In addition to making life sweeter, I’ve found that you can gain a number of leadership lessons from candy. Here are five:

1. Snickers

Life as a team is more fun when you’re laughing. Take time to add humor to your daily routine. If you can’t think of anything funnier to laugh at, laugh at yourself. Here’s a list of 30 ways to add humor to your life, published for National Humor Month (No, I didn’t know there was such a thing, either.)

2. M&Ms

Leadership requires maintaining a strong balance. We have to manage the day to day details (micro) and the big picture (macro). Neither can be neglected.

3. Jawbreakers

Some situations you’re working with require a high level of patience for you as a leader. Like a jawbreaker could break your teeth if you bite into it too soon, some things need time. Some things are not ready for a permanent solution right now. In my experience, you can either wait to address it in the future, or you can apply a band-aid, or temporary solution. Here’s why a band-aid isn’t always a bad idea.

4. Nerds

Okay, so Nerds happen to be one of my favorite candies, so they were guaranteed to make the list. Here’s why, though. A nerd was the moniker given to people in middle or high school whose focus was generally more on book smarts than on social activities or athletic interests. Moving into real life after school, one thing I’ve found to be true is that most leaders I know who are highly effective or successful are avid readers. Take time to engage with training resources, history books, or just magazines and newspapers. They will give you a greater exposure and there’s value in feeding your mind with the printed word (even if you receive it electronically).

 5. Sugar Daddy

As I was trying to think through what candy needed to take the fifth spot among my leadership lessons, I came across this one and felt like it was a valuable one to include. A “sugar daddy” in the colloquial sense, is a person who provides resources for another individual. Without commenting on the negative connotation here, I want to suggest that it is very important for leaders to be mindful of their sources for resources – financial and otherwise. Whether you’re applying for a budget from an overseeing group, or seeking volunteers from a group of people, you can’t go far without resources.