The Land of Oz may be fictional — but the workplace dynamics are not.
With the release of Wicked and the upcoming sequel Wicked: For Good, audiences are once again captivated by the unlikely friendship between Elphaba and Glinda. Beneath the music, costumes, and spectacle lies something far more familiar to HR professionals:
Culture
Power
Belonging
Reputation
Leadership
Let’s start with the first film.
Act I: The Making of a “Wicked” Employee
Elphaba arrives at Shiz University already labeled — misunderstood, judged, and excluded. Her talent is undeniable, but her differences make her an outsider.
Sound familiar?
In the workplace, we often underestimate talent that doesn’t “fit the mold.” We need to look beyond pedigree.
It’s about belonging.
Employees don’t thrive when they’re tolerated.
They thrive when they are valued.
When Glinda chooses to stand beside Elphaba on the dance floor, something shifts. Inclusion is no longer theoretical — it’s visible.
HR leaders know this truth:
Belonging is not a program.
It’s behavior.
Act II: Sponsorship Changes Trajectories
Elphaba’s future changes because Madame Morrible sponsors her.
Not mentors.
Sponsors.
There’s a difference.
Sponsors advocate.
They use influence.
They open doors.
In organizations, how many Elphabas never meet their Morrible?
How many high-potential employees go unseen because leadership is comfortable promoting the familiar?
Talent development is not accidental.
It is intentional sponsorship.
Act III: When Values Don’t Align
When Elphaba reaches The Emerald City, she discovers that the Wizard’s mission is not what it appeared to be.
Here is where HR’s lens sharpens.
Employees care deeply about mission alignment.
Nearly 6 in 10 employees choose employers based on shared values.
When organizational values are performative rather than authentic, trust fractures.
And fractured trust is far harder to repair than it is to build.
Wicked: For Good — The Leadership Reckoning
The sequel raises even more powerful workplace questions.
Elphaba becomes “wicked” because of public narrative.
Glinda becomes “good” because of public positioning.
But what happens when public reputation is built on incomplete truth?
HR professionals live in this tension every day:
- Internal Reality vs. External Brand
- Politics vs. Principle
- Popularity vs. Integrity
In For Good, Glinda must decide whether to continue benefiting from a flawed system or confront it.
That is leadership.
Real leadership is not about image.
It is about courage.
Sometimes it means:
- Challenging power
- Restoring rights
- Correcting narratives
- Owning difficult truths
Everyone Deserves the Chance to Fly
One of the most powerful lines from Wicked is: “Everyone deserves the chance to fly.”
In HR terms, that means:
- Everyone deserves development.
- Everyone deserves belonging.
- Everyone deserves clarity about mission and values.
- Everyone deserves ethical leadership.
And sometimes… the “wicked” employee is simply the one willing to speak uncomfortable truths.
Reflection Question for Leaders
In your organization:
Who is being labeled?
Who is being overlooked?
Who is benefiting from the narrative?
And who is courageous enough to defy gravity?