You can all learn something from each other and it is only appropriate to allow your teammates to be open to you and allow them to come up with their own suggestions. And that is why I encourage all of them to show leadership skills and prove why they deserve to be on the team. 

If it was just a matter of, "Shut up, I am in charge here! You cannot tell me what to do! What I say goes" and even a bit of, "Do this right or you are punished or fired", it would create a very uncomfortable team culture and you would be viewed as an obnoxious, self-centred, egotistical jerk and no one would ever like to work under you, let alone be friends with you. That sort of attitude is not in the spirit of either the Royal protocols nor the Circle of Life. It can also inhibit mental focus on your tasks and make you fall faster.

It is also vital to manage your team's workload wisely and ensure that they never work too hard. On certain occasions outside of duty, I head specific training exercises for the team to ensure that we stay warm and technically stable enough to perform our tasks effectively and efficiently. That only comes in every second or third day, though, because almost every day something comes up and we have to attend to our duty. So because we are constantly working, we do not get much time to rest, and when we do get that time, I ensure that we make the most of it with long breaks, recreational activities, and spending time with family. This helps the team to take their minds off their workload and refresh both physically and mentally so that they can keep performing consistently. Otherwise, the fatigue factor would only wear them down faster and they would not be able to do their duty.

Bottom line is, we all need to assist each other both performance-wise and thought-wise, and by doing so, we maintain that sense of camaraderie and function even better as a team.

*

Being a part of a team that has traditionally consisted of only lions would normally have disqualified you from taking place in the Guard, yet here you stand. What does it feel like to be a part of the first Lion Guard to be made of various species?

Ono: For most of us, I believe that it really came as a surprise. None of us, Kion included, where expecting to be much more than free-roaming animals in the beautiful and peaceful place that is the Pride Lands. I was certainly aware of my skills in intellect and radar vision, but when this recruitment for the Guard came up, it made me realise that they really are more useful than what I thought. It just goes to show that, when you get given the chance, you can achieve great things when you make the most of your special abilities.

Fuli: Honestly, I did like the idea initially, but was a little cynical about being commanded by a lion as they are always "lording over the Pride Lands" - that is how I put it. I even doubted Kion's ability at first when he could not even deliver the Roar of the Elders properly. But again, I was just being a little stubborn, because that is just my nature. The truth is, the fact that Kion was being so open in his selection of team members because he needed the very best made me realise that he meant well. He showed plenty of loyalty when considering the special abilities and vital aid of other animals as well as lions, and this resulting change in Lion Guard tradition is a perfect example of what the Circle of Life is all about.

Besthe: I never would have even considered being a part of something bigger than the normal life I had lived. However, I was more than happy to take on the duty as I would be working with my best friends who I knew that I could trust, and therefore guarantee functioning well to get the job done. This new type of Guard, I believe, proved how efficiently both predator and prey can work in unison and express the importance of coexistence. 

Bunga: It feels completely un-Bunga-lieveable! I always wanted a chance to enhance my fearless skills in parkour, facing up to enemies, and seeking justice, and being in the Lion Guard has allowed me to accomplish all of that and more. But being a part of this important - I repeat, important - team has also taught me to be a little more responsible and know when to play it cool. I know that I was excessively enthusiastic and lacked a little control during my early days in the Guard, and often that got both me and the others in trouble. I was always a little complacent in my own comfort zone, and the reality is, you have to be able to adapt outside of your comfort zone when circumstances demand it. I really have tried to go easier and there will be more to learn, but I am pleased that I am progressing well and I hope to continue to impress as time goes on.

Kion: I know that I made this new Guard how it turned out to be and that it certainly raised a few eyebrows, but I always knew for sure who the very best were for the task. At no point was I ever playing a game when making these decisions. Once assigned as new leader of the Guard, I took note of the fact that it was a serious responsibility. So I was always going to treat it that way, otherwise I would have never been trusted to be the leader. The thing is, it is only fair to be egalitarian to our fellow allies. Just having lions as defenders may give an impression of exclusion or favouritism. To me, that is unethical. Every animal who respects the Circle of Life has the right to defend it, and all have their unique individual skills to accomplish that. That deserves to be respected.

There are a few enemies that you have come across multiple times during your time in the Guard. That includes encounters with Janja and the hyenas, Rairai and Goigoi the jackals, Makuu the crocodile the name a few. What strategies do use to get the best of your common enemy?

Ono: It may seem as simple as tracking the enemy down and beating them into submission, and on some occasions it has been that way. But some animals can be a little more cunning than others and will often come up with a plan to get what they want, and that is why we have to counter-attack with our own plan to beat them to the punch. As leader, Kion always comes up with the strategies and we ensure that we listen to his instruction before springing into action. In my case, it will often involve using my keen eyesight to seek out the enemy. Furthermore, I use it in combat by commanding the Guard who is where when they can't see for themselves and who to attack, then they can take it from there.

Fuli: When you have speed, you have to use it to your advantage by outrunning and stranding your enemies right where you want them. If the opposition is trying to chase and capture their targeted prey, or if they are trying to runaway, I use my speed to catch up and block their path. Then if they try to run to various directions, I ensure that I block each path of attempted travel and trap them so they are stranded in the middle, where the rest of the Guard and I can then handle them.

Besthe: You have to use your strength to attack the opposition and weaken them to the point where they have no strength left of their own and will be forced to submit. But you have to ensure that you can indeed out-power them, and if you can't - not much of that against me thus far - you have to use defence and counter-attack manoeuvres to outsmart your opponent before you finish them off with brute strength. It is a very wise way to conserve your energy, otherwise you will be the one that goes down.

Bunga: They will always try and get into your head by playing mind games so that they think they are better than you and that you are afraid of them. But you have to physically show them that you are not going to back down from anything and that you can indeed beat them. You can talk back with your own war of words all you want, but that will mean nothing in physical combat. Furthermore, if you let the mind games get to you, it can be a big distraction and then put you off your game, which will lead to defeat. As long as you block the psychological warfare from your mind and focus on the task at hand, including strategising how you can better them, you will usually stay on the giving end of the fight. 

Kion: Getting the best of your opposition is never an easy task when you attempt and full on assault without strategy. It is even harder when you face either a new opponent who you have not met, or a species of animal that you are not familiar with. Therefore you have no idea of their own strategies or natural instincts that can fall to their advantage. That is why it is important to know and understand your enemy before you prevail against them. By doing so, you gain further knowledge and create new advanced strategies in how you can overcome them. Furthermore, once you face them more than once, you gain greater confidence in knowing that you understand their instincts and desires to enforce a higher likely chance of victory.

But there are other supposed 'enemies' out there who may not be as bad at first impression if you really get to know them. Just because they may seem suspicious doesn't always mean they are plotting something evil. You always have to know for sure before you act, otherwise it creates unwanted conflict and therefore distrust among fellow allies.

There are two instances where we made this mistake. One was where I got misplaced in the Outlands and had to find my way back into the Pride Lands, only to run into a lone female hyena along the way. I preached at her because  I thought she would cause trouble - like Janja's clan usually did to us Pridelanders - but she actually helped me to get out of the Outlands and taught me about the true common instincts among hyenas and how we actually do have certain traits in common. She added how Janja and his clan were different because they were greedy and ate more than their share.