I like to romanticize the hero. He dons a cape. She flies an invisible jet. It is not a flea but The Tick!
The truth, though, with due deference to Comic-Con fans, is that the real heroes are first-responders, fire fighters, police officers, and members of the armed forces. They are people who put themselves in harm’s way to protect us, to assist us, or to save us.
But there are other heroes. Few organizations classify their strongest assets as heroes, but we should aspire to be the workplace hero.
“Calculation never made a hero.” —John Henry Newman
“A hero is no braver than an ordinary man, but he is brave five minutes longer.” —Ralph Waldo Emerson
Workplace heroes share common characteristics.
Ownership
Heroes of the office ooze ownership, also known as accountability. They don’t pass the buck. They consider excuses an abomination. And they are most empowered when something goes wrong and they take responsibility for it.
Commitment
Workplace heroes do not simply start something, only to let others finish it. If it means staying later, listening longer, or starting over again, they do what must be done. They know the difference between delegation and fulfillment.
Heart
Heroes execute from the head, as well as their heart. They bring passion into the workplace. This is consistent with the Dicky Fox message in Jerry Maguire: “If this is empty (he points to his heart), this doesn’t matter (he whacks himself on the head).”
Consider ownership, commitment, and heart. How might these characteristics compel you to become the workplace hero?