Brooklyn Nine-Nine Pt. 1: Leadership Tool - The Dojo
In this episode of WonderTour, Brian Nutwell and Drew Paroz break down the first Halloween Heist episode of Brooklyn Nine-Nine (Season 1, Episode 6) and uncover how Captain Holt’s unexpected indulgence in the shenanigans offers a masterclass in game theory, mentorship, and team development.
🎯 Key Takeaways:
🔹 Leadership isn’t always about winning—sometimes, it’s about setting the stage for others to grow.
🔹 The “dojo” concept is introduced: a safe, playful, and challenging environment where failure is part of the learning journey.
🔹 Game theory isn't just strategy—it can be a joyful framework for collaborative growth and innovation.
🔹 Constraints breed creativity: Holt sets boundaries, not solutions, letting his team find their own path to success.
🔹 Great leaders curate problems, not prescribe answers.
💬 Memorable Quotes:
🔹 “Sometimes you play the game even when you’re not holding the best cards.”
🔹 “The dojo is a place to learn how to do a thing… but it’s also super fun.”
🔹 “A leader’s job is to constrain the problem, not the solution.”
🕹️ Pop Culture Meets Leadership:
This episode connects the high jinks of a Halloween heist to practical leadership concepts like bluffing, trust, and motivating a team through play. Inspired by The Matrix, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, and real-life management moments, Brian and Drew reveal how to make work both effective and fun.
🎯 Key Takeaways:
🔹 Leadership isn’t always about winning—sometimes, it’s about setting the stage for others to grow.
🔹 The “dojo” concept is introduced: a safe, playful, and challenging environment where failure is part of the learning journey.
🔹 Game theory isn't just strategy—it can be a joyful framework for collaborative growth and innovation.
🔹 Constraints breed creativity: Holt sets boundaries, not solutions, letting his team find their own path to success.
🔹 Great leaders curate problems, not prescribe answers.
💬 Memorable Quotes:
🔹 “Sometimes you play the game even when you’re not holding the best cards.”
🔹 “The dojo is a place to learn how to do a thing… but it’s also super fun.”
🔹 “A leader’s job is to constrain the problem, not the solution.”
🕹️ Pop Culture Meets Leadership:
This episode connects the high jinks of a Halloween heist to practical leadership concepts like bluffing, trust, and motivating a team through play. Inspired by The Matrix, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, and real-life management moments, Brian and Drew reveal how to make work both effective and fun.
Creators and Guests
Host
Brian Nutwell
Brian Nutwell is an experienced product, process, and analysis leader. He loves connecting with other people and their passions, taking absolutely everything back to first principles, and waking up each day with the hope of learning something new. He is delighted to join Wonder Tour, to help discover pragmatic leadership lessons in our favorite mythic stories.
Host
Drew Paroz
Drew Paroz leads at the intersection point of people, data, and strategy. For Drew, nothing is better than breaking down problems and systems into building blocks of thought except using those blocks to synthesize fresh models. Drew is on a lifelong Wonder Tour to help take those building blocks into life change in himself and others.
