How to be the superhero in your own leadership story
Leadership is as much about WHO you are, as it is about WHAT you do. So, do you know who you are as a leader?
A good place to start is to reflect on what your role is and why you are a leader in the first place.
Another way to think about this and what I like to ask people is - so what’s your leadership story? Like all good stories it needs a beginning, a middle and an end… so start by asking yourself:
Firstly - how did you become a leader? Have you always felt like one, or did it happen by accident? Like all good superhero tales your ‘origin story’ as a leader can frame the way you think about where you are now. Because how we interpret our past, influences the way we lead others in the present.
Next - what’s your current leadership role? Why are you here doing what you’re doing today? Is it your calling, or a stepping stone to other things? In the best stories, the hero or heroine is always doing what they’re doing for a reason. As leaders, when we know our current purpose we can be more certain that we are taking the right steps or making the right decisions.
And finally, where are you going? This is the most important part of the story - the hero’s goal or destination. It doesn’t have to be a job title, or physical location, but more what lessons you, as a leader, want to learn and what type of leader you want to become. Your destination should underpin everything you are doing now and help to define your actions. Whether that’s in terms of your growth, service or personal journey, knowing your destination and acting accordingly will make you a more rounded leader and a more compelling person to follow. In the very best stories the main character goes through a development arc - so what does that look like for you?
Thinking about yourself through a story helps paint an image in your mind and helps frame how you see yourself. Which in turn, drives how others’ see you. Starting a process of self-reflection is the first step to becoming a really great leader.
Think of it like looking in a mirror and seeing yourself as others see you. How do you want to be seen? What would you change? And as the hero of your own story, how do you get there?
By asking these questions, reflecting on each phase of your journey and an answering as candidly as possible, you’ll be well on the way to becoming the superhero in your own leadership story. s.