Illumination Entertainment’s Sing is the story of Buster Moon, a Koala, who has one last chance to save the theater he so longs to see saved. After many failures, it’s do or die time.
What’s his solution for saving the theater? The greatest sing-off competition ever seen!
Sing is an animated children’s movie that you may be drug to if you have little ones. Don’t fret. Even if Sing doesn’t look like it appeals to you with its world of animals, you can find leadership lessons in Sing.
Caution: Sing spoilers ahead
Leadership Lessons And Quotes From Sing
1. Everyone has a story:
As Sing opens, we see the backstory of many of the main characters. You see the hectic life of housewife/pig, the failing business of Buster Moon, the criminal family of Johnny the Gorilla, and many others.
In a brief few moments, you get a glimpse into their lives and what is motivating them to enter a singing competition.
People’s stories are the reason for their motivation. Discover why they’re working for or with you and you can open up a whole new world of loyalty.
2. Spread the word:
Buster Moon had his assistant, a senile old iguana named Karen Crawley, print out flyers for the singing competition. These flyers were to be the means of letting people know what he was doing.
And they worked. By getting the flyers out into the hands of people, Moon was able to draw a crowd to his competition.
The same thing needs to be done for your business. You need to spread the word about what you do.
3. Buster Moon:
Get a good nights sleep and dream big dreams!
Two things that every leader needs to do: Get enough sleep and dream big!
4. Find creative solutions to your problems:
Rosita was the pig/housewife I mentioned earlier. She had a cadre of children. She took care of the home and her husband.
Her life was overloaded with things to do.
To find time for the singing competition, Rosita tapped into her ingenuity. She created a system that would get the kids out of bed, feed them, wash the dishes, and more. All without her help.
You’re going to have problems as you lead others. Sometimes, the solutions will be difficult. Look for creative and innovative solutions to those problems.
5. Buster Moon:
All creatures, great and small, welcome to the Moon Theater!
Buster Moon wasn’t a respecter of persons when it came to who he welcomed into his theater. He wanted anyone and everyone to feel welcome there.
Are you creating an atmosphere where your organization will welcome anyone who is willing and able to be a productive part of your team?
6. Self-doubt will hold you back:
Meena, an elephant with a killer voice, went to audition for a spot in the singing competition only to back out. She couldn’t overcome her fear and self-doubt.
While it all worked out in the end, the self-doubt Meena felt could have kept her talents from shining through and being shared with the world.
What self-doubts do you have? What’s holding you back from being true to your self?
I’ve struggled in this area. There are days that I feel my writing isn’t up to snuff or that I’m not making a difference in the life of the ones I lead.
I have to battle against self-doubt and realize that I have what it takes. So do you.
7. Gunter:
You can’t just sing it. You’ve got to show the fire of desire!
Gunter is Rosita’s dance/singing partner in Sing. He’s a flamboyant pig that puts on quite a show.
When Gunter and Rosita first meet, he gives her this great piece of advice.
I think we can transition Gunter’s advice over to leadership. You can’t just lead! You’ve got to desire to see people grow and succeed! That is what people need from you.
8. Not everyone wants to follow in your footsteps:
Johnny the Gorilla comes from a family of criminals. They rob banks to make a living.
He doesn’t want that kind of life. He wants to use his talents to bless others.
His father was very disappointed in this desire. Especially after it wound up leaving the gang of criminals in a tough spot and caught by the police.
You’re creating an amazing organization. You’re helping others and living your dream.
What you’ve got to remember is your dream isn’t the dream of others. Your son may want to do something different or the person you picked to succeed you doesn’t want your position.
That’s not bad. They have a different desire than you do. Let them live their life.
9. Buster Moon:
You just start singing
Meena was scared to sing in front of others. Her shyness held her back from living out a dream.
Buster gave her a great piece of advice: Just start singing. Once you do, the fear goes away.
What are you scared of doing that you love? Start doing and the fear goes away.
10. Find your sweet spot:
We’re coming back to Meena once again. She knew her sweet spot was singing. Belting out tunes made people take notice.
Once she overcame her fear, she stepped into a role she never thought she could. She stole the show and people’s jaws dropped.
When you find your sweet spot, people take notice. Find that sweet spot of yours and go for it!
11. Your dream requires the help of others:
Poor Buster Moon couldn’t get funding for his singing competition. The banks turned him away and Nana Noodleman told him no.
Then, Moon was hit with another disaster: His theater was destroyed after thugs attacked one of his contestants.
With nothing left, Buster Moon thought he was done. Until someone else stepped in to help fund his dreams.
Nana Noodleman changed her mind and helped make his dream a reality.
Don’t be afraid to let other people know your dreams. They may be just the right person to help bring your dreams to fruition.
Question: Have you seen Sing yet? If so, what is your favorite leadership lesson from Sing? If not, what leadership lesson from Sing that I shared is your favorite? Let me know in the comment section below.
Do you enjoy leadership lessons from the movies? Would you like more leadership lessons from the movies? Check out the Reel Leadership archives here for more leadership lessons from the movies.
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