Leaders and the Superhero Syndrome

Of all the flaws I’ve seen leaders fall prey to, trying to be more than human is the most pervasive and the one most difficult for them to correct.

Many leaders fall into the trap of thinking they must be superheroes to succeed in their roles. Imagine you are a leader with…

1. Superman’s strength: You overcome the most difficult of challenges regardless of recessions, pandemics, and employee shortages. You meet these demands with aplomb, while maintaining a smiling calm that allays the anxieties of their followers and customers.
2. Spiderman’s super agility: You adapt without hesitation to unpredictable economic, technological, and personnel breakdowns and upheavals, always making effective decisions nimbly and quickly.
3. Batman’s super intelligence: You process large amounts of information about the economy, changing technology, and other variables quickly and accurately. You develop complex strategic plans with great foresight.
4. Captain America’s super communication skills: You communicate clearly and effectively with your followers and stakeholders, regardless of your stress levels. You inspire and motivate even your most difficult followers with natural ease.
5. Wonder Woman’s super empathy: You understand and connect with each follower, customer, and stakeholders on a deep level. You empathize with anyone and immediately see things from their perspective to effectively build strong relationships and foster a positive work environment.
6. Iron Man’s super integrity: You have a strong moral compass and are committed to always knowing and doing the right thing, even in the most difficult situations. You always are always honest, transparent, and fair. You are totally trustworthy and credible.
7. Like all of them: you succeed with everything you do. You never fail.

Do leaders who are that strong, charismatic, confident, and infallible really need any followers?

Of course not, no leader possesses superpowers. However, just as supermoms strive to be great wives, parents, daughters, and employees, there are leaders who strive to be super leaders. An unrealistic and unattainable standard that sets them up for failure.

Leaders, like the rest of us, are all too human. Nobody is perfect. We all have both strengths and weaknesses. The most successful of us recognize this and surround ourselves with a team of diverse skills and perspectives to supplement our own. As successful leaders, we understand that delegation, trust, and humility are essential.

The Dangers of the Superhero Leader

The would-be super leader is often an overachiever, forever trying to please whatever authority figure once demanded too much of them. The would-be super leader expects their followers to be overachievers as well.

They may take on the work their follower might better do, believing “if you want it done right, do it work yourself.” More frustration for followers who are constantly second guessed and rarely appreciated.

The superhero leader will burn themselves and their followers out. They take on more than is possible. They may neglect the self-care of a well-balanced life.

This leads to exhaustion and stress. The performance of everyone declines, triggering more stress and eventually a toxic work environment that followers begin to abandon.

The myth of the super leader is unrealistic. When leaders attempt to go down that path, they find nothing but unnecessary stress and success retreating into the distance.

The Successful Leader

In contrast, the successful leader knows their success depends on developing and empowering their people to do the work of the organization. They know how to bring people together and foster teamwork. They are humble and know they don’t have all the answers and will learn from others.

The most successful leaders are those who understand their strengths and weaknesses and surround themselves with a team of experts who can complement their skills.

Ultimately, the most successful leader is someone who possesses a combination of very human skills and attributes. As a good leader, you have qualities that include strategic thinking, emotional intelligence, humility, empathy, resilience, delegation, and building collaborative teams. You are better at some than others.

These qualities are essential in any leadership role, whether in real life or in a fictional universe. Embracing humility, empathy, and collaboration, you can create a positive work environment that fosters innovation, creativity, and success.

Michael F. Broom, Ph.D. is the founder and CEO of the Center for Human Systems. He has over 45 years of experience as an organizational development psychologist. He has received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Organization Development Network!

His clients have included Google, US Army Corps of Engineers, NASA as well as small not-for-profits organizations.

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Check Dr. Broom out on his website at www.CHumanS.com. Or email him at [email protected].