Heroism and Leadership: What Do They Have in Common?
9/11 is a holy day for me.?
KNEE JERK ALERT…big one…this isn’t about politics.?
9/11 is a day of reflection as I remember my friend, Andrew, who died a hero on that day…when after having pushed his entire floor of colleagues into the stairwell and down which saved their lives—he realized that not everyone had left their desks and he ran back up the stairs to get them. The second plane hit. He was gone.?
Today, it got me thinking about heroes. What makes a hero? What defines a hero? What can we learn from heroes to apply to ourselves…our personal and business worlds? And maybe our future as people?
The hero that we all know, that we can all cheer for and maybe even secretly aspire to, is the hero of fantasy and mythology. The ones we read about…or watch in movies. The heroes that were once created around campfires and public places by the wandering storytellers and bards. Heroes of epic poems…colorful comic books…great literature and blockbuster cinema.?
Ulysses. Wonder Woman. Superman. Sekhmet. King Arthur. Atalanta. Indiana Jones. Lara Croft. Luke Skywalker. Princess Leia. The Black Panther. Queen Hangbe. Add and share your own.
Each one of them was a hero to the core. Yet, all had moments of indecision. Challenges that needed to be overcome. Fears that they conquered. But, here’s the core of it…
LESSON ONE: even in failure, they succeeded to inspire us all. We learn from their foibles and we marvel at their strength of conviction and character. Some have inspired for thousands of years and my bet is they will continue ‘til the end of time.
In the Jewish tradition, as quoted in the Mishna (Pirke Avot/Ethics of our Fathers; Chapter 4, paragraph one) a hero is someone who conquers their desires…
Ruling your spirit is more heroic than conquering a city.?
Aristotle made the same point…
“I count him braver who overcomes his desires than him who conquers his enemies; for the hardest victory is over self.”
Read and listen to the quotes carefully. Neither source tells us to overcome “evil” desires or bad inclinations…just desires. How does that make one a hero?
Here is LESSON TWO: The person who summons the energy every day to open their little store—no matter how they feel, no matter the weather, and no matter the state of the world—is a hero. The parent who gets up every night to comfort their crying child and then, despite the lack of sleep and frazzled nerves, functions all day only to repeat the process the next night is a hero. All of you who hunkered down during the worst of the Covid Plague and found the strength to stay positive—you are heroes.?
And the survivors of 9/11 who managed to create new life… Heroes.
Allow me to give credit to Rabbi EW…my friend and teacher who inspired this Imagine post with his sermon in Synagogue.?
He told the story of walking past his local Fire Station every day, and stopping to read the plaque that memorialized the First Responders from their unit who had fallen in the line of duty on 9/11 (sadly many First Responder Stations have similar plaques). The plaque reads, “In memory of ordinary people who did extraordinary things.”?
LESSON THREE: Every once in a while we are called upon to step up. This isn’t the overcoming of our desire to sleep later or resist temptation…this is the call to greatness like Andrew. This is the heroism of a good Samaritan who puts themselves in harm’s way to save another…a colleague who stands up for you at work…a friend who protects your back always. This is not a daily event…you may never be called upon…but when you are, your response can change the course of history.?
And finally, allow me to mention Queen Elizabeth II and what the late Chief Rabbi of the UK, Lord Jonathan Sacks, wrote about her…
“Hers has been the quiet heroism of service, and in an age of self-obsession, she has been a role model of duty, selflessly and graciously fulfilled.”
LESSON FOUR: Have we lost our way? Do we even know what duty is anymore? Think about that and how it might apply to all of us…the heroism of service.?
There are many kinds of heroes and no end to the opportunity for personal heroism.
To recap the four lessons:
At work. At home. At play. There are moments when we can all be the hero of our own epic adventure and change the world for the better.?
My final thought.?
LESSON FIVE: heroes are not always leaders. Sometimes it’s just the ordinary person who steps up and then just as quickly steps back…but all Leaders need to heed the call. The humility. The service. The daily showing up. It’s what separates the real from the poseurs.
What’s your view?
Retired bank officer at Nationalised Bank
2 年Heroes are of two types: Those born that way thanks to their genes and their in built behaviour over time to step up and help others even if that demands much sacrifice, and Those who become so on the spur of the moment to render help without a second thought. Here, I recall a true story of an old mother who found her kid under their car after it met with an accident she was driving and who immediately set about lifting it singlehandedly to rescue her baby which she successfully did. Later, investigators found that she could not repeat the act when asked to do it. She needed a sudden crisis like that to succeed! So, we do not know when we may become a hero on our own OR just remain a follower as all those who took the help of that person who died in the twin tower catastrophe by rushing out of the building to save themselves instead of joining him in his effort to help. Besides, it is not necessary to open the store on a particular day (as stated in the post to be called a hero) even when one does not feel up to it only to save oneself from acting cranky with customers later thereby spoiling the hard earned reputation one has built. Finally, as heroes need not be leaders, leaders too need not be heroes as defined here.
office boy at COSO IT - A Big Data & AI Company
2 年I need anything Job please am Christian help me
Maximizer, Developer and Connector of People and Teams
2 年Many great points David Sable , this bring many iterative revisits for me Many people who have heroes view them as leaders. Since it is only natural to emulate (follow) our heroes, that certainly qualifies them as leaders. IMO, all leaders are heroes. I don’t know personally any of my mentors, or teachers (then again there was one, lol) that run around in a cape, but since they have significantly influenced who I am today, they are heroes in my book.
Database Administrator Manager at The Research Foundation for SUNY
2 年I am always amazed by acts of courage like Andrew's and so many others on 9/11 who put the needs and safety of others (some total strangers) above their own lives. Their examples inspire me to attempt, in my own much smaller way, to be kind, considerate and humble. These attributes can often be overlooked in thinking of leadership, but now more than ever, leaders MUST include the physical, mental and emotional health of their team in their business plans AND day to day operations if they plan to be successful! Let's take care of each other out there!
Warehouse Associate
2 年This is good.