Yes, I’m admitting that I watch Phineas and Ferb. In my venture to find a cartoon that I could stomach with my kids we stumbled on this very creative show about two brothers that spend the summer building crazy things and having adventures with their friends. Initially I was just glad to find a show using old-school animation. But as we watched I discovered a gem of a show that has some important life lessons in each episode.

Not only is the writing and music of Phineas and Ferb brilliant, but the lead character, Phineas, just might be one of the greatest leaders in the world; and he’s not even in middle school yet. With this in mind I’ve compiled some leadership lessons courtesy of Phineas and Ferb.

1. Be excited about what you are doing. Have you ever noticed that Phineas and Ferb are always really excited to do whatever it is they will do that day? Phineas excitedly proclaims “I know what we’re gonna do today” with a huge smile. They exude genuine enthusiasm and excitement over their work which spreads to the people around them. This is important for anyone that wants to lead. If you can’t be excited about what you are doing no one else will have a reason to be excited. But if you find sincere joy in your work and tackle each day with unbridled enthusiasm it will spread to those around you.

2. Have a plan. In nearly every episode Phineas and Ferb have blueprints or a plan of some kind that they are working from. They don’t just randomly or arbitrarily start building things, they follow the plan. To be an effective leader you must have a plan. It must be a clear, concise plan that is easily communicated to others. If you attempt to lead “from the seat of your pants” you will most likely stray off course and waste valuable time and energy on things not central to your goal.

3. Enlist the help of others. One of the most obvious and admirable qualities about Phineas and Ferb is that they are quick to enlist the help of their friends; like the adorable Isabella who greets them each morning with “whatcha doin?” They don’t seek to do things alone or take glory; they just want to accomplish the goal. They recognize that the more people that join in the more enjoyable the project will be. They also understand that with more minds and hands helping the greater their chance of success. By being quick to enlist the help of gifted people around us, we raise the likelihood that we will produce excellence and foster a team mentality that others want to be a part of.

4. Be the leader. The fact is someone has to be the leader. Someone has to step up and take charge and put the gears in motion while keeping everyone directed toward the goal. There’s no doubt that while the entire gang enjoys working together and helping out that Phineas is the leader. In real life Phineas would grow up to be a salesman, politician, or pastor because he is a natural-born leader capable of winning people over. Because he respects those around him and is a humble leader he is in turn respected by those he leads and they trust his leadership. Phineas has proven himself time and again as a capable leader worthy of trust so his family and friends quickly get involve when he has an idea.

5. Admit when you are wrong or make a mistake. One quality in Phineas as the central leader that stands out is that he is quick to admit when he is wrong or has made a mistake. At times he is “positive” that something will work, but then it doesn’t. Or, Phineas will snap at someone in anger or become frustrated with someone; like when he yelled at Candace for messing up when she was just trying to help restore the Marvel super hero’s powers. When those times happen, and every good leader knows they will, Phineas is quick to apologize and make it right. He is humble enough to admit when he’s wrong and big enough to apologize when it is needed. These are indispensable qualities needed in order to become a truly great leader.

6. Don’t let setbacks ruin your day, or goal. At times the project fails. Something goes wrong, something doesn’t work, and the whole project fails. I can’t help but notice that when this happens to Phineas and Ferb they just sort of shrug it off and try something else. Rather than let their failures and setbacks deter or depress them, they move forward. Once, when Phineas had a case of “bad luck,” nothing they did worked. So, instead of getting angry and quitting they adjusted their plans to account for things going haywire and pushed forward. This kind of “don’t quit” attitude can help a leader achieve heights others only dream of.

7. Delegate. Okay, Phineas is the leader, we know that. But he knows he can’t do it all by himself so he is eager to welcome the help of his friends. But, being the leader he is, Phineas is quick to delegate tasks to people that are good at specific things. Buford is often enlisted to do “grunt work” because he is a big, burly kid. And when it comes to being a jack-of-all-trades no one is better than Ferb. Phineas, being the leader, recognizes the skills and talents of those around him and is quick to delegate to them accordingly. He doesn’t assign Ferb major speaking rolls in front of people because that would be putting Ferb outside his comfort zone and skill set. A good leader needs to see the skills people possess and delegate to them accordingly. By doing so the leader will build trust with his team and achieve excellence and success.

8. Listen to others. Even though Phineas generally has a plan for each day and is good at following that plan to accomplish his goal, he listens to the people around him. Sometimes his friends will have a thought to enhance or alter a plan and rather than dismiss their ideas Phineas listens and will at times try them out. For the leader this doesn’t mean that you have to incorporate every idea every person around you has. But it does mean valuing the knowledge and expertise of the people around you by listening. If your team knows you are always willing to listen they will also be willing to listen, and work, and sacrifice, and go the extra mile for you.

9. Value the people around you. Sure, there’s a goal for each day. But Phineas recognizes that without his family and friends those goals are worthless, so he makes sure to show them he cares. When Baljeet was upset over his science fair project and feared failing Phineas was quick to declare that he and Ferb would help. They then built a teleportation device to Mars for Baljeet that earned him an A++. Baljeet was so grateful to his friends for helping and Phineas simply said that’s what friends are for. Leaders can’t become so obsessed with their goals that they trample the people helping them achieve those goals. By valuing the people around you and showing them you care you will create a team that feels more like family and is willing to go the extra mile for you, each other, and even perfect strangers. That kind of leadership is sorely lacking today.

Leadership is a balancing act. It requires constant development on the part of the leader. It requires humility and confidence, assertiveness and caution. Most importantly, in my book, it requires genuine care for other people. No matter what your sphere of influence is, you are a leader somewhere, to someone. Steward your influence and leadership well and you will be rewarded with people that trust you and will go to great lengths to succeed. Abuse your position of leadership and you will quickly find that no one is interested in working with you, for you, or even being around you.

Leaders with character, integrity and morals are needed in today’s world. Far too many stories of fallen leaders or bad leaders abound in the news.  Thankfully there are many great resources available to help us develop into better leaders worthy of the trust people place in us. Resources like a children’s cartoon featuring two brothers and their friends.