Five leadership lessons from the Mother of Dragons

Kate Burke
Aug 8, 2017 · 3 min read

Daenerys of the House Targaryen, the First of Her Name, The Unburnt, Queen of the Andals, the Rhoynar and the First Men, Queen of Meereen, Khaleesi of the Great Grass Sea, Protector of the Realm, Lady Regnant of the Seven Kingdoms, Breaker of Chains and Mother of Dragons.

Quite a job title. And to think, I used to aspire to General Manager.

It’s fair to say Khaleesi isn’t letting any glass ceiling get in her way. So what can we learn from her leadership style? Quite a lot, as it turns out. Here are five leadership lessons from the Mother of Dragons herself.

1. People will let you down. Get over it.

Daenerys and Viserys

So your manager doesn’t back you for that promotion. Your colleague gossiped behind your back. Or, you know, your brother sells you to a Dothraki horde. People won’t always do what you want them to do. It’s not personal — stay focused on your goals and move on quickly.

2. Gain people’s loyalty by giving them a cause to believe in.

Daenrys with her army of unsullied

Much like Simon Sinek, Daenerys Stormborn understands that people don’t buy what you do, they buy why you do it. When you connect people to a higher purpose, you’ll win their hearts and minds. It’s the same principle whether you’re getting the IT department to roll out a new project; or persuading an army of unsullied to fight to the death for you.

3. Hire the best people.

Assemble your ‘A’ team and give them the authority to do their jobs. If they mess up, trust that you’ll be able to fix it. Like if they annoy one of your senior stakeholders. Or stuff up the seige of Casterly Rock. There’s no mistake so big that it can’t be fixed. You’re the Mother of Dragons, after all.

4. Start where you are.

If you wait for the perfect time to launch your career / program / YouTube series it might never happen. Whatever the situation, just get started. So you’ve been married off to an uncouth Dothraki Khal. Don’t let it stop you achieving your dream of ruling over the seven kingdoms.

5. Back yourself.

You can’t rely on other people to back you, your talents or your ambitions. People will think you’re not up to it. If you believe them, you’re lost. Have unshakeable faith in your abilities and your power to change the world.

Channelling your inner Khaleesi

You might be thinking Khaleesi has some advantages that you don’t. And it’s true, you probably don’t have any dragons or the biggest army in Westeros… but on the flipside, nobody’s actively trying to kill you (although your team might sometimes want to).

Why not take a little of Daenerys’ fire-breathing, dragon-riding grit into your work today and see what happens?

Written by

Work, kids and the pursuit of sanity. Words are my stock in trade. Find me at www.kateburke.com.au.

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