The shelves of business and leadership literature are filled with frameworks, philosophies, and battle-tested memoirs. From Drucker to Lencioni, from fighter pilots to former generals, there’s no shortage of advice on how to be effective, decisive, and successful.
But this isn’t about that.
This is going to hopefully be the first post in a series about fictional leaders. I’ve wanted to do something like this for a long time, and it’s been stewing long enough to start. These leaders who came to power not through elections or command posts, but through storytelling. These are leaders imagined by writers, puppeteers, and creators who sat down and asked: What would it look like if someone led with hope? With principle? With purpose? Sometimes they’re deeply flawed, and sometimes they’re perfect. But they’re interesting because they reflect their creator’s idea of leadership.
They are not always realistic. They’re not meant to be. But that’s the point. Fictional leaders don’t reflect the world as it is. They reflect the world as it could be.
And among these imagined icons of leadership, there was one that stands out as the obvious choice for the first post. A frog. Green, anxious, perpetually overwhelmed, and still deeply inspiring.
Kermit has been my favorite character since I was a very little boy. Now, my son has his own Kermit puppet. Sometimes it offers him life advice (with a little help from Dad’s hand), and sometimes we just sit together and sing “The Rainbow Connection.” Kermit’s been a source of joy for two generations in our house. But he’s also something more. He’s a model of the kind of leader I think more of us could be like.
Kermit the Frog: Leading Through Inclusion
Kermit isn’t a traditional leader. He doesn’t have the force of command or the gravitas of a storied past. He doesn’t demand attention, and he certainly doesn’t try to control the chaos.
Instead, Kermit leads by including.
He makes space for pigs, bears, chickens, and whatevers. His leadership is not about being the smartest or loudest in the room. It’s about being the one who believes that everyone has something valuable to bring to the table, or the stage as it were.
In the backstage mayhem of The Muppet Show, Kermit is the only thing holding the production together. Not by sheer will, but by faith in his ragtag team. He believes that if they just get on stage, even if the magic act explodes or the chicken choir misses its cue, something wonderful might happen.
And that belief is infectious. Because this is what leaders do: they sell a vision.
Kermit’s vision, singing, dancing, and making people happy) isn’t exclusive. It grows through inclusion. And when people are invited into that kind of vision, when they’re not just hired hands but co-creators, they’re inspired to contribute. They feel a sense of belonging. They take ownership. The vision becomes theirs too.
That ethos is summed up in one line:
“Yeah, well, I’ve got a dream too, but it’s about singing and dancing and making people happy. That’s the kind of dream that gets better the more people you share it with”
—Kermit the Frog (The Muppet Movie)
Kermit doesn’t just tolerate differences. He actively welcomes them. He invites the odd, the awkward, and the out-of-step into something joyful and meaningful. And he doesn’t just expect them to contribute. He trusts they will.
That’s more than kindness. That’s a deliberate leadership strategy rooted in inclusion and in building a vision big enough for everyone.
And of course, Kermit offers a little practical advice too:
“Always be yourself. Never take yourself too seriously. And beware of advice from experts, pigs, and members of Parliament.”
—Kermit the Frog, It’s Not Easy Being Green: And Other Things to Consider
The Henson Connection: Culture by Design
Kermit’s leadership style didn’t appear out of nowhere. It was shaped by the temperament and values of his creator, Jim Henson.
Henson was known not just for his creative genius, but for the environment he fostered. His sets were collaborative, supportive, and playful. He hired people who weren’t just talented, but kind. He encouraged risk-taking and made it okay to fail gloriously in front of your peers (Fast Company).
That culture lives in Kermit. It’s why he feels so familiar. Not as a boss, but as a colleague who happens to carry the clipboard.
Kermit isn’t a parody of leadership. He’s Jim Hensons’ ideal, grounded not in dominance, but in care.
Leadership Doesn’t Always Look Like Leadership
Kermit rarely gets the credit. The glory usually goes to the act on stage, not the frog behind the curtain. But that’s part of the lesson.
Great leadership often looks less like commanding and more like orchestrating. Less like demanding perfection and more like creating the conditions where people can be their most chaotic, brilliant selves.
And when it all goes wrong, which it often does, Kermit takes a deep breath, winces at the debris, and says, “Let’s try it again next week.” Or when things are really bad, he still refuses to quit:
“Because I’m not giving up! I’m still here and I’m stayin'”
Kermit The Frog — The Muppets Take Manhattan (my favorite Muppet movie!)
That too is leadership.
Last Thoughts
Kermit wants the dream to grow. He wants to include as many creatures as he can.
He doesn’t demand to be in charge. He’s rarely in the spotlight. But everyone trusts him, because they know how much he loves what they do. And more importantly, they know he believes in them.
That kind of belief is what makes the whole show work. And that’s what makes Kermit, felt and foam and all, one of the most beautifully powerful leaders ever created, and one my all time favorites.
