How to Be a Boss: 15 Tips from Game of Thrones

by Shopify Editorial Team
Image of Daenerys Targaryen riding a scaly dragon into a war scene with fires underneath them and people fighting So you wanna be a boss. Netflix and chill will yourself to get off the couch already. How to Be a Boss (According to Your Favorite Shows) is your excuse to binge all the TV you want. It’s career inspiration, right?

For a show featuring dragons, Game of Thrones has surprisingly taught us a lot about the real world. Namely, that being the best isn’t always easy. The bid for the Iron Throne is not for the faint of heart, but neither is being a boss.

Both IRL and in the world of #GoT, being a boss is about overcoming hardship and taking control—of your destiny, your career, and yourself. And we’ve had some pretty great examples, whether it’s Daenerys owning her fate and crossing the Narrow Sea with the largest army the world has ever seen (which FYI, everyone told her was impossible), or Arya killing the Night King. The Seven Kingdoms is chock full of people looking to come out on top, and sometimes, that means being cutthroat. Literally.

So whether you’re hoping to rule the Seven Kingdoms—or just rule your life—look no further than these 15 tips to live or die by, courtesy of your Westerosi faves.

1. Always ride in style. A strong entrance is the key to success, and nothing says “listen to me” like a fire-breathing dragon. Trust us.
Jon Snow rides on the back of one of Daenerys’s dragons through the mountains in the North.
HBO
2. Perfect an icy side-eye that’s as cold as the wall.
Sansa Stark stands in the courtyard of Winterfell, with Podrick and Brienne of Tarth in the background. Sansa looks off camera, glaring at someone approaching.
Helen Sloan/HBO
3. Keep your friends close, and your enemies closer—especially when said enemy is your potential future sister-in-law/quasi niece?
Sansa Stark and Daenerys sit opposite each other at a table, hands clasped.
Helen Sloan/HBO
4. Make sure your workspace is decorated to your liking for maximum productivity. Severed, flaming limbs in a shabby-chic castle? To each their own.
Three men stand in front of a wall with burning limbs in a circular design.
HBO
5. Don’t be afraid to collaborate or ask for help.
Daenerys and Tyrion Lannister sit on a step and talk to each other.
Helen Sloan/HBO
6. R&R is important. Plan a sunny vacay to Naath with the one you love, even if everyone knows you won’t make said vacay.
Grey Worm and Missandei stand close to each other in the courtyard of Winterfell.
Helen Sloan/HBO
7. Being a boss has no age—or gender—limit. Just look at little Lady Lyanna Mormont: she’s led her house, sassed men twice her age, and gone into battle against the undead, all before becoming a teenager.
Lyanna Mormont, dressed in armor, stands in the snow and looks off-camera at something approaching.
Helen Sloan/HBO
8. Dress for the job you want, not the job you have.
Cersei Lannister sits on the Iron Throne in a crown.
HBO
9. Confidence is key.
Daenerys, appearing angry, looks off-camera.
Mocal B. Polay/HBO
10. Be assertive—both personally and professionally… 
Arya Stark and Gendry Baratheon kiss.
HBO
11. But definitely don’t mix business with pleasure.
Jon Snow and Daenerys stand close to each other, looking into each other’s eyes in front of a waterfall.
HBO
12. Find something unique that makes you stand out—even if it weirds people out a bit, like chugging a giant’s breast milk, for example.
Tormund stands in front of Brienne of Tarth in the courtyard of Winterfell.
Helen Sloan/HBO
13. Diversify your interests (and faces).
Arya Stark, blinded, stands in the foreground with the waif in the background.
Macall B. Polay/HBO

14. Know your strengths—and your weaknesses. And, seriously, listen to your ex. 

Sansa Stark is seated and facing Tyrion Lannister in the crypts of Winterfell, where women and children sit and stand in the background.
Helen Sloan/HBO

15. Don’t let the little things hold you back—including death.

Jon Snow is lying shirtless on a table in Castle Black, looking startled.
HBO
Words by Katherine Singh
Feature image courtesy of HBO
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