A Leadership Lesson From Kung Fu Panda

Focusing on today, not yesterday or tomorrow

You can learn a lot about leadership from Master Oogway in Kung Fu Panda. He emphasizes leading today rather than worrying about yesterday or tomorrow.

My expectations for the movie were quite low. I mean, a panda that does kung fu? A jackrabbit I could buy. But a panda? Then again, I’m a huge Jack Black fan. The biggest and most pleasant surprise was Master Oogway, the turtle. (Or is it tortoise? I always get those confused.) His wisdom was entertaining and enlightening. The best part is, it’s also applicable to everyday leadership and life.

There’s a scene where Oogway is dropping some knowledge (as a kung fu master is wont to do). The dude is pretty deep for a turtle. He states, “Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, but today is a gift. That is why it is called the present.”

I stopped slurping on my white raspberry slushy and thought for a moment. Wow, that turtle has a point. The implications of Oogway’s statement reverberated throughout the cosmos with a thunderous clap. He was talking about how we move through life and, more important, how we can show up as leaders.

…

Want to continue?

By logging in you agree to receive communication from Quality Digest. Privacy Policy.

Create a FREE account

Forgot My Password

Comments

Oogway's Error

While not wishing to invalidate your important message about the past particularly in defining a person related to their history, Oogway is completely incorrect when stating, “Yesterday is history” if conveying that history is fixed. One might think that the past is written and only the now should affect the future, but in truth the past is fluid and continuously reshapes both the present and the future. The past is not fixed. It is not written. One’s whole world, their past, their present, and the direction of the future can instantly become totally different when new information is acquired. Especially highly impactful things that the person believed were true and fixed are discovered to be not true. Everything changes when that happens. Everything the person thought ‘was’, becomes ‘was not’. The 'was' becomes something completely different. The 'now' abruptly reframes to align with new construct so that what was 'is’ is now a different ‘is’.

My recommendation is to recognize the fluidity of the past, how it is always changing affecting the momentary now and the direction of the future. Let it flow through you and be fluid yourself. Deal with the now as it is in this moment, try to shape the world from moment to moment in positive ways, but understand that the now is but a transitory illusion.

Past is history but reflection teaches a learning lesson

Staying in the present and enjoying the moment is vital. Decisions and actions taken shapes our future.

Yesterday is a history, but refelection on yesterday, leads to lessons to learn and calibrate our actions and decisions to ensure the future will make us happy.