Leadership styles

Why hero mode of functioning works in movies but fails in reality?

We all have at least one person in our lives, either at work, home or in our friend circle who is the self-appointed hero in every situation. This person know everything. They have experienced everything-if you share a good experience, he/she has a better one and if you mention a setback, he/she have certainly had it worse. Our hero craves the spotlight and is therefore a perennial crusaders without a cause. He/she will swoop in and rescue even those who are not even in distress because they have decided they are the quintessential knight in shining armor.

In their heads they are positioned firmly on a stage passing on age-old wisdom to an imaginary enthralled audience. They crave endorsements and resent any correction because they are always right. Instead of quelling rumors you will find them stoking it so they can bust all the villains, bask in delusions of grandeur and narrate more stories of their “herodom.”

Does the hero style of leadership help?

Sometimes. When we take on a new role we are eager to prove that we are the best thing that happened to the company. So what the hero only wishes to hear is that everything was done poorly until the he/she enters and sets it all right.

In the hero mode we can, at times, inspire people but that is short-lived because a hero operates from the mind and is devoid of genuine emotions, unable to express it himself or recognize it in others. The hero at work is politically always correct but can secretly harbor opposing views to the philosophies he/she publicly endorses, because it makes them become popular with the masses.?

How to overcome the hero syndrome and stay real?

As is obvious, the problem with the hero style of functioning is that it is outdated, spells the death of team work and collaboration and is detrimental to the growth of any company. The bitter pill to swallow is that we all suffer from this syndrome, occasionally, though we are very quick to see it in others. So how to protect ourselves from turning into megalomaniacs?

Ask yourself the below questions daily:

1.??????Do I focus on fixing blame and making personal attacks or do I attack the problem to find a solution?

2.??????Do I listen and ask questions or do I jump to conclusions?

3.??????Most importantly, am I walking the talk or just talking all the time but my talking and doing are inherently contradictory?

?Let us all stay safe and protected from all kinds of virus, including the invisible and deadly virus of “herodom”.

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