nit relationships with your teammates. It’s about getting them to buy in to what you are doing, and most of all building that TRUST. It is actually very similar to a necklace. The clipping in the back are those relationships and that trust coming together. Essentially, you are having more than one person clip that necklace for you. Necklaces are something to add to your outfit, and Social Skill is something you can add to your everyday life!

The makeup- And lastly, after the pants, shirt, shoes, then comes the makeup. Now, makeup is not fully needed to complete an outfit, but if you do it right, it can help enhance your features. For example, your eyes, your lips, etc. This also is similar to SelfAwareness in the workforce.

Self- Awareness is being able to recognize your own actions and drives, and how those affect others. It’s about having that selfconfidence and being proud to show it. Once you start to work on these things you will notice huge improvements in yourself, and others. Just like the makeup, once you start to notice the beautiful attributes that you have in yourself, you can start to enhance those features even more, and in the end, you will have a product that you are more than proud of.

What Kind of

Leader are

you?

1. What is your role as a leader? a) MENTOR: It’s my job to inspire and lead others b) TEAM MEMBER: I work with my followers on their level. c) REGULATOR: I take in the needs of my followers and try to work with them.

2. What describes you best? a) “Kindness is more powerful than compulsion.” b) “A great leader, leads by example.” c) “Leadership’s First Commandment: Know Thy Self.”

3. What characteristics describe you? a) I set high expectations for others to follow. b) It’s my job to empower, perfect, and provide purpose for my followers. c) Having self-awareness, self-regulation, motivation, empathy, and social skills.

4. What is the most important part of being a leader? a) Stirring emotions to create constructive conflict. b) Being empathetic and understanding to the team. c) Having good social skills for effective communication.

5. What is the biggest downfall for a dysfunctional team? a) Not having the trust and buy in for the team to rally behind. b) Not proving a purpose to motivate the team. c) Losing control of your emotions and negatively affecting the team.

6. What is the most important quality for a leader? a) To walk to walk before you talk the talk. b) To be willing to work on the ground level with the team. c) Having strong social skills to maintain relationships.

7. How can you, as a leader, inspire your team? a) I find what would work best for each member, either intrinsic or extrinsic motivation. b) By giving each member autonomy to make an impact on the big picture. c) Starting out by setting the bar high and staying optimistic.

Mostly A’s: You’re Peach! Just like Peach you are a transformational leader. You are kind and trusting leader! You set high expectations for your followers, and work to try to transform others. You also look beyond self-interest and focus on the needs of the team.

Mostly B’s: You’re Luigi! Just like Luigi you are a servant leader set examples by working on the same level as your followers. You are one to serve first and lead second. You also find it key to motivate your followers through empowerment, perfectibility, and purpose.

Mostly C’s: You’re Yoshi! Just like Yoshi you are an emotional intelligent leader. You are self-aware and you have a deep understanding of yourself and your emotions, strengths, weaknesses and drives. You also can regulate your emotions and channel them in helpful ways. Internal motivation is key for emotional intelligent leaders. They also have empathy and consider other’s emotions and be able to maintain relationships to have social skills.

Leaderscopes Scorpio: October 24 -November th

22

nd

Your emotions may get the best of you this month. Remember to not let your emotions take over and to instead self-regulate by controlling your moods and channel them in a positive way.

Sagittarius: November 23 -December rd

21

st

One of your team members is slacking in their department. It is time to decide what is best for the team even if that means letting that member go if they don’t have that purpose and drive for being there. Remember don’t fear conflict.

Capricorn: December 22 -January 19 nd

th

You are lacking motivation this month. You are missing the strong drive to achieve and the commitment to be a good leader. Make sure to get back in the game by

going above and beyond as a transformational leader.

Ask Dr. Mario We have had a number of our readers write into us asking for help with their troubles and we have published a few of the most common troubles that have been brought to our attention by our readers and here is what Dr. Mario had to say:

Dear

Dr. Mario, I have been having a problem with my co-workers.

Our team doesn’t really function all that well. We have not been able to reach an agreement on the new design of our staff lounge. One person thinks that we should divide the large lounge into a few other rooms. One of the rooms being used for prayer and other religious practices, another room of a comfort area with couches and chairs with candles and things, then another room being like a kitchen type room. Another co-worker thinks that we should make the lounge just a relaxation area and have it used for no other purposes besides relaxation. Then we have another co-worker that wants to turn it into a fitness area since fitness reduces stress and helps us relax, which should be the purpose of the staff lounge according to this person. My problem is that I have difficulty talking to others and just addressing the issues in the group and coming to a consensus. So Dr. Mario I need help and what do I do? Please help me ASAP! Sincerely, Steve

Dear Steve,

I first want to start off by saying thank you for writing in to get help because it seems like you are not happy that your team is not reaching a consensus. It seems that you may want to work on your social skills. Social Skills are how you are at managing relationships and creating connections and the big aspect of social skill that may help you most in this situation is the ability to find common ground and build rapport with others and the team in general. So to start this out is it that you have issues actually addressing the issue or is it fear of addressing the group? If addressing the issue itself is the problem that you face it would be better for you to bring up the issues that you see with your group so that way they know there is an issue and that could strengthen the team because you could have the same thoughts as someone else who hasn’t spoken up yet. Problems and conflicts can be seen as a bad thing however problems can help you build rapport with your group to show that you are giving your all for the sake of the team and that you are willing to help make change happen in your group even if it’s through bringing out conflict.

That problem is also similar to the problem of addressing the group.

Letting people know where you stand and helping others work through ideas is a good way to build those networks and manage your relationships. I would recommend that the next time you meet with your group that if social skills aren’t your thing you don’t have to jump in right away to conversation you can ease yourself into it because gaining that social skill is a process. Try sharing at least one or two times with the group on your opinions and ideas then see how you feel and hopefully those small inputs can lead to a much greater result! Best of luck!

Sincerely, Dr. Mario Zero to hero with Luigi Q- Luigi as a man of great wealth and success how did you manage to come by your fortune.

L- Well you see at first I started small really getting to know myself and what I am capable of I utilized Self regulation to make sure my emotions and other outside alternative ways of thinking were open to being utilized. I wanted to be successful not only for myself but to prove to my brother Mario that I was just as good as he was.

Q- Wow it seems as though you are definitely motivated by your brother.

L- Without a doubt my brother is definitely seen and respected as a leader of not only this family but also the entire mushroom kingdom.

Q- So tell me about your successful ghost eradication service how did you get started?

L- Well I got the idea from one of the most successful teams of all time the ghost busters *Laughs*. Business was slow at first but I started to hire professionals in the field of housekeeping and ectoplasm removal. Now these were all trained professionals so they were a little hesitant to work with each other at first. They were all highly aware of the danger they were about to face so they had a pretty good handle on their emotions. I quickly learned however that just because you have a team full of emotionally intelligent folks it does not necessarily make for an emotionally intelligent team.

Q- So what did you do to get them to work together?

L- Well at first it was a little tricky to cater to all of their individual needs I decided I would have to try a different leadership approach than I had used in the past. we were all on the job all the time unfortunately we had troubles catching our ghosts because of lack of cooperation within the team. It was a very formal environment where we respected each other’s opinions on how to solve certain hauntings but no one ever spoke up if they had a better idea. Needless to say early on we were met with quite a few failures, I decided I needed the group to meet in a bit of a less formal environment.

Q- How did you accomplish that?

L- I decided to function as something known as a servant leader. I put myself out in the forefront of the team I would constantly spend my time showing my employees how to effectively work together, much like a coach. “Lead through example” is one of my favorite quotes I believe George Washington said that… *trails off in thought* Q- How did you end up getting the team to finally work together and connect?

L- We decided to go to a local pizzeria, a personal favorite of mine and the team really seemed to bond and swapped stories and talked about the best ways to capture and dispose of ghosts. After that meeting the team really seemed to click more as they now viewed their coworkers as colleagues and it showed in their work.

Their team became well rounded and I felt lucky that I could watch their group emotional intelligence grow.

Q- So how did this help your company grow?

L- Well there are actually quite a few ghosts in the mushroom kingdom so naturally we saw exponential growth as our customers referred us to their other ghost ridden neighbors. My team also had to be expanded to keep up with the demand naturally this caused problems with my initial team taking on subordinates of their own.

Q- How did it cause problems?

L- Well since my team had become so used to working together once people were put under their command they did not seem to know how to handle being in charge.

Q- Well how did you get them to come together effectively?

L- I enrolled them in a few leadership courses and taught them how to deal with group emotional intelligence. Afterward Luigi’s ghost catching incorporated took off and I began amassing my fortune.

Q- Well thank you for your time sir and I wish you well in all of your endeavors.

L- It’s been great thanks for having me.