Thursday, March 20, 2008

Superhero Leadership


I visited Texas A&M Corpus Christi this semester during a student leader retreat, and I picked up a handout from their conference on "Superhero Leadership." They did a whole Superhero theme to their conference, which was pretty cute. Anyway, below is the content from the handout. I don't know if someone at TAMUCC created this, or if they took it from someone else. There was no attribution.

I thought it was sufficiently interesting that I stole one of the handouts. So, here it is. Maybe you can use it (or tweak it) for your next leadership retreat or training day. If I find out who created this, I'll definitely update this entry with that information.

By the way, someone needs to explain Aquaman to me. Does that much crime happen below sea level? I'm just asking...

Superhero Leadership

Superhero Leadership is the study of the qualities that are inherent in every "super leader." Some of these qualities may come naturally, whereas others must be developed. Superhero Leadership is not meant only to be studied, but is only useful when put into action!

Strength: Not only do superheroes need physical strength. They also need strength of character.

Courage: It is not easy being a superhero. Even superheroes have good days and bad days. But, superheroes don't give up. They must exhibit the courage to persevere in any circumstance.

Believe: Superheroes must believe in themselves and others. There is a fine line between confidence and cockiness! No one likes a superhero who is his/her own greatest fan! They must also show others that they believe in them to achieve more than they imagine possible.

Dream: Superheroes have goals. Saving the world is not easy, but they take it one day at a time. Dreams require faith, imagination, and the knowledge that they can make dreams come true for themselves and others.

Choose wisely the actions that you take.

Remember that there is nothing wrong with being a sidekick – great leaders empower others and aren't afraid to take the backseat now and then.

Superheroes should always be on the lookout for those in need.

The villains in life may take many forms. They might not always be recognizable.

Even superheroes need to ask for help and need to form alliances to achieve their goals.

And above all, always remember, with great power comes great responsibility!