Brains, Heart, and Courage: What Leaders Really Build

In every unit, leaders shape others, sometimes through example, sometimes through failure, but always through influence. Throughout my career, I found that the leaders who shaped me most were not the ones with the most authority, but those who helped me see strengths I did not recognize in myself. Few stories capture this dynamic of personal growth as vividly as The Wizard of Oz.

Dorothy and Toto are swept away in a tornado to the distant land called Oz, where she begins a journey to find her way home. Along the yellow brick road, she meets the Scarecrow, the Tin Man, and the Lion, each seeking something they thought was lacking. They perceived something essential was missing and they sought answers from the Wizard.

Beneath the adventure is a narrative about learning, self-awareness, and the role of mentorship. Each character reflects a different form, and failure, of mentorship. Research consistently shows that people with mentors are more satisfied with their careers and committed to their organization.¹ When viewed through a leadership development lens, The Wizard of Oz becomes a metaphor for how people grow not because mentors provide answers, but because they invest in relationships that foster experience, feedback, and encouragement. Mentors help others see what they already possess. 

Dorothy and the Journey of Self-Discovery

When Dorothy arrives in the land of Oz, she’s uncertain, inexperienced, and far from her comfort zone. Many young professionals, and new leaders, recognize this feeling when stepping into unfamiliar responsibilities. Throughout the story, she seeks guidance to help her find the way home, mirroring a mentee’s desire for direction, clarity, and reassurance. 

Self-discovery requires understanding who you truly are, your values, motivations, and leadership identity. Obstacles become the experiences necessary that shape growth. Dorothy’s journey illustrates a key principle of mentorship: effective mentors do not solve problems for others; they develop others’ capacity to solve them. She grows not because someone shows her the exact path, but because each interaction helps her realize her own capabilities and potential.

The Scarecrow and Intellectual Mentorship

The Scarecrow, convinced that he lacks a brain, represents mentees who doubt their own abilities. Yet throughout the story, he demonstrates strategic thinking and reasoning. His misjudgment echoes developing leaders who underestimate their own knowledge, skills, and judgment.

Dorothy's encouragement creates space for the Scarecrow to think, make mistakes, and adapt, exactly what good mentors do well. They build psychological safety that allows mentees to take risks and acknowledge mistakes without fear of humiliation.² This opens opportunities for learning. The irony is that the Scarecrow’s desire to get a brain is unnecessary. When the Wizard hands him a diploma, it only confirms the strengths he already possessed.

The Tin Man and Emotional Mentorship

The Tin Man, frozen in the forest until Dorothy helps free him, believes he lacks a heart. This symbolizes emotional insecurity rather than an absence of empathy. Despite his own self-doubt, he consistently shows compassion, unaware that he already embodies the qualities he thinks he lacks. His journey highlights how leaders benefit from acknowledging and expressing their emotions. 

When mentors show vulnerability and empathy, they build trust and strengthen communication. As Steinbrecher and Bennett note in Heart-Centered Leadership, emotionally aware mentors inspire mentees to engage more fully and confidently.³ The Tin Man’s development shows that effective leadership is rooted not in perfection but in authentic emotional connection, and that recognizing our own capacity for care is essential to leading well. 

The Lion and Courage and Confidence

The Cowardly Lion fears he has no courage, yet he acts bravely whenever it matters, proving otherwise. Courage is not the absence of fear, but the action in spite of it. His story captures the essence of peer mentorship.

Peer mentorship involves people with shared experiences who grow by exchanging challenges, insights, and support. Dorothy and her companions’ belief in the Lion helps him believe in himself. Many leaders and professionals wrestle with imposter syndrome, even when their performance demonstrates competence. The Lion shows that mentorship does not always come from someone older or more experienced. Often, confidence grows most powerfully within a supportive community. 

The Wizard and Illusion of Authority

When Dorothy and her companions meet the Wizard, his imposing image quickly dissolves into a hard truth: behind the smoke and spectacle stands an ordinary man. He represents leaders who rely on rank, position, or image rather than transparency and authenticity. 

The Wizard withholds guidance, creates distance, and manipulates expectations. His leadership is one of control rather than development. He provides symbols of achievement, but not the mentorship or confidence the group needed. His character shows that power alone does not equal leadership.

Leaders who hide behind their “curtain,” avoiding vulnerability, feedback and investment in others, undermine trust. The Wizard is a cautionary example for leaders who confuse the performance of authority with the practice of leadership. 

Glinda and Empowering Mentorship

In contrast, Glinda the Good Witch embodies empowering mentorship. She appears at key moments not to direct Dorothy through her obstacles, but to guide her toward making her own decisions effectively. Glinda knows Dorothy possesses the ability to return home but also recognizes she must discover it herself. 

Empowering mentors do the following well:

• Provide clarity without dictating the path

• Encourage growth through reflection

• Create space for mistakes and learning

• Guide without taking control

  
  

Glinda demonstrates that mentorship is not about giving power but awakening it.

Her approach counters the Wizard’s illusion, showing how leaders can provide humility, presence, and empowerment more effectively than authority or spectacle. 

Modern Mentorship and Leadership 

The Wizard of Oz aligns closely with transformational leadership, a model centered on inspiring others while helping them recognize and develop their own potential.⁴ Transformational leaders use idealized influence, inspirational motivation, intellectual stimulation, and individualized consideration, all traits evident throughout Dorothy’s journey.

Dorothy’s mentors do not simply provide answers; they guide her toward discovering her own capabilities. This reflects transformational leadership’s emphasis on confidence rather than dependence. The story also shows that mentorship flows in multiple directions. Glinda provides guidance, but Dorothy learns alongside her companions, and they grow because of each other. This creates an environment of trust, learning, and shared experience.

Authenticity emerges as a defining leadership trait.

The Wizard’s façade erodes trust, while Glinda’s honesty reinforces it. Transformational leadership depends on credibility built through transparency and humility. Leaders who share their lessons, successes and failures, create environments where growth feels safe. 

Finally, the story reveals that strong leadership development is holistic. The Scarecrow, the Tin Man, and Lion each represent cognitive, emotional, and moral growth. Transformational mentorship integrates all three, preparing people to lead with competence, empathy, and courage. 

Application in Professional and Military Contexts

These mentorship themes translate effectively into military environments where developing confident and capable leaders is essential. New leaders often enter an organization like Dorothy, aware of their responsibilities but uncertain of the path ahead. Effective mentors help them navigate uncertainty without removing the opportunities for growth. 

The Scarecrow, the Tin Man, and Lion reflect leadership-development challenges. Many people underestimate their intellect, just as the Scarecrow doubts his own ability to think through problems. Others question their emotional engagement, like the Tin Man, despite showing consistent empathy. Some struggle with confidence, resembling the Lion, who performs well in the face of fear. Mentors who recognize these patterns can provide targeted guidance that builds competence and self-belief. 

The Wizard provides a cautionary lesson for leaders who rely on authority or image rather than competence, collaboration, and honesty. In contrast, mentorship grounded in shared experiences and humility creates environments where initiative, adaptability, and critical thinking can thrive. Mentors must balance direction with empowerment. Teams that are trusted to solve problems independently become resilient and capable, even without direct oversight.

The Yellow Brick Road as a Mentorship Journey

The yellow brick road represents more than Dorothy's path to the Emerald City; it symbolizes the universal journey of growth and self-discovery that everyone travels. Each companion reflects a different dimension of development. The Scarecrow shows that intellect often needs affirmation more than replacement. The Tin Man reminds us that emotional awareness can be hidden even from ourselves. The Lion demonstrates that courage is often present long before we recognize it.

The Wizard shows how fragile leadership becomes when it’s built on smoke and mirrors rather than authenticity. And Glinda illustrates what genuine mentorship achieves when it empowers rather than directs.

Humans are wired for connection. We learn through relationships, gain strength from shared experiences, and understand ourselves better because of those we surround ourselves with. Dorothy’s journey underscores that no one grows in isolation. The connections she forms do more than help her navigate Oz, they help her realize the strengths she already carries.

Mentorship is not about giving people a path; it’s about giving them the courage to walk on their own.

Just as Dorothy possessed the means to return home from the moment the journey began, people often carry untapped strengths that skilled mentors help uncover. The destination matters, but the companions we learn from along the way matter even more.

References: ¹ Rajashi Ghosh and Thomas G. Reio, "Career Benefits Associated with Mentoring for Mentors: A Meta-Analysis," Journal of Vocational Behavior 83, no. 1 (2013): 106.

² Sara King, "How and Why to Create Safety within Your Teams," World Wide Technology, November 9, 2020, https://www.wwt.com/article/how-and-why-to-create-safety-within-your-teams. 

³ Susan Steinbrecher and Joel B. Bennett, Heart-Centered Leadership: An Invitation to Lead from the Inside Out (Memphis: Black Pants Publishing, 2003).

⁴ Corporate Finance Institute, "Transformational Leadership," last modified February 14, 2022, https://corporatefinanceinstitute.com/resources/management/transformational-leadership/.

Jakob Hutter is a logistics officer in the Kansas Army National Guard. He holds a Master of Science in Organizational Leadership, a Bachelor of Science in History, and is a member of the Military Writers Guild.