5 Knights of the Zodiac teamwork tips

Like many of the readers of Entrepreneur en Español , I grew up in the 90’s and therefore Japanese cartoons like Dragon Ball and Caballeros del Zodiaco helped shape me. I loved seeing the adventures of the heroes of these series and the great friendships they developed with the other characters.

These anime are immensely popular in Mexico and Latin America. I firmly believe this is not only due to the action and fight scenes, but because they have plots that strongly resonate with the values that we possess. It’s true! Knights of the Zodiac have very important lessons about teamwork. Furthermore, I believe that Masami Kurumada’s work, like many other pop culture products, has lessons that can be applied by modern entrepreneurs.

However, for me, the theme that stands out in the story of Seiya, Shiryu, Hyoga, Shun and Ikki is the ability to work as a team even in the worst circumstances.

In my opinion, some of the tips that the series reflects are:

1. The leader is important, but he is nothing without his team

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In Knights of the Zodiac we saw time and again that Seiya rescued Athena. However, he never did it alone. The Pegasus Knight managed to reach the last point of the battles thanks to the fact that his companions took care of the other enemies and sacrificed their power so that at least one of them could fulfill the mission.

In modern work teams, it should be the same (saving the differences). It is not about dying on the road shouting the name of the leader, but about each member of the team knowing very well what their duties are and understanding their value in the company. The head of the group is indispensable, since it will give direction to the common effort, but the leader alone cannot achieve the same as when doing it together.

2. We are all different (and that’s okay)

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Something that distinguishes Knights of the Zodiac is that their five protagonists are very different. Seiya is the reckless de facto leader of the team, Hyoga possesses an unwavering loyalty (to his teacher and his mother), Shiryu is the one who always remains calm and sees things objectively, Shun always contemplates the human side of things. and Ikki is the one who knows that sometimes tough decisions have to be made (which won’t always be popular). Although each character is very well defined, the team works very well.

The parallels with our teams in real life are obvious: it is easier to work with people similar to you, but the rich variety of personalities holds the key to success. It is essential to have a team that complements each other, where one person has the values that the other lacks. After all, five heads is better than one.

3. Constant learning

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One of the main themes of the Kurumada saga is the continuous training of its characters. The search for the Seventh Sense, the maximum power, is a fundamental part of the motivation of the Bronze Knights. However, they not only stay with the desire, they train in the Siberian tundras, on volcanic islands and even give their lives to achieve it.

We can emulate this by keeping our teams trained. Of course, it is not the same as reaching the highest level of consciousness, but to offer them the opportunity to prepare themselves so that they fulfill their tasks more effectively. It is to awaken their hunger to be the best and that they not only settle for complying with a 9 to 5 schedule.

4. Trust

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Continuing a bit with the previous point, one of the characteristics of this team of warriors is that they knew the talents of others. Shiryu did not hesitate to go blind and almost die in his battles because he knew that Seiya would achieve his mission and Ikki was always close to his brother Shun to help him win.

The same must happen in an effective team. You must hire talented people and at the same time, generate a climate of trust so that each member can focus on doing their tasks without worrying about what the other person should do. No one can do their jobs if they have to take care of the work of others.

5. “Only love gives value to things”

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Personally, I think that Saint Seiya’s story can be summed up in two words: love and friendship. As I already mentioned, the personalities of the Bronze Knights were very disparate, but they worked because they had a common goal. They knew that their problems were not more important than the mission they had to fulfill (generally, save Athena).

The key that we can take from this characteristic of the series is that when a team knows what the mission and vision of a company are, they know what needs to be done. As an entrepreneur, your goal should be to make your team fall in love so that they adopt your plan as their own, get them to wear the shirt. A team that feels part of a business is capable of anything.

Of course, Knights of the Zodiac is just a television series, but personally I think it has some lessons that are worth identifying to apply with our own style in our businesses.

Did you like this cartoon? Can you identify another teamwork lesson in this series?