5 Lessons Older Leaders and Managers Can Learn from Fandom

I'm lucky to have had fandom for 2/3 of my life.

Older generations think fandoms are just about collectibles, shipping, or screaming (as if Beatlemania wasn't a thing), but there's much to learn from the good side of fandom. In fact, I think workplaces would benefit if more seasoned leaders would explore what makes fandom such a good creative space and community for a lot of people.

How can you bring fandom magic to the workplace?

1. Create belonging through curiosity and conversation. Fandoms form when people ask: "You like this thing too?" Find out what the magnet is for your organization, stay curious, and nurture it!

2. Encourage practicing in public. Fanfic writers and fanart creators get the rap of making amateurish work, but constant public practice is a good way to hone one's skills and exercise responding to feedback. You want people who can create and lead without ego? Let them practice in public.

3. Tell yourself that it's alright to have (a) bias. Just as people have a favorite character or K-Pop group member, people also have a POV about how things should be done. Make it easy for them to bring it up.

4. Listen. Then delight them. Bands, showrunners, filmmakers—they all want fans to know they care. And fans reward them. Bring that energy to the workplace.

5. Set up experiences and memories worth collecting. Someday, you're going to be a bullet point on someone's CV. Make it a story they'd be happy to tell.