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I didn’t expect that watching the live-action version of one of my favourite films would not only make me want to rewatch the original—released 15 years ago—but also see it through a completely new lens. The lens of leadership. This movie was far ahead of its time, carrying a message that holds so much importance in the times we are living in right now.
Long story short, over the weekend, I went to watch the latest live-action remake, this time of the brilliant 2010 animated film How to Train Your Dragon. And to my surprise, watching it again made me realise just how progressive and powerful the original was. (Nothing against the new version; I will forever love Toothless from the animation.)
If you haven’t seen the film yet, consider this your invitation to watch a heartwarming and beautifully crafted story. You might just notice what I mean—and perhaps pick up a few other interesting things I didn’t. (And if this isn’t convincing enough, just search for a video of Toothless—you’re welcome.)
In this blog, I’ll talk about some of the leadership lessons the film has to offer. I’ll do my best to avoid spoilers, but I still recommend watching the film, either before or after you read this.
A Bit About The Film
The film follows the story of a 15-year-old boy named Hiccup, who hails from the small village of Berk —a mostly livable place, except for one major problem: their “pests” aren’t mice or snakes, but giant, fire-breathing, human-eating dragons. Naturally, the only way the villagers know how to deal with dragons is by destroying them.
Another key detail: Everyone in Berk is a Viking. That means they operate on confidence, gallons of adrenaline, and a “nothing-is-impossible” attitude, especially the village chieftain, Stoick the Vast, who also happens to be Hiccup’s father.
However, the protagonist Hiccup is nothing like the other Vikings. He’s clumsy, not particularly strong, and widely considered the worst Viking in Berk’s history.
While the story explores many themes, at its core, it’s a classic Hero’s Journey. Hiccup challenges old beliefs, changes perspectives, earns unexpected leadership, befriends a dragon (and eventually other humans), finds love, becomes the first Viking to ride a dragon, and does many other cool things along the way.
What Hiccup Taught Me About Leadership
1) It Starts With Self-Acceptance: Hiccup always had a hard time fitting in with the rest of his Viking surroundings. When I see Hiccup, I see a quiet, thoughtful, innovative, and curious problem solver who follows his intuition—standing in stark contrast to a culture where “act first, think later” and “destroy or be destroyed” are the dominant philosophies.
For the longest time, he just wants to belong and feel accepted. But there comes a turning point in the film, where, in a very unspoken fashion, he finally accepts who he is. From that moment, we see a shift in Hiccup: instead of using his energy to fit in, he begins to channel it into following his heart and curiosity. And eventually, though not immediately, he does find acceptance.
As a leader, knowing who you are is essential. It’s okay if you don’t fit into conventional boxes of leadership; in time, you’ll find your own path and style of leading.
2) Use Your Core Strength: No, not your physical core. I am talking about the inner trifecta that fuels great leadership: empathy, courage, and curiosity. Use all three. Even if you start with just one, the others tend to follow.
Hiccup began with empathy, which led to curiosity—and soon, courage had no choice but to follow. Leadership will often place you in situations that demand difficult decisions. And while we usually weigh many factors before making a choice, what if our decisions came from a place where we were courageous enough to choose the path that may not look promising in the short term but leads to long-term growth?
What if we asked better, more curious questions to solve problems? And what if empathy was the glue that held curiosity and courage together?
3) When in Doubt, Always Lead with Empathy: This kind of builds on the last one, but yes, try holding empathy’s hand, even when it’s tough. Especially when it’s tough. We think that the world has enough of it, but trust me, there is space for loads and loads more of it. It has been my most profound takeaway from the movie, each time I have watched it.
I noticed how Hiccup’s empathy not only strengthened his bond with Toothless (his dragon friend) but also opened up so many new possibilities for him. It also created a systemic shift by the end of the film. This made me wonder how drastically the world could change (for good) if the greater chunk of individuals started operating from empathy.
4) Play Time and a Safe Space Are the Secret Sauce: Safe spaces are a must for any relationship to flourish. But magic happens when you add play (or tinker time), doing things that are not just focused on productive, to-do lists for achievement, but fun activities that build trust. You never know, they might just show up differently in times of need, too!
All the time Hiccup spent creating a safe space for Toothless—and for himself—through play, trust-building, and training, helped them stay in sync when difficult times came. That bond is what carried them through.
5) Use Your Resources: Hiccup is a great problem solver, finding solutions his way. From the start to the end, we see Hiccup making the most of his resources, whether it is creating an innovative, dragon-catching contraption or using his knowledge gained from observing and experimentation.
As a leader, your greatest resources are you and your team. Observe them closely—there are likely qualities in each person that can become valuable assets across different projects. And don’t forget to recognize your own strengths along the way, they’re an important part of your resource pool too.
6. Share to Empower: Share your power, your knowledge, and the credit with an open heart. Leadership isn’t a solo journey. When you invite others to support you and pass forward what you’ve learned, you create space for collective growth. We see Hiccup do exactly this—by sharing what he discovered, he empowered his team and sparked a systemic change that benefited everyone.
7. Everything Gets Better With a Systemic Lens: Though this wasn’t something Hiccup did intentionally, it revealed itself to him, and he acted on it. What I took back was that when we approach problems with a systemic lens, we often end up solving many other issues that couldn’t be resolved in isolation.
8) Swap Popularity for Authenticity and Be Willing to Take Risks: Throughout the film, we see how Hiccup stands out (yes, I know he’s the hero and is meant to stand out). What I mean is that the Vikings are portrayed as a strong, tight-knit community: they think alike, follow orders without question, and are defined by action and survival.
Hiccup does not look anything like the other Vikings; he does not sound like them, and he definitely doesn’t act like them. These may be just physical attributes, but they are important because, due to this difference, the other Vikings make fun of him. All. The. Time. Mostly because people believe he will not survive.
Hiccup doesn’t let that dishearten him. When he presents a solution no one had even considered, he’s mocked, shamed, and made to feel guilty. Yet he continues to stand by what he believes is right. Slowly and steadily, he takes risks to challenge and change a system that had always worked against him.
As a leader, if you believe in something that can truly benefit everyone—and I mean everyone, not just humans but the planet as a whole—take the risk. Believe in it until the end. Eventually, the world will begin to see what you see and understand what you mean. Just be patient, keep taking risks, and keep moving forward.
Bonus Points
9) Show, Don’t Tell: These are the simplest yet most powerful lessons. Hiccup led by example, whether he was learning, teaching, or collaborating, he acted first. He often did things alongside his partner or team, making it easier for everyone to understand and grow together.
When it came to earning trust, he was willing to let go of everything and be completely vulnerable, physically, mentally, and emotionally. And then, he waited. He allowed others to witness his authenticity in the moment and reflect it back. Every time he didn’t just say but showed—“I’m just like you”—he was met halfway. Every single time.
10) Acceptance with Grace: This is a learning from Stoick the Vast, Hiccup’s father. Despite being a very “I-know-what-is-best-for-this-community-and-you” kind of a leader, I loved his willingness to accept the new perspective. He kept his ego aside and leaned into the discomfort of being wrong. Yes, it took a lot from Hiccup’s end, but the willingness to accept where your assumption doesn’t hold up and course correct is a mark of a seasoned leader. Stoick the Vast gets points for that and for wanting to be there for his people.
This film moves me every time I watch it. Maybe it’s partly because I see myself in Hiccup—the oddball, clumsy kid with big dreams (also, let’s not forget how adorable Toothless is—have you seen him yet?).
A Story of Hope, Harmony, and the Power of Being Different
But I know it’s more than that. When I see Hiccup, and when I watch this film, I see hope. Hope for a world where harmony is possible, where wars can be replaced with love and compassion. I see a world where all beings can coexist—not just in survival mode, but in a way that allows us all to thrive.
All it takes is a little bit of courage, a medium helping of curiosity, and a whole lot of space for compassion and empathy.
