Unlocking Your Infinite Possibilities with Dr. Bernard Harris

“We are born multi-potential. We are infinite beings born with infinite possibilities.” - Dr. Bernard Harris

The Story

Dr. Bernard Harris made history as the first African American astronaut to do a space walk. I’m so excited about his induction into the Astronaut Hall of Fame this May! As a physician, healthcare innovator, venture capitalist, philanthropist, and author, he is a master in taking on new challenges and succeeding. Every conversation with him inspires me and so I thought we’d share this conversation for how to overcome adversity and fear to step into pioneering roles with grace and success.

His secret? Leveraging his Superpowers

The Takeaway

Your understanding of your innate abilities, your strengths, your Superpowers, can help you hone in on the actionable path towards your goals. And, when you share your Superpowers with others, the universe will conspire to make that happen.

Here are two ways I have discovered to hone your Superpowers if you haven’t uncovered them yet.

1) Make time to reflect. Specifically, make time to reflect on what brought you energy and joy that day. These impulses are what steer us toward our Superpowers. Taking time every single day to jot down what gives you energy--helping someone else, spending quality time with a friend, thinking critically--all of these things can point you toward your innate, instinctual gift.

2) Engage others for feedback. Growth requires that we see ourselves clearly, yet our own perspective is inevitably limited. Our experiences, while valuable, also create blind spots. This is also why we sometimes fail to see our strengths clearly. Everyone you interact with sees something about you that you might not be able to see about yourself. Asking for feedback is one sure way to learn more about strengths that just seem normal to you--because they’re extraordinary to others.

The Superpowers Connection

“I discovered very early that my superpower was one of exploration and one of taking risks,” Bernard said. But he doesn’t consider himself a true risk taker. Rather, Bernard explains that he is a calculated risk taker, capitalizing on his superpower, and applying it to other contexts.

I believe that everyone has something innate, instinctive, and inimitable about themselves--a gift uniquely core to their being. They are so foundational to how we all operate.

By understanding his foundational Superpowers, Bernard is able to see an opportunity and examine the fit based on his Superpowers. Then, the confidence from the Superpowers fit allows you to take the first step. In his case, that first step may have been a Space walk.

From My Desk

How do you Lead Through Uncertainty?

In my latest video column for MIT Sloan Management Review, I share how leaders can create a culture of ownership that empowers everyone in your organization to speak up, and contribute thoughts, insights, and fresh ideas to build for the future. The key ideas are:

1. Lean into horizon-scanning and sense-making practices and consider how to prepare for events and opportunities that may arise.

2. Double down on the people in your organization and empower them to share their perspectives.

This piece is part of my Coaching for the Future Leader Column for MIT Sloan Management Review where I empower leaders with tools and insights for their pressing challenges. What other questions might you have for me to tackle in future columns? Email me at [email protected]

The greatest growth comes from personal struggles and the best lessons come from those willing to honestly and vulnerability share their journeys. Dr. Bernard Harris’s book inspires us to discover the power from within and find our own path.

Happenings

“Better people make better people.”

One of my first Superpowers speaking engagements of 2025 is for the T-Mobile for Business (TFB) Directors+ Summit. As the business continues to accelerate and unlock new innovations and capabilities to serve its customers, my friend Callie Field, TFB president wants to continue to inspire and invest in her super team. Meeting this team is INSPIRING. A key attribute they share is their sense of responsibility to and for each other and across the enterprise.

This is what fuels the rise to being champions and also winning over and over again.

This is also how we can unlock hidden capabilities by discovering not only our own superpowers, but the collective and inimitable team Superpowers.

I am inspired by what T-Mobile for Business has accomplished. Through the technology and imaginations of the team, they have been able to unlock the hopes and dreams for small businesses, help hospitals serve patients, help enterprises improve the lives of customers, and help first responders serve our communities.

For example, through T-Priority, they are addressing congestion, coverage gaps, and slow speeds by giving first responders a dedicated slice of the network, giving them 5x more network resources and 2.5x faster speeds.

This means first responders can more effectively respond to the 240 million+ 911 calls a year. The innovation led to the City of New York naming T-Mobile as the single carrier for their agencies which include the largest public safety departments in the country with over 40,000 first responders.

It was also a joy to connect Callie and my friend Sue Gordon in a fireside chat. Sue is a national treasure - who was the Principal Deputy Director of National Intelligence, and one of the most brilliant tech leaders of our time. She powerfully shared about the power of team and what’s needed to innovate continuously for the future.

It’s said that “Better people make better people.” Thank you, Callie, Sue, and TFB Superteam. Being with you has made me better.

The Launch Book of Champions

The reader is the hero of every book. In this issue, we celebrate Shane Battier, 2X NBA Champion, NCAA National Champion, Board Director and co-founder of the Battier Take Charge Foundation. Shane is known as the glue guy. When Shane is on the court or in the room, he makes any team that he is on - even BETTER.

Get your copy of The Launch Book here!

Up Next

Thank you for reading this issue of Leadership Playbook: Unleashing Your Superpowers!?

In our next issue, for Women’s History Month, we will be featuring video interviews with amazing athletes, sports owners, and media commentators from the Billie Jean King Power of Women’s Sport Summit.

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