One of the most important themes that I loved in the movie Avatar was the reverence for nature. The Na’vi attitude and connection with nature provides all of us great insights into leadership.  I will explain below.

A fascinating aspect of each of the avatars, as well as every creature on the planet Pandora, is that they all have an appendage attached to their heads that can connects them physically to nature.  This appendage at first glance, looks like thick dark black hair tied into a ponytail.  But it isn’t a ponytail, it’s actually a tail with spaghetti-like biological fibers at the tip. These fibers act like neurons. Just as neurons build connections within the brain, these fibers are used to build connections or communicate with other living creatures on the planet Pandora when these appendages are attached to each other.  When they join, it forms a connection called “Sahelo” meaning the sacred bond with all living things. Once connected, the humanoid creatures on Pandora can control other living organisms.

Again this appendage reminded me a lot of the movie The Matrix. Remember how Neo had neural plug in the back of the head that connected him to the digital matrix world? The Avatar creatures have an appendage that connects them with the natural world. It is basically a biological USB cable attached to the back of their heads.  Instead of communicating with words, they can communicate with their thoughts.

At first glance this seems far-fetched. But is it? Humans already can control or lead other creatures without the appendage.

In my audio program “Leadership For Your Life: Getting Ahead in Your Relationships and Career”, I mention the amazing leadership ability of Ceaser Milan, the famous Dog Whisperer. Ceaser wrote a book called “Be The Pack Leader”.  He talks about how to influence your dog. You do it by changing your energy/body language.  All dogs, and other advanced creatures for that matter, can sense what you are feeling and thinking without words, meaning you already have “Sahelo” with other living creatures.  If you are excited, they sense it.  If you are scared and nervous, they sense it.  Sad, sick or depressed, they sense it.  How is that?   Maybe it is your body language that they read, maybe it is your thoughts and emotions that release certain hormones that creatures, such as dogs, can smell, as some scientist have theorized.  I can’t explain it scientifically but all I know is that they do in fact sense what we are thinking and feeling.  If you have “Sahelo” with all living creatures, then you can use this connection to be an effective leader. What does Ceaser Milan recommend? He says to be the pack leader, you must exhibit a calm-assertive energy. To be calm means that you must remove any anxiety or fear that you have.  To be assertive means that you must be confident, not timid. You must  be secure in your thoughts and ideas.

Let me ask you this question in regard to calm-assertive energy: Have you ever tried to influence someone if you or the other person is in a highly emotional state?  Chances are that your words or advice fell on deaf ears, right?  How about when you are reading a book? What is your emotional state?  Most likely you are calm.  Books are very effective at influencing changes in our behavior.  Once you read that one sentence, suddenly you are convinced that you should change your behavior.  This may be shocking considering that the sentence or advice that you just read is the exact same advice your mother or father has been nagging you about for years.  Maybe you weren’t listening or chose not to follow the advice because you were in a highly emotional state. But reading a book was successful.  That is the power of calm-assertive energy.

Here is another thought about nature and leadership.  Leadership is about influencing others for a common cause goal or purpose. Hopefully that cause is something positive that creates a better world. What is one thing that we can do to create a better world? Try protecting the environment and the creatures that live in it, like Jake Sully did.

At one point in the movie, Natiri’s mother tells Jake:”Let’s see if your insanity can be cured.” I sometimes wonder whether we as obsessive consumers can actually cure our own insanity. We have this sense of entitlement  and obsession with taking more and more, especially natural resources, with no concept of the consequences of our actions.  While many politicians and others continue to ridicule global warming and the consequences of global climate change, we must understand why they do this. To do anything to help mitigate the effects of climate change would be an inconvenience to the bottom line of many companies. It is no surprise that the most profitable corporation in 2009, Exxon Mobil, has been actively engaged in disinformation campaigns about global warming. Why? Because any legislation to mitigate the effects of global climate change would impact it and threaten its profits.

We are destined for a path of destruction unless people change.  Remember, the movie Avatar takes place in the future, 2154.  In one scene, Jake speaks to Eway, Pandora’s deity, and pleads for her help to fight the humans, aka the sky people. He says: “Look where they came from (earth), there is no green there. They killed their mother and there gonna do the same here.”  Unless we change, Avatar will no longer be a work of fiction.

Leaders, like Jake Sully, take up the fight to protect life, nature, and the planet from those that threaten to destroy it. Will you?

Action Steps

• -Maintain a calm-assertive energy in times of crisis when leading others.  You will find yourself making better decisions and you make others feel more comfortable to follow you.
• -On a daily basis, find the appropriate time, place, and environment to influence others.
• -Create a calm-assertive energy by standing up straight. Practice deep breathing when you are anxious, it will help you relax.
• -Replace fearful thoughts with empowering thoughts. For example, change the thought of “I can’t do this” to “I posses the energy and intelligence to move beyond any obstacle.”
• -Speak with confidence and minimize ambiguity.
• -Change your lifestyle to something that is more sustainable. Look for ways to reduce your ecological footprint.
• -Do what you can to lead others in protecting the environment and the creatures in it.
• -If you need to protest and create a revolution towards forces that threaten our way of life, then you have my blessing because you are a “Sahelo” leader!

Stay tuned for the final Avatar Blog Part 3 about leadership and war.  Please share you thoughts on this blog below.