Superman Doesn’t Exist!

Sorry if I ruined that for anyone... 

This is coming from a massive DC fan who was one of the few people that actually liked Justice league and Batman vs Superman. I would love nothing more than Christian Bale’s Bruce Wayne and Henry Cavhill’s Man of Steel to be real…

But they are not!

Much like these comic book heroes, many of the management figures you’ve been exposed to over the years are also fake. Sure they look real enough, but behind it all, they are just as fake as your DC icons.

Think about the people you’ve worked for. How many of them claimed to have all the answers? How many of them kept up a steely exterior, claiming nothing ever gets their knickers in a twist? How many of them were business first, personal last?

I know I’ve worked with a few over the years and let me tell you now… All great leaders are just as flawed as you and I! 

Same failings, same insecurities, same weaknesses. In the words of Ben Afflecks Batman… Yes, they do bleed! The biggest difference with these amazing human beings is that they embrace all these things. They share them, discuss them, improve them and even make fun of them.

Business Is Always Personal... 

To effectively influence someone in a positive way, whether as a Coach or a Leader, they must get to know the human behind the badge. People only look up to someone that seems invincible for so long before they realise it’s all just an act. At that point, any misguided respect they had built up, quickly vanishes. 

The term people buy from people is more relevant now than ever. A successful coach must be able to positively impact someone’s life and to do that, people have to buy in to them. The people around them will only do that if they see the human, not the robot so many still believe is needed.

So as much as being a DC comic book hero sounds super cool, the reality is that in the real world, being just a normal, flawed human is the key to any coaching success.