The classic twist in the parable of the prodigal son is perhaps as old as the tale itself. Such is the story of Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings — a box office hit with an IMDb rating of 8/10.

 

After its release on 2nd September 2021, the film has received generally positive reviews from critics and fans alike. They have praised the acting, story, fight scenes, and special effects (which were said to be on par with the Marvel Cinematic Universe like Dr. Strange, Guardian of the Galaxy, Iron Man, etc).

 

Though we doubt you are yet to see it, allow us to give you a spoiler alert and ask you to ignore it and read on anyway!

 

The film is set one year after the events of Avengers: Endgame and follows the titular character Shang-Chi (played by Simu Liu) who was born into a secret Chinese clan of martial artists called "The Ten Rings," ruled by their leader, Xu Wenwu (played by Tony Leung). Much like the parable, the elder son leaves the house to live his own life, thereby creating animosity towards his sibling. However, unlike the classic tale, the siblings repair their familial bonds, and Shang-Chi, though destitute, never asks to return to his father or begs for his fortune. Outright rejecting his father’s goals, he gains the power of the titular Ten Rings and becomes no less than a superhero!

 

This movie marks new territory for Marvel Studios by showcasing the unexpected. It removes some of the racism associated with Asian characters and portrayed them as strong, independent individuals, ready to fight back rather than being victimized and rescued. It provides audiences with the representation of who Asian characters really are rather than enforcing stereotypes on them.

 

And that's not all. The movie also carries nuggets of motivation for the viewers, inspiring them to stay true to their spirit. Therefore, in this blog, we take a look at some of the excellent pieces of business advice that entrepreneurs, as well as established business moguls, can gain from the movie.

 

With that in mind, let’s dive right into:

 

6 Lessons from Shang-Chi for Your Inner Entrepreneur

 

Shang-Chi is a tale of good and evil, loss and grief, misplaced intentions, and most importantly, teamwork. Our protagonist Shaun aka Shang-Chi runs away from his father’s cult organization after being asked to assassinate at the age of 14. He then creates a beautiful life for himself in America. But when faced with his past and attacked, he knows he must return to his family to lay his inner demons to rest.

 

He is accompanied by his best friend, Katy (played by Awkwafina), a character you can’t stop rooting for. After a surprise appearance by Sorcerer Supreme Wong — a Mortal Kombat with his estranged sister Xu Xialing, the gang realizes that this is Xu Wenwu’s twisted idea of a family reunion.

 

Shang-Chi’s adventure continues, with some old and new faces being added to the ragtag group of warriors with nothing to lose. As the group inches their way towards the final showdown, we realize that not everything is black or white, right or wrong. They keep on forging ahead anyway, demonstrating the true spirit of an entrepreneur.

 

Here we present the essence of this movie in the form of 6 lessons that you can apply to your own business. We also supplement these lessons with a PowerPoint template so that you can make the right impact.

 

1. It takes a village…

 

When the very embodiment of evil wages war against you, count on your team to help out.

 

As we see throughout the movie, Shang-Chi is an amazing martial artist. But this is a challenge that he cannot take alone, physically or emotionally. By his side are his chosen family, Katy (who becomes an excellent marksman), his sister, and his aunt (played by the amazing Michelle Yeoh). Not only does he learn to improve his skills from his aunt in the sacred village, but he is also kept grounded by the support of his loved ones to take on the battle with his father.

 

(Not to mention, the final blow that won the war could never have been delivered if Katy hadn’t saved the soul of our great protector!)

The lesson and the template

If you’re a member of a team, it is important to remember that the team cannot function without you. Your input is quintessential to the big picture of the project. And if you’re the leader, you cannot complete the project alone. If a warrior with the power of the Ten Rings needs a team, so do we.

 

Therefore, a team needs to be nourished and each member must realize their worth.

 

To do this right, you can employ the PPT template below. Because if you don't, evil might win!

 

Team Introduction Workforce And Responsibilities PowerPoint Presentation With Slides

 

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2. Only a good leader can lead their team to victory

 

Without a proper leader, the team members lack direction and purpose. Beyond the work they do, it is important that people realize the why of their work. It is important to know where they are contributing and how it is being used.

 

Shang-Chi is the de facto leader of our team of heroes but that’s not all. For him, his aunt Ying Nan leads him down the right path. The same is true for his sister Xialing, another formidable martial artist. As for Katy, we see her blossom under the guidance of Guang Bo, who then leads the entire army of the hidden village of Ta Lo when evil comes knocking at the door.

 

There is no doubt that without these leaders and their guidance, the victory would have gone to the side of evil.

The lesson and the template

Leaders can use the diverse talents of their team to drive them to success. This is a rather rare talent that ought to be nurtured by every business. It is, therefore, the responsibility of an organization to ensure that the people they choose to lead a team are up to the job. These leaders need to be trained properly and regularly, for which we offer the following PowerPoint layout.

 

Team Leader Management Powerpoint Presentation Slides

 

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3. Don’t jump into a battle without information

 

Who is your enemy? What are their strengths? What motivates them? And how do you defeat them?

 

It is understandable that facing your opponents without having answered these questions is foolishness. So it is absolutely necessary that you learn about the opponent for gaining a chance to defeat them in their own game. Razor Fist learned it too late, thereby proving his army to be no match for the soul-eaters. But in the end, he quickly joins the good side and starts using the dragon scale (the only weapon that can kill those monsters).

 

Having changed sides and learned the proper use of weapons, the army of the Ten Rings and Ta Lo, together, have a chance to defeat the enemy.

The lesson and the template

Whether you’re fighting a soul-sucking monster or tackling a difficult project, it is necessary to have essential data ready before you take any action, lest you will keep making mistakes and wasting everyone’s time, including your own.

 

Make it a priority to go through the learning process and understand every aspect of the project before you start working on it. We have added the perfect PPT deck below to aid you in this proposition.

 

Learning Plan Powerpoint Presentation Slides with Shang-Chi

 

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4. No matter how chaotic it gets, always have a plan

 

In the heat of the battle, it is easy to get lost and lose sight of your goal. That is why you should always plan before going into the battlefield. When the army of Ta Lo was attacked, they had their formations ready. They knew who would be stationed where and for what purpose. Similarly, as team Shang-Chi lends a hand against the Ten Rings, Shang-Chi goes after his father to cut off the organization's head and finish the battle.

 

Loyalties and priorities change among this chaos when the true villain shows up. Both the clans adjust to this abominable circumstance and get ready to fight the new enemy instantly. This is because they know their mission.

The lesson and the template

Any new endeavor will fail unless you know your goals. This is why you must plan out each step of the project in as much detail as possible. We bring you the following PPT theme to not only plan out your project but to communicate it properly to others.

 

Planning Framework Powerpoint Presentation Slides with Shang-Chi

 

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5. Recognize what’s at risk

 

The soldiers of Ta Lo knew that casualties were bound to happen since they were going against the Dweller in darkness. The Ten Rings also knew that it was going to be a bloody battle, however, their loyalty to Xu Wenwu and his cause of saving his wife made them overcome this fear.

 

The battle saw the loss of many warriors. but the risk was worth the cause — to save humanity from darkness.

The lesson and the template

Your new project has a significantly lower chance of causing death or severe harm, but no venture is without risk. You may lose your funding, your reputation, or even your job. Therefore, it is important to analyze these risks beforehand and find ways to manage and minimize them as much as possible.

 

To help you with this, we bring to you the following risk management PowerPoint preset. Use it to ensure that you overcome any risk you may encounter.

 

Risk Management Plan In Business Powerpoint Presentation Slides

 

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6. Learn to go with the flow, no matter how contradictory

 

If you recall, we mentioned that this movie shows that not everything is black and white. As we look at Wenwu, one of the villains of the story, we can sympathize with his motivation. If any of us had a chance to get back our loved ones, we certainly would take it, no matter the cost.

 

As the actual villain comes into the picture, we see Wenwu sacrificing his life to save his son whom he was fighting 10 seconds ago. Though he wasn't a hero, he wasn't a villain either. We also see the Ten Rings join forces with the Ta Lo army to fight the Dweller in Darkness — led under the heroic guidance of Xialing.

The lesson and the template

Circumstances change, so we must also change, even if it seems like we’re rowing in the opposite direction. If an army of assassins can be flexible, so can we. Rather we should be!

 

As you see the changes happening, alter your plans to suit the new situation. It’s not always fun, but it is necessary. To help ease this transition, we have the PPT set below.

 

Change Management Powerpoint Presentation Slides

 

Grab this template

 

On a final note

 

Despite a number of doomsday predictions, Shang-Chi has done amazingly on every metric an action movie can be judged; a fact that the cast and crew of the movie are well aware and proud of!

 

With a team of talented members who believe in themselves and a leader who believes in their skills, success is inevitable. Nothing can stop you from building something that is greater than the sum of its parts.

 

Without a shred of doubt, you can bring out this magic with PowerPoint designs crafted by SlideTeam, my dear reader. So go ahead and make your mark, whether you’re a member of the team or the leader of the group. After all, we all have our roles to play!

 

P.S: There’s no dearth of inspiration that one can get from Marvel movies. Take a look at these 5 business takeaways that we dug out from Avengers: Endgame.