At the white void, Vader sighed and shook his head. "You know, I just don't get it. I already had to Force Choke hundreds of incompetent officers, and yet, every time I do, they've been replaced with even worse ones. Crazy, right?"

"You ever consider just," Hans said. "I don't know, not Force Choking people whenever they make a mistake?"

"What?" Vader said. "Don't be absurd! If I don't do it, how will they learn not to fail me?"

"Tell me about it," Azula said. "You have no idea how hard it is to have to lead the entire army. I have to make an example out of those who dared to fail me, but did they learn? No, of course not. I even had to roast one guy when he tried to poison me with a cold soup. It really sucks."

"I couldn't have said it better myself," Vader said.

"With all due respect, Your Highness," Toshineko said. "perhaps it's the way you and Vader tried to put pressure on your men that's the problem."

Azula narrowed her eyes at him. "I wonder if your loyalty to me is clear, Toshineko."

"All I'm saying, Your Highness, is that the fear of failure is putting a huge amount of pressure."

"... Your point?"

"Well, what if they get so desperate and so focused on not failing you, that they end up failing you anyway?"

"I don't know what you mean."

"Think about it. That kind of mindset can cause all sorts of anxiety, ones that will actually prevent them from not only using their creativity, but focusing on their mission."

"I couldn't agree more, Toshi," Hans said. "After all, if my men can't focus on getting rid of that cowboy and accomplishing our mission, how will we succeed at all?"

"Don't be naive, Hans," Crocodile said. "The fear of failure was what kept my men motivated. If they screw up, so will our entire operation."

"Exactly," Vader said. "Fear is a great motivator after all."

"Fear is a great tool to use to put people in their place," Toshineko said, before smiling a bit. "No doubt about that. But from what I understand about fear, it also hijacks the mind and holds back their thinking. If they're only focused on what happens if they fail, then they won't be able to focus or strategize."

"Toshineko has a point," Xanatos said. "We shouldn't put unnecessary pressure on our loyal men. How will they be able to learn properly?"

"The only way for them to learn properly, Xanatos," Sidious said. "is for us to make an example out of those who fail us. I don't agree with Vader Force Choking and all, but there has to be something."

Toshineko rolled his eyes. "Oh, come on, Sidious, torturing and killing an engineer and then bringing him back to life six times isn't going to improve efficiency."

"Wait, you can bring someone back to life?" Vader said.

"First of all, that engineer was the one who designed the first Death Star. And secondly, it was to make sure he doesn't make the same mistake."

"What about that part where you can bring someone back to life, master?"

"Yes, Vader, I can do that."

"Yet, you didn't use it to bring back Padme?"

"Uuum… Anyway, the important thing is, they need proper motivation. What would you do if your first Death Star gets destroyed?"

"I would've just talked to him, and helped him learn from that design flaw," Toshineko said, shrugging. "instead of just killing him."

"Honestly, with how many officers you have choked," Xanatos said. "it's no wonder why the Empire has continued to decline. What with all the negative reviews on the Death Star on Yelp."

"Hey, don't blame me, Xanatos," Vader said. "Blame the officers!"

"I know these officers failed you and all, Vader," Toshineko said. "but fear and respect are two different things. You keep doing the Force Choke, and they might be more likely to fear you than respect you."

"Come on, Toshi," Sidious said. "aren't these two the same thing? I've read about it in my self-help book, '10 ways to Win Friends and Intimidate People' and it worked wonders for me."

"Respect is earned, Sidious," Toshineko said. "not given."

"Oh, shut up, Toshi," Sidious said. "You have no idea how much I've earned the respect of billions of people in the galaxy."

"Yes, but, you certainly won't win Boss of the Year in Time magazine," Hans said.

"I do not care about whether or not I'm the Boss of the Year, Hans," Sidious said, his voice more annoyed. "and I don't care about your opinion. I'm the Emperor of the Galaxy, and I don't need to earn the respect of my men when they respect me already."

"Sidious has a point," Crocodile said. "After all, I did sway the people of Alabasta to see me as their hero, and the king as a power-hungry tyrant."

"My father, Ozai, also had earned the respect from our people," Azula said, smirking. "He had people paint portraits of him."

"See what I mean?" said Sidious.

"Yes, Sidious," Toshineko groaned. "I see what you mean. But that doesn't change the fact that despite looking good in front of other people, you haven't done the same for your subordinates. A guy who uses Force Chokes to intimidate subordinates into compliance doesn't really inspire loyalty."

"What do you know, Toshi?" Vader said. "You're not a Sith Lord."

"True, but at least I've done something to earn the respect from my men. I showed them my confidence, determination, and intellect, and it inspired a lot of loyalty. I treated them with respect, and they did the same to me. Easy peasy."

"Respect?" Crocodile scoffed. "What a load of bullshit."

"Why should I respect the officers, Toshi?" Vader said. "I've had many of them question my authority and think that they're better than anyone."

"You had them too, Vader?" Azula said, her tone sympathetic.

"Most definitely. I have many bad officers, but the worst one was Admiral Ozzel. He was extremely arrogant, and always questioned my authority at every turn. The last straw was when he pulled out of hyperspace too close to the Hoth star system, alerting the Rebel Alliance to our presence, and giving them ample time to prepare. And as a result, I made an exemplary example out of him."

"Let me guess," Xanatos said. "you Force Choked him through the monitor, right?"

"Uuum… Yes. How did you know?"

"I've been a big Star Wars fan, Vader. I've done my homework."

"Uh-huh."

"At least you didn't Force Choke the Stormtroopers for their failures," Hans said.

"Well, um… To be fair they were just following orders, so that's different."

"Fair enough, I guess."

"How would you punish the subordinates for their failures?"

"Uh… Well, I guess a strict talking to or something."

"I don't think fear would actually help them learn, though," Toshineko said. "At best, it makes them more likely to fail. At worst, they'll fail you again."

"That is ridiculous!" Sidious said. "How can they learn from their failures if they're not scared?"

"It's very simple, Sidious, you have to rule your men through guidance rather than fear."

"That's rich," Vader said. "coming from a dictator like you."

"Hey, even dictators have standards, Vader. Unlike you, I don't kill my men whenever they make a mistake or fail me. I helped them figure out what went wrong, and what they could do to improve. Plus, I allow them to make suggestions and I usually consider them before making my decisions."

"That simple, huh?" Crocodile said. "Tell me then, Toshi, what do we do if they fail us more than six times? What then?"

"Well, maybe just scold them, and they won't do it again," Toshineko said, shrugging again.

"I don't trust your mindset, Toshineko," Azula said. "That would be weakening them with mercy and kindness."

"And why do you think giving them another chance is in any way bad for your army?" Xanatos asked.

"What? It's true. My father taught me the price of failure, and it helps me a lot."

"If I were your father, I would be far more kind and helpful."

"What do you know, Xanatos? You never have a Fire Lord as your father."

"Yes, but at least I don't burn my son's face off!"

"For your information, it was half his face, you dimwit. It was to teach Zuko this valuable lesson in respect."

"I would've given him a time-out or ground him for 2 days at least."

"Yes, we all know you're the father and boss of the year, Xanatos," Toshineko said, smiling. "Which is why we can count on you."

"Well, I'm not sure if I earned that title, but at least I treat my subordinates with respect."

"You mentioned that his name is Owen Burnett, right?" Toshineko asked.

"Yes. He's my personal assistant."

"And how do you make him learn from his failures?" Crocodile said.

"Well, personally, I wouldn't go so far as to feed him to your banana gators, Force Choke him, or kill him about six times. No, I'd rather make those failures more like learning experiences than a death sentence."

"Now, that's the spirit, Xanatos!" Toshineko said, smiling.

"Not a bad idea," Hans said. "My men would appreciate my work once I learned from my failures."

"And how many times have you failed to make those Lego sets, Hans?" Sidious asked.

"Oh, not much. Just… a few… hundred… thousand times," Hans said, frowning.

"Well, I wouldn't be so hard on myself," Vader said. "After all, practice makes perfect. There's so much more I can teach you to make a perfect Lego set, Hans, I'll teach you more in due time."

"See, guys?" Toshineko said.

"Alright, alright, fine!" Sidious said. "But what about if they disrespect us? What do we do then?"

"That is a very good question, Sidious," Toshineko said. "Try to be direct but respectful and understanding. Sometimes, insubordination doesn't come out of malicious intent."

Crocodile scoffed. "I find that hard to believe."

"Oh, trust me, Crocodile, a little scolding here and there won't hurt them. And if that doesn't work, always set your boundaries. Set consequences that you can keep. I'm not saying put them in a corner for five minutes or anything, or even kill them outright, but I'd suggest make them aware that while you do understand their concerns, they need to be more respectful about voicing them. Otherwise, they can kiss their promotion goodbye."

"That's stupid," Azula said.

"Yeah, well it worked on my subordinates, Your Highness. I allow those people to disagree with me, but only if they did so in a respectful manner."

"Disagree with you?" Azula said, her voice getting more agitated. "I'd rather burn them alive than allow them to do that to me!"

"I agree," Vader said. "What if I had a subordinate like Admiral Ozzel?"

"Well, I guess a little fear wouldn't hurt," Toshineko said. "Sure, I too had scared my subordinate by threatening to kill him if he talked back to me again, but in my defense, that was only a healthy amount of fear to put him in his place."

"Yet you said fear hijacks the mind."

"Oh, come on, Vader, scaring a disrespectful subordinate and Force Choking one who made your tea too cold is not the same thing."

Sidious looked at Vader, shocked. "You did what again, Lord Vader?"

"That was just one time, master!"

"Plus, I believe if we treat failures and mistakes as if a parent is guiding their children, it would help improve efficiency," Toshineko said, smiling.

"That's the worst idea if I ever heard one," Azula said. "Why should we guide them instead of ruling them with an iron fist?"

"Yeah," Crocodile said. "The last thing I need is for my subordinates to use that against me."

"If I were to guide them," said Sidious. "I would've used my Force Lightning to do that."

Toshineko chuckled. "Well, you'd be surprised at how guiding them to think creatively can really set an example to others. My fellow captains managed to outwit our enemies more than five times, and we became the most feared army in the world. And also a 4.2 star review on Yelp."

"That is a load of bullshit," Sidious said. "and you know it."

"Hey, at least I hire anthropomorphic animals based on skills and not species."

"Yeah. And at least Crocodile here allows people of all race, gender and sexuality to join his organization," Hans said.

"That is true. I do allow a crossdresser, a big fat man, an old lady who wouldn't stop complaining about her back, and a black man into my organization. I'd say that gives me a pass."

"Hmmm, that is commendable," Vader said.

"Yeah, at least I don't have to work for an Empire that has this human supremacy mindset," Toshineko said.

"Oh, please… You're one to talk, Toshineko," Sidious said. "You don't allow humans into your ranks either."

"In my defense," Toshineko said, raising his hands. "I was taken advantage of by humans multiple times. So you can't blame me for being a bit distrustful towards humans."

"That's fine, Toshi," Crocodile said. "I don't trust anybody anyway. I would be a fool if I were to do so."

"I can't argue with that. But if it is your organization, shouldn't trust be an essential part of being a leader?"

Crocodile, Azula, and Sidious looked at Toshineko with suspicion. "What do you mean by that?" Crocodile asked.

"I mean, if you really think about it, if you can trust your subordinates, they can trust you in return. If you can build a bond with them, they'll be more motivated than ever to follow you. The more you value them, the more they value you."

"Spoken like a wise businessman, Toshineko," Xanatos said.

"Value them? Nonsense!" Sidious said. "My subordinates are nothing but insignificant pawns in my Empire."

"Why would you even value your men, Toshineko?" Azula said. "You have like a million other ones at your disposal. They're expendable."

"Not to me, they're not," Toshineko said, shaking his head.

"Humph! I wouldn't value any of my agents," Crocodile said. "even if my life depended on it. That to me is a sure sign of weakness. And as I always say, weakness is a sin."

"Oh, come on, guys," Hans said. "it's true. My men have been loyal to me for years. We work together as a team. They trust me, and they always work to continuously improve. I inspire loyalty to them, and I trust them. Their teamwork is something I can never replace."

"Well said, Hans. Well said," Toshineko said, nodding.

"A loyal subordinate is essential to every business," Xanatos said. "And like Toshineko said, valuing your subordinates, and trusting them are essential to leadership. These traits are what make my company successful to this day. I was even named Best Boss of the Year in Time magazine."

"So what you're saying is," Sidious said. "we should rule them not with fear but with trust?"

"That's right, Sidious," Toshineko replied. "You see, one of the things that makes an army successful is allowing creative freedom. Like I said, I allow my subordinates to make suggestions, and sometimes I even allow them to lead their division by themselves. That is how my army became invincible!"

"If you think that is good leadership," Azula said. "it is a miracle that you're still alive."

Crocodile laughed. "I'm glad I'm not getting roasted anymore."

Azula grinned deviously at Crocodile. "Oh, trust me, I'll get to roasting you, Crocodile. Both figuratively and literally."

Crocodile then glared at her and growled. "I swear I'll stab you if it's the last thing I'll do!"

Azula summoned her flames. "I'd like to see you try."

"Guys, guys, calm down. Infighting is never good leadership, my friends," Xanatos said. "After all, if we can't put aside our differences and disagreements, how will we conquer the multiverse?"

Azula and Crocodile glared at each other and Azula's flame disappeared. "I guess you got a point," she said, sighing.

"Well, if I were to value some subordinates," said Vader. "that would be Admiral Piett, my Stormtroopers, and Erv Lekauf. They're loyal to me to the very end. Especially Garry the Stormtrooper."

"Oh, please…" Sidious said. "This bond thing is nothing but drivel. You're wasting our time, Toshineko."

"I'm sorry, Sidious," Toshineko said, his tone sympathetic but firm. "but deep down, you know I'm right. Just look at Vader. He has served you for years, and yet, he doesn't get treated with any respect. How does that inspire loyalty?"

Vader turned and crossed his arms. "Toshi has a point, master. Why is it that I never get better treatment?"

"Vader, we've already discussed this, we are Sith Lords. Respecting our apprentices is not the Sith way."

"But I was the one who cleaned your toilet, scrubbed the floors, cleaned your office, and the boots for every Imperial officer and Stormtroopers."

"Vader, I gave you a DVD set of Friends and a box of candy as a reward."

"But you gave me the Ninth Season set! That was the worst one!"

"Take it or leave it, Vader."

"Geez, that is cruel of you, Sidious," Xanatos said. "It's no wonder why Vader had to throw you down that reactor shaft in Return of the Jedi."

"What? Nonsense," Sidious said, waving his hand at him. "Vader will never rebel against me. I made sure to put him in check. He'll be fine."

Vader turned away and pondered about it. "Hmmm… Not a bad idea…" Vader murmured.

"What was that, Vader?"

Vader turned and raised his hands. "Oh, uh, nothing."

"By the way," Toshineko said. "what exactly is your endgame here, Sidious? Just keep manipulating Vader and just hope he won't betray you?"

"He will not betray me!"

"I'm just saying you might want to prepare yourself in case Vader decided to throw you down that reactor shaft. If you're gonna use your apprentice like that, at least try to come prepared."

"Oh, come on, Toshi," Sidious groaned. "what makes you think Vader will betray me?"

"Well, Luke Skywalker is his son. Don't you think he might love him enough to turn him against you?" Toshineko darted his eyes. "Sure, he did cut off his hand just one time, but he still wanted him to rule the galaxy with him."

"No! That is not true!" Vader said. "I just… uuuh… wanted to turn him to the Dark Side, that's all."

Sidious looked at Vader with suspicion. "Hmmm… I wonder if your loyalty to me is clear, Lord Vader."

"It is clear, my master."

"Still, though, the fact that you cut off his hand," Xanatos said, his tone displeased. "is more troubling. That's just as bad as when Crocodile got his hand chopped off."

"I wouldn't mind that too much," Crocodile said. "After all, if I had a son that disrespects me, I would've done the same thing."

"I would've given Zuko a fate worse than death," Azula said, smiling sadistically.

"My god, you guys are horrible," Hans said.

"Sorry, but, you might want to state your opinions to someone who actually cares."

"You ever consider just not torturing your subordinates as a way to discipline or teach them?" Toshineko said.

"Don't act like it's that simple," said Sidious. "What would you do if he plans to betray you?"

"With that attitude, it's no wonder why Vader doesn't like you that much," Hans said.

"That would be an understatement," Vader said.

"Not now, Vader! I don't need your opinion!"

"Oh, but shouldn't you at least hear their opinions before making your decision?" Toshineko said. "That's what I did."

"Their opinions mean nothing to me. My leadership model is far superior to yours."

"Ok, then," Xanatos said, glaring at him. "let's say we follow your model. What do you suggest we do?"

"Well, how about you start leading by example? Teach them the price of failure. Scare them into submission. And don't allow any creative freedom in them."

"What?" Toshineko said, his ears perked up. "Why?"

"Well, what if their creativity can be used against you?"

"I have prepared myself for that," Toshineko said. "After all, I always have backup plans for my backup plans. I may be a good boss, but I do not tolerate betrayal."

"Well, then you shouldn't act surprised if they do, Toshi," Crocodile said. "After all, you give them the ability to think, and they will rebel against you."

"What? Nah. I wouldn't be so sure about that," Toshineko said waving his hand. "As long as you can build a bond with your men and value them, you should be fine."

"I find that hard to believe…"

"My father would never allow such drivel like that," Azula said, crossing her arms.

Toshineko gave a disdained look while crossing his arms. "Well, then don't be surprised if your subordinates end up turning against you or your father if you treat them like pawns, Your Highness."

"Alright, alright, we got it, Toshi," Sidious said. "Let's say, hypothetically, that respecting and valuing our subordinates makes us better leaders. What exactly are we supposed to do?"

"For starters, maybe don't Force Choke them whenever they make even the slightest mistake."

"But fear helps them learn from their mistakes," Vader said.

"No, Vader. Fear helps stunt their growth."

"Can we at least feed one of them to the banana gators to show them the price of failure?" Crocodile said, smiling.

"No! You can't do that either."

Crocodile frowned. "Aw, man…"

"Then what are we supposed to do? Just… let them think for themselves?" Azula said.

"Yes! That's literally leadership."

"And what do we do if they fail us?"

"Then you give them guidance. Help them learn from their mistakes. Help them learn from their failures. That way, they can figure out what went wrong, and they'll be less likely to fail you again. And like I said before, respect from your subordinates is earned, not given."

"Not this again, Toshi!" Sidious groaned.

"Come on, Sidious, you know I'm right."

"Hmmm… I'm not sure I fully trust this mindset," Crocodile said.

Toshineko groaned as he rubbed his forehead. "Oh, boy… This will take a while."

"Well, I guess with this," Xanatos said. "we'll end today's episode, our dear readers. Please give it a fave or follow this channel where you can find new episodes like these every single week. See you soon, and as always, for the glory of the Toshineko Army."