Get All Access for $5/mo

What Chadwick Boseman's Life Can Teach Us About Being Leaders Three key leadership lessons from Chadwick Boseman's career and life that we can embody as entrepreneurs.

By Asiya Othman Edited by Jessica Thomas

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Matt Winkelmeyer | Getty Images

Like much of the world, I was shocked to hear of the passing of the actor Chadwick Boseman, who was much lauded for his performance in Black Panther as well as other hit movies over the past few years.

To know he spent the last four years not just making movies that moved us emotionally and inspired us intellectually but also did so between chemotherapy and major surgery was a shock. It shows us that he truly embodied walking your own talk — owning his crown as a leader in whatever role he was playing on set and in his real life off-set.

His dedication to playing roles so gracefully and powerfully while maintaining his privacy is something many Hollywood actors can't do without alienating fans. Boseman, though, managed to do this and to make us rethink narratives every step of the way.

Related: Skip the Avengers: Why Entrepreneurs Should Watch 'Black Panther' Again Instead

There are so many lessons we can learn from him. Being a successful entrepreneur means not just creating something that stands the test of time, but also truly making an impact and sparking meaningful conversations and change. You can't just rely on talent — you have to be conscious of the narratives you're contributing to. So, here are three key leadership lessons from Chadwick Boseman's career and life that all entrepreneurs can embody.

1. Build a ship big enough for more than one man

Teamwork creates excellence, and contributing to that means never seeing a role or responsibility as too big or too small. Be conscious of who's on your team and how they can use their uniqueness to help grown your business.

I recently read that Chadwick Boseman would attend auditions for supporting roles in the films he was working on. It goes without saying that that's uncommon for lead actors in big-budget films. But Boseman understood that developing a strong team that could perform as a whole mattered as much as his own performance.

Related: 10 Movies All Entrepreneurs Should Watch on Amazon

2. Innovate by going deep and not wide

The concept of "innovation" is overused in entrepreneurship. So many businesses are merely changing the packaging and delivering the same service, support, and information as everyone else. Innovation doesn't mean reinventing the wheel — it's paying attention to the details no one else has thought of. Some of the companies we have come to love all innovated by embodying this trait. Think Apple, which with the iPhone put the world in our pockets, or even Netflix, which changed how we consume movies and television.

Related: 18 Movies Every Entrepreneur Should Watch

Paying attention to details is something Boseman knew the importance of. Ryan Coogler, the co-writer and director of Black Panther, has said that Boseman would often discuss lines and different ways to add depth to each scene. What stood out to me, though, was his attention to the minute details. Coogler says Boseman cared about everything from costumes to military practices. He once told Coogler, "Wakandans have to dance during the coronations. If they just stand there with spears, what separates them from Romans?"

That level of awareness is something every entrepreneur should try to embody. Truly ask yourself: What separates us from the rest?

3. Be bold enough to change the box

Being an entrepreneur isn't about fitting everything into a neat box and checking things off a to-do list. It's redefining the box so that the parameters can be stretched, never to return to what they were before. It might sound like I'm overestimating the importance of what entrepreneurs can create, but aren't all entrepreneurs who bring forth new possibilities just stretching our imaginations beyond what we'd previously thought?

All the technology we see now, the evolution and change that's happened at speeds we couldn't have anticipated 20 years ago, is because entrepreneurs were bold enough to change the box.

It's why Chadwick Boseman was so loved in all his roles, from playing Jackie Robinson, to playing the godfather of soul music James Brown, to playing King T'Challa in Black Panther. In each role, Boseman stepped up not only as an actor but also as a leader. As entrepreneurs in this climate, now more than ever we need fewer imitators and more leaders willing to step up.

Related: 10 Movies Dealing With Racial Injustice That All Entrepreneurs Can Learn From

Asiya Othman

Co-Founder Of Muslim Coaching Academy

Asiya is a peak-performance business coach. She was an outspoken humanitarian worker and speaker before choosing to pivot to make a wider impact in changing people’s lives. She became immersed in coaching to the highest level and made her mark by having a no-nonsense approach to her coaching.

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

Editor's Pick

Leadership

7 Telltale Signs of a Weak Leader

Whether a bully or a people pleaser who can't tell hard truths, poor leadership takes many forms.

Growing a Business

How to Build, Grow and Make Money With Ecommerce

To grow your online business, you need to develop a strategy and invest your time wisely. These actionable tips can attract customers and increase online revenue.

Living

70% of Small Business Owners Experience Monthly Burnout. Follow These 3 Rules to Avoid the Same Fate.

Here are three guidelines to help entrepreneurs achieve balance, growth and success in both their professional and personal endeavors.

Side Hustle

'Hustling Every Day': These Friends Started a Side Hustle With $2,500 Each — It 'Snowballed' to Over $500,000 and Became a Multimillion-Dollar Brand

Paris Emily Nicholson and Saskia Teje Jenkins had a 2020 brainstorm session that led to a lucrative business.

Franchise

Kick-Start Your Small Business With These Cost Effective Strategies

Starting a small business is an exciting adventure, brimming with both opportunities and challenges. A key to success is effectively managing costs from the outset.