In their excellent book, Laziness Does Not Exist, Dr. Devon Price argues that the myth of the heroes journey highlights how individualistic problem-solving and world/galaxy-saving is wrongly elevated in pop culture. While I take issue with some of Price’s examples (the interdependency of Luke, Han, and Leia – not to mention Chewie, R2D2, and C-3P0! – is a powerful narrative device in Star Wars stories, which Price fails to acknowledge), there is a ton of evidence to support how everything from fictional stories to workplace cultures overvalue individualism and downplay community building and cooperation. This is why I want to highlight four lessons in interdependency from the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Not only was Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem the best movie I saw this summer (for the record, I didn’t see Across the Spider-verse or Barbie), but these heroes-in-half-shells, each with their own unique skills and personalities, have a lot to teach us about how the power of selflessness, winning as a team, and collaborative problem-solving cultivates interdependency in communities.

Foster Interdependency

Be egoless

Leonardo, Raphael, Donatello, and Michelangelo exemplify egolessness (for the record, this is in the Mutant Mayhem universe, as Raph definitely has ego/steroid issues in most of the other films). Aspiring leader Leonardo, for example, strives to cultivate the importance of sacrificing personal desires for the greater good within the team. Even though he gets off to a rocky start because he confesses the turtles’ dad, Splinter, that they were watching a movie instead of getting groceries. This said, Leo’s willingness to lead by example, follow Splinter’s guidance, and put the team’s mission above his own interests is a testament to the power of selflessness.

One of the ways that the turtles cultivate interdependency is by constantly teasing each other. By minute one of the above video Michelangelo is sarcastically saying “okay, Batman” to Leo, who is trying to hype up his brothers with a pep-talk about procuring groceries, and by minute two in the above video Donatello says “you sound like you have bronchitis” after Leo, once again, tries to embody the Dark Knight. When it comes to teasing and good-natured-ribbing, Leo knows that his brothers have his back and that their slights are designed to foster equity and belonging by reminding him that no one is above the community.

Be prosocial

Prosocial behaviour means acting in the community’s interest not because it benefits us, but because it serves the public good through fostering interdependent networks. Italian Economist Stefano Zamagni argues that seeking to help the world is an emerging worklife practice: “prosocial (such as the increasingly numerous consumers who support and sustain the fair trade and ethical finance movements; or the businessmen, also increasing in number, who are instituting democratic stakeholding in their firms as the practical expression of corporate social responsibility).” Despite their father’s “objectively prejudice” take on humans, the turtles are interested in humans and genuinely care about their community’s wellbeing.

Caring about others boosts our own mental health. Whether we help a colleague with a project, clean up a park or beach in our neighbourhood, or touch base with an old friend to see how they’re holding up during, you know, the apocalypse we not only make the world a little bit better, but we build our vitality, too. When the turtles figure out that being in service of the community (by defeating a giant mutant), as opposed to being liked, is a great reflection of prosocial behaviour they realize their potential as teammates and community-members, too.

Solve problems together

Teams, especially diverse teams, are better at solving problems than individuals and monolithic communities. According to HBR‘s David Rock and Heidi Grant, “Hiring individuals who do not look, talk, or think like you can allow you to dodge the costly pitfalls of conformity, which discourages innovative thinking.” Perhaps your next hiring campaign should include Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles…

The turtles are master improvisors, which makes them excellent at problem solving as a team in the moment. As ninjas (not to mention teenagers), they are required to solve-problems an innovate on the spot. Donatello’s intellect, often paired with Michelangelo’s ability to defuse situations with humour, helps the team overcome technological challenges and tricky situations. From constructing innovative gadgets to strategizing against formidable foes, they demonstrate the power of combining different perspectives to find solutions. When we’re really good at carrying out scripted work everything is fine as long as everything goes according to plan. But this rarely happens in life, which is why scripts get re-written and why films have editors. When you live in the moment you must be an incredible listener so that you can react really well to your audience and/or colleagues.

Win as a team

Speaking of improv, celebrated improvisers and movie-makers Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele emphasize the importance of eliminating your own ego, fostering interdependency, and striving to win as a team on the improv stage: “It’s almost like we’re serving Key and Peele second and the God of Improvisation first.” Everything gets easier when everybody is focused in the same way on the same goal and working together to achieve it. One of the most important lessons the Ninja Turtles teach is that true success lies in unity and collaboration. Each turtle has a unique skill set that contributes to the team’s overall effectiveness. Donatello’s intelligence, Michelangelo’s humor, Raphael’s determination/rage, and Leonardo’s leadership all come together to form a winning combination.

Adam Grant’s TED Talk about what makes championship teams so successful highlights is the blend of humility and narcissism, capabilities reflected in many grounded, prosocial teenagers … even mutant ones, because this enables stars to perform in the right place at the right time by putting their unique talents on full display. In a society that sometimes glorifies individualism, the turtles remind us that success and fulfillment are often found in working together by enabling, not hiding from, our interdependencies with others. Their example showcases the value of setting aside personal desires for the greater good, appreciating the unique strengths each team member brings to the table, and embracing diversity to foster creative problem-solving.