5 Things ‘Wonder Woman’ Teaches Us About Work

Marcelle Yeager

Sure, Wonder Woman is fictional and a superhero, but there’s a lot we can learn from her about life and work. At the beginning and end of the “Wonder Woman” film, we see her working in an office. Arguably, she’s even working in the middle of the movie – doing the biggest job ever of saving the world.

While we cannot be superheroes like her, there are things we can learn from her approach to challenges that could come in handy in our professional worlds.

Lesson No. 1: If you’re passionate about something, chase it.

Diana, also known as Wonder Woman, has a passion for sword fighting and sparring from a young age, but her mother does not approve. It’s clearly in her blood as she looks on at her superiors and eventually goes against her mother’s wishes to learn from her aunt. There’s something to be said about childhood passions because many people recognize as they age that something they enjoyed as a child either turned into their profession or later spurred a career change. What did you love to do when you were young or as you’ve gotten older? Do you miss it? Find a way to bring it back into your life either full time or on the side.

Lesson No. 2: Believe in yourself; don’t expect others to constantly boost you up.

It’s not easy to believe in your abilities and maintain those convictions. We all have doubts about our skills or capacity to go to the next level. When training, Diana’s aunt tells her that she is stronger than she is demonstrating and to believe in herself. It’s great that she had an advocate but not all of us do, and it’s not something you can rely on for your entire professional career. In the past, what have colleagues said that you excel at? What do you personally feel are your strengths? Write them down and look at your list at the beginning of each day or week. In other words, do what you need to in order to maintain your confidence, as it will show in your work and help you get promoted.

Lesson No. 3: Don’t follow the pack.

This doesn’t mean you should go off and do something completely rogue that lands you in trouble with your boss or company. But, you can still be part of your company culture and team and have your own thoughts and opinions. If you’ve been at a job for over six months, you think you’re doing well and your boss feels the same about you, don’t shy away from making suggestions. If you have thoughts about how the team could work smarter and improve processes, share them. You may want to first run it by a trusted advisor or peer to check your approach and tone before delivering the message to your manager.

Lesson No. 4: If you feel your boss is making an unethical decision, speak up.

You also shouldn’t follow the pack if you feel your boss is making an unethical or illegal decision. In such a case, you need to make a call based on your internal relationships and company policies as to whether you approach your boss or human resources. While this can be risky either way, your future professional reputation may be on the line if you don’t speak up. You need to weigh the pros and cons of speaking up against your boss, and look at how it affects or may affect you down the line. But if you believe something isn’t right, you don’t want to regret not saying anything, as it can affect you in the future in unforeseen ways.

Lesson No. 5: Sometimes you need to sacrifice your own desires and take one for the team.

There are going to be times when you don’t want to stay late or take on the boring task your boss handed you at the staff meeting. And you shouldn’t always say “yes,” and turn into the person everyone takes advantage of. But there will be times where being a team player and putting the needs of your boss or team ahead of your own will pay off.

None of us can match the power of Wonder Woman, but we can learn from her approach to life and attack our fears to achieve our professional goals.