Cyber Week Sale! 50% Off All Access

8 Inspiring Leadership Tips From Supervillains Sure, they're the cream of evil, dedicated to taking over the world … but that doesn't mean they can't teach you a thing or two.

By Nick Leftley Edited by Dan Bova

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Sony Pictures

Once your business evolves from its startup phase and into a functioning company, you're going to be relying more and more on your leadership skills to keep the ship moving in the right direction. Leadership is a tough gig, but fortunately there is one group of people who have demonstrated the requisite skills time and again: Supervillains!


Image credit: Sony Pictures

1. Demonstrate your ability to diversify.

It's great to be really good at something -- in fact, that's probably what got you where you are today. But if you want to continue being successful, you'll need to be prepared to understand and be able to contribute to other fields. You'll be hiring a staff with various diverse skill sets, and you need to understand every one of them.

Take Doctor Octopus, for example: Despite having a background in nuclear physics and academia, he quickly learned to branch out into such disparate areas as bank robbery, kidnapping and murder. It's a truly inspirational story!

Related: 10 Famous Comic Book Entrepreneurs


Image credit: Warner Bros.

2. Make sure everyone understands your HR policies.

With increasingly blurred lines between that startup environment and the more professional company your business is on your way to becoming, it can be hard for employees to know exactly where they stand on simple office etiquette. With businesses generally adopting a more informal workplace, it's more important than ever that you -- and your HR department -- make everyone aware both of what you expect from them, and the fair, impartial way you enforce those rules.

This is a feature of employment that Two Face's staff have always respected, with a clear-cut, well-defined decision-making process in place to decide how a transgression should be handled. A coin flip might not be the best way for everyone to decide whether to forgive an employee or shoot them in the face with a .22 caliber pistol, but it's admirably effective in its simplicity.


Image credit: Warner Bros.

3. Keep thinking big.

Everyone started small at some point -- even Apple began life in a garage (sort of). Don't let the modest scale of your current enterprise deter from you from the end game, or your staff won't feel like sticking around for the ride.

Look at Oswald Cobblepot, better known as the Penguin: Did he let his relatively low-key position as leader of a band of circus-themed sewer thugs stop him from being a serious candidate for mayor of Gotham City? No, he did not. This is a lesson you can see being applied even today, as Donald Trump whips up his own gang of carnival sideshow freaks to possibly carry him into the White House.

Related: 7 Lessons on How Not to Lead From 'Star Wars' Bad Guys


Image credit: Warner Bros.

4. Synergy is your friend.

Whatever new fields your company attempts to enter, there should always be a drive to make it feel cohesive -- to feel that, despite diversifying, it all makes sense as one whole for your company. Your task as the head of the operation is to be the lynchpin for your employees, to show them how two seemingly different ends of the business can work in harmony.

This is perfectly demonstrated by the Joker, who always manages to tie various enterprises together in one conscientiously branded effort. From simple robbery and arson to more complex ventures such as poisoning the population of a major metropolis with toxic laughing gas from parade balloons, it all ties together neatly with him as the figurehead.


Image credit: 20th Century Fox

5. Live your brand.

You need to be a spokesperson for your brand 24/7. People will sniff out a phony very quickly, so it's vital that you truly embody what it is you want your business to become.

No one demonstrates this ability better than Doctor Doom. His overall enterprise is surprisingly complex -- he is, after all, a technological genius with powerful magical abilities who splits his time between being the tyrant ruler of a small Eastern European country and attempting total domination of the known galaxy and beyond -- but he deftly weaves all of this into his signature look of scowling space armor under a green wizard's robe. By never straying from that persona, his staff can always feel confident that he's not just the brand's leader -- he's also, in many ways, its inspiration.

Related: Batman vs. Superman—Who Makes More Money?


Image credit: Warner Bros.

6. Employ technology effectively.

We live in an age where everything and everyone is connected. The Internet of Things is a reality, and if your company can't provide a product or service that people can access or use from wherever they are, your business may well fail. That's why understanding every advance in technology is more vital than ever before, and just as important, ensuring your staff are confident in your tech savvy to lead them in the right direction.

Lux Luthor, despite being the CEO of an incredibly successful company, is always extremely hands-on when it comes to his R&D department, whether it be for new satellite components, smartphone software or a giant cyborg gorilla genetically engineered to shoot Kryptonite laser beams from its eyeballs. Can you say the same?


Image credit: Columbia Pictures

7. Show that you have a life outside of work.

It can be incredibly intimidating to work for a company where the boss is a relentless workaholic. What sort of future can they expect with you if they feel obliged to be constantly plugged in?

Norman Osbourne sets a good example to his employees by striking just the right balance between working hard and playing hard. Sure, he spends long working hours running an incredibly successful scientific development business, but he never neglects his off-hours hobby of dressing up as the Green Goblin and trying to murder Spider-Man's girlfriend by throwing her off the top of the Brooklyn Bridge.

If only more bosses could act like this!


Image credit: Twentieth Century Fox

8. Keep chasing that dream.

You're going to get knocked down a few times in this world, but if you want your employees to continue having faith in your company, that strength of belief has to come from you. It's your job to make them believe in their work.

Magneto has been thwarted in his attempts to eradicate human beings from the face of the planet time and again, but he's always able to inspire his staff to follow his next business venture. Are your employees motivated enough to help you hurl a giant asteroid at the Earth? That's a question every CEO should be asking themselves.

Nick Leftley has been writing and editing for print and digital publications for over a decade, and many times has been able to spell "entrepreneur" correctly on only the second try.

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Marketing

7 Innovative Marketing Ideas That Will Help Your Brand Stand Out This Holiday Season

These seven creative holiday marketing strategies can help your business stand out from competitors, connect with audiences and make a real impact.

Business News

Unsolved Murder of UnitedHeathcare Exec Causes Panicked Health Insurance Companies to Take Down Website Leadership Pages

The shooting death of CEO Brian Thompson has prompted several large companies to take a harder look at their security measures.

Business Culture

Stop Blaming Remote Work for Your Productivity Woes — 5 Signs of a Productive Office Culture

It doesn't matter if you work from a cubicle, couch or cafe — if the (remote) office culture is broken, productivity will suffer.

Growing a Business

Annual Recurring Revenue — What It Is, Why It Matters and 3 Simple Tips for Increasing Yours

Unlock the secret to skyrocketing your subscription revenue! Discover how ARR can fuel your business growth with strategic pricing, retention tactics and value-driven promotions that keep customers hooked and profits climbing.

Leadership

In the Battle of Billionaires, Howard Schultz Doesn't Measure Up to Trump

Howard Schultz is reportedly being urged to run for president. But if he wants to succeed, he needs to better understand his target market.

Growing a Business

Here's Why We Walked Away From Half of Our Customers — and How It Actually Helped Us Grow

Learn why my co-founder and I chose to walk away from half of our customers to achieve focused growth.