As a child, I was a massive fan of The Muppet Show. Those brightly colored characters who would sing, dance, and make you laugh were all you wanted in entertainment. It was hard not to be a fan.

As an adult, I look back at this group of puppets and realize the true brilliance of the show’s brainchild, Jim Henson.

Henson was smart enough to know he needed other creators to help him see his vision through. He knew that if he combined all those talents, they could create something better than he could’ve created by himself.

This talented group of diverse people gave us The Muppets.

Humility and cooperation are essential if you want to create something impactful. You probably can’t do it all on your own, and even if you could, why would you want to? For the credit? It’s overrated.

Achieving something with a team is far more gratifying.

Here’s what The Muppets taught me about teamwork:

Include people that are different than you — way different

The Muppets are a wide array of misfits. Kermit is the operations frog, Fozzie is the emotional support bear, Animal speaks no words but is a happy and free musician, and Gonzo is the stuntman – who is also in love with a chicken.

Somehow this all works.

Miss Piggy is a demanding diva, yet she harnesses her energy to do good for the group. That’s the thing — each character uses their quirks to do good for the group and ensure the others are supported.

This is teamwork.

Understand your blind spots

You’re not good at everything. I’m not either. We need other people to help us with things we’re not experts at managing. A blind spot is just something in which you don’t excel.

I understand I’m not great at expressing emotion, so I made sure other leaders on my team were good at it. This way, the team was more balanced, and the door to communication was propped open wider.

As a retail leader, I was Kermit. I needed a Fozzie Bear to make me laugh and ensure everyone else felt supported when I needed to be hacking away on a computer.

After I handled all the operational stuff, I could then come out and have a good time with everyone because my other leaders provided me the space to do it.

Misfits will make your team better

Companies spend way too much time worrying about culture. Include upbeat, talented people no matter what they look like or where they come from — boom! You have your culture.

Design guru Brian Collins said it best:

“Henson realized that his own talent was amplified, accelerated, and colorized by bringing in collaborators that were different. He went out to find people that were infinitely better than he was. What they created was better than what he could’ve done by himself.”

The teams I led were rag-tag groups. They included artists, surfers, nerds, Comic-Con nuts — you name it. Everyone helped out and did their part.

I promoted young misfits into leadership positions throughout my 24-year retail career. Most of these people didn’t see themselves as leaders, but they were. They were kind, hardworking, open to learning, and helping others.

That’s a leader!

By letting them show up every day as their true selves, and letting them show me the best part of themselves, they thrived. The entire team succeeded.

The Muppets smashed it when they used everyone’s talents together and supported one another. They came together to put on a show, but that’s no different than your job. You work with a group of people to achieve a common goal — it’s the same thing.

Let people be their true selves. Listen to their ideas and be open to new ways of advancing your company forward. The person whom you think may not “fit” could be exactly who you need.

The next time you’re looking for inspiration on how to lead or motivate a team, watch The Muppet Show. They are a shining example of  teamwork — and entertaining as well.