Leading Hobbits (and Humans) — Why Elevensies Matter
- Melanie Troxell
- Jul 9
- 2 min read
There are a myriad of great principles for leadership in classic books and movies!
In The Lord of the Rings, Merry and Pippin are young, wide-eyed hobbits full of sweetness, impulsiveness, and an unapologetic love of food and comfort. They seem ill-prepared for the grim journey ahead — but they are joyful, with a stubborn if perhaps naive embrace of life that helps see them through.
In the first movie, as the group sets out from Rivendell, Merry and Pippin lag behind, complaining to Aragorn about how hungry they are. Pippin rattles off an excited list:
“What about second breakfast? Elevensies? Luncheon? Afternoon tea? Dinner? Supper?”
Aragorn just keeps walking, exasperated but not cruel. Moments later, he tosses two apples backward — meeting their need without losing momentum.
In my family, “Elevensies” has become a little joke. When someone’s hungry at an odd time, or when a meal didn’t quite satisfy, we smile and say, “I guess it’s time for elevensies.” Even our big cat, Django, has his own version of it — waking us at 3 a.m., patiently tapping my husband’s face or lightly nibbling on my fingers, asking for his midnight snack.
The point is this: everyone has their own “elevensies.” Everyone has needs — some obvious, some inconvenient, some easy to overlook.
On teams I’ve led, I’ve seen it over and over:
A teammate who worked five, six, even seven days a week to support her extended family, and who needed help protecting herself from burnout.
A nurse who celebrated her 80th birthday with us, seasoned and bright, but moving slowly — arriving early to study her patients and always teaching others with grace.
Loud, blunt teammates who sometimes needed coaching on tone — but who were exactly the people you’d want defending you (or saving you!) in a code blue.
A young mom whose childcare fell through and couldn’t start work by 6:45 anymore — so we adjusted shifts by half an hour, and kept a valuable, loyal teammate.
Burned-out staff moved into lighter roles to recover.
Eager but green teammates paired with mentors to build confidence.
A miscast employee moved into supply chain who completely overhauled our stockroom for the better.
Before writing someone off, I always ask myself: are they on the wrong bus — or just in the wrong seat?
We do our teams, and ourselves, a disservice when we treat everyone the same. True leadership is seeing people clearly, identifying what keeps them healthy, happy, and motivated — and helping them grow while keeping the team moving forward.
Aragorn’s little act — tossing those apples without stopping — is leadership in a nutshell. He didn’t let Merry and Pippin’s needs derail the mission. But he met them halfway, acknowledged their needs, and nudged them to grow into what the journey required.
What does each of your teammates need? What motivates them? What keeps them well? What makes them happy — and what stretches them?
Find their “elevensies.” Meet them there. Then keep them moving forward.
Comments