So far we have turned in five projects and we are almost done with the second week of the altMBA program. I wanted to do another post about what I’ve learned so far. But my mind keeps wandering to The Guardians of the Galaxy.

If you think about it, we are a bunch of bad-asses who didn’t know each other two weeks ago and now working together to make a difference, each relying on our own strengths.

My favorite character is Groot by the way. One of the best scenes from the movie is where he’s kicking the crap out of the bad guys, looking like the Hulk. And then Groot turns around with the biggest, most innocent grin on his face.

His vocabulary is limited to “I am Groot.” This simple phrase turns out to be very versatile…but is stated with different inflections so we understand if he’s happy, thoughtful or angry. His business partner (a very verbose raccoon) is on hand to interpret if necessary.

Groot is easy to love. He has broad appeal, provides comic relief, and the character who provides rare moments of wonder. Groot ultimately saves their lives by sacrificing himself. His last words were “We are Groot.”

Groot is not the leader of The Guardians of the Galaxy, but he leads the way. Those who lead inspire us. They answer the “why”; and I’ve learned that we are stronger by applying our knowledge as a team to answer “why” first.

Thankfully Groot doesn’t stay dead and we get to meet Tiny Dancing Groot at the end. I want one for my kitchen now!