Thor and true leadership

“That’s pride and vanity talking, not leadership!” says Odin to his son, Thor, who is bent on starting a war with Jotunheim after a number of Frost Giants infiltrate Asgard, their realm and Odin’s kingdom.

It is supposed to be the day of Thor’s crowning, but the infiltration has ruined the occasion. Succumbing to, yes, pride and vanity, Thor defies his father’s orders and uses the Bifröst, a rainbow bridge that connects all nine realms of the Marvel universe, to go to Jotunheim and attempt to destroy the Frost Giants.

Things don’t end well, Odin has to come to Thor’s rescue, and on the day that he is supposed to be King of Asgard, Thor is banished to Earth instead. And so begins the story of another superhero who has to learn what it takes to be a real hero and develop true leadership.

We all know that Thor is going to a great hero; all the comics say so and they’re shooting The Avengers as you read this. Besides, we already have the usual superhero story structures upon which to base our expectations: there’s Spider-Man who had to learn the hard way that pride and vanity could be his downfall, for instance. Nevertheless, the journey on the path from arrogant prince to great king is a two-hour treat movie fans shouldn’t miss — for its entertainment value and for the insight into leadership it gives. At the very least, you get a glimpse of Australian actor Chris Hemsworth as Thor, otherwise known as the top contender for the next Brad Pitt.

I sincerely believe that what I know of real power and true leadership was largely shaped by the superheroes I read about and watched as a child. In fact, I think that our leaders are our version of superheroes, and they would do well to dig up wisdom from the colorful pages of the fictional superheroes’ storied lives.

One of the things that I’ve picked up is that superheroes — and great leaders — always have to sacrifice something in exchange for their power, but the willingness to sacrifice eventually becomes part of what makes them even stronger.

Thor, for instance, was able to get his hammer Mjöllnir back only when he made the ultimate sacrifice — and for a reason that was definitely more than valid. Also, as far as I am concerned, Thor became king, at least in the film, when he didn’t even think twice about being apart from the woman he loved so long as it meant saving Jotunheim, which, as I’ve stated earlier, is the realm of their enemies. He did what he did because it was the right thing to do; indeed, nobody has the right to destroy an entire race.

Another thing I’ve picked up is that love may seem like a weakness at first, but eventually it also becomes the one thing that can give you superpower strength. Basically, all the protagonists in the world, except, maybe, for the natural sociopaths and psycopaths, are characters who do not have love. What may sound cheesy is true, even in the Marvel universe. Thor is softened by a woman — and yet, this woman is what will make him a superhero on Earth.

I found it to be true then, and I still find it to be true now. Superheroes exist because we humans have a dream of being better than we are now. As long as these superheroes exist, hope remains.

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