Preface: This is not a geeky sci-fi deep-dive.
In the mid-80’s the Japanimation inspired sci-fi cartoon Voltron burst onto our five-channel TV scene (that’s including PBS) to become the number one children’s show. Looking back, the story is pretty ridiculous, five astronauts each piloting a cat-like spacecraft that together form into a mega-sized futuristic knight robot to fight alien robot invaders, using a sword in one hand and a cat mouth as it’s other hand.
Yet me and my brothers were glued to the TV, and not just because of our channel deficiency. Voltron made a comeback on Netflix in 2015 and is currently in its third new season, competing in today’s crowded content field. Voltron is unique in its storyline, standing apart even today.
Most superhero’s act alone. At times, they come together to fight evil, but they are all individuals. Many cartoons and children’s programming will involve teamwork; individuals taking on challenges with help from another. Only Voltron relied on all five characters, each unique in their strengths and weaknesses, coming together to form one powerful unit.
Voltron is the model for organizations today. As our culture moves towards individual sports, the individual as the brand, the individual dominating as the storyline; it’s the team of individuals working as one entity that has always been the key to success, and is only made more critical in today’s complex and rapidly changing business landscape. The challenge for many businesses is that this mindset runs counter to the American culture, creating a vacuum of true leaders and “the whole is greater than the sum of its parts” like thinking.
As our sense of community has crumbled, as our culture idolizes the individual, our work environment is now the dominant vehicle for cultivating leadership and the ability to work as one. It’s up to organizations to instill this wisdom and experience in individuals. If an organization isn’t trying to build an army of Voltrons, it’s success will be short lived.
Also published on Medium.