Are you a hero or a hero-maker?
Within all businesses are those men and women seen as the heroes of the business and occasionally even the wider industry. These heroes are celebrated for their achievements, character and success, both within and away from their business activities.
We all want to be this hero, don’t we? We are all unconsciously drawn to the hero role. This is why, when we watch the movies, we more often imagine ourselves as the hero and central character rather than the villain or one of the supporting roles.
I was no different but after many years inside the hero mentality, I have come to the realisation, as have many, that there is a better option, a better role to reach: the hero-maker.
As a hero-maker, we live in the background of the business, not missing out but instead helping others to achieve. This is what ultimately drives the business forwards.
Investing in Others
Here’s the key: if we focus on being the hero, we may achieve some success but others may not feel they can flourish. If we focus on being the hero-maker, we’ll see even more success happening through each of the people we invest in – and those they invest in.
Hero-makers have a pattern of continually investing in others to help them be all they can. We become those leaders who give others the encouragement, accountability and the tools to realise their potential.
By investing their time and energies in the wider business and in other people and by focusing on overall output and not on how it was achieved (or who achieved it), hero-makers unlock endless possibilities.
Consequently, the success of a hero-maker is not measured by what we personally achieve but by how we help others to succeed. Our real value is in our ability to leverage our business through the heroes we bring through.
As a hero-maker, we also set an example. When others see us fully embracing this role, they too seek to make others the heroes and the cycle continues.
