Leader Heroes
"And the Medal of Honor goes to..." Those words were spoken again this week by the President of the United States. Staff Sgt. Robert Miller died in action in 2008 in Afghanistan. His parents were given the medal and told "Your son was a leader and a hero."
What is the relationship between leadership and heroism? Leaders have responsibility; they are "up front" if not physically, at least in terms of having organizational visibility and power. Leaders model the way, inspire others, think strategically, develop their people...so surely Sgt. Miller was the leader of his unit of American and Afghan soldiers.
Heroes, on the other hand, are defined by their courage, bravery, and fearlessness. Heroes are bold - either physically or morally. They step into the brink and save the day. Sgt. Miller and his unit were ambushed in the dawn's early light. He ran forward and drew the fire so that the others could scurry to safety. He continued to call out enemy positions while being fired upon. Eventually the radio went silent. Sgt. Miller acted with courage; surely he is a hero.
Can leaders be heroes? When they act with courage and take risks that impact their organization, yes.
Can heroes be leaders? When they shoulder key responsibilities in behalf of others, sure.
I worked with Alex on a manufacturing re engineering project. He was smart, insightful, and technically more savvy that I am. It was a difficult project and when I would become most frustrated, Alex would always "save the day" with the perfect solution. He was my 'hero' until I discovered that, unbeknownst to all of us, the roadblocks to the project were being created by Alex himself. A comment here, a suggestion there, and quietly Alex had been sabotaging the work we had done the week before in order to become a hero the following week.
So motivation may be the key to understanding leadership and heroism. I may aspire to lead others because of who I am, what I know, and how I act. But aspiring to be a hero brings with it the shadow side of the need for approval and praise at the expense of others.
Leadership puts us in places where we can act in heroic ways. Most of us would not choose that role.
Who are the leaders in your organization? Who are the heroes?
What is the relationship between leadership and heroism? Leaders have responsibility; they are "up front" if not physically, at least in terms of having organizational visibility and power. Leaders model the way, inspire others, think strategically, develop their people...so surely Sgt. Miller was the leader of his unit of American and Afghan soldiers.
Heroes, on the other hand, are defined by their courage, bravery, and fearlessness. Heroes are bold - either physically or morally. They step into the brink and save the day. Sgt. Miller and his unit were ambushed in the dawn's early light. He ran forward and drew the fire so that the others could scurry to safety. He continued to call out enemy positions while being fired upon. Eventually the radio went silent. Sgt. Miller acted with courage; surely he is a hero.
Can leaders be heroes? When they act with courage and take risks that impact their organization, yes.
Can heroes be leaders? When they shoulder key responsibilities in behalf of others, sure.
I worked with Alex on a manufacturing re engineering project. He was smart, insightful, and technically more savvy that I am. It was a difficult project and when I would become most frustrated, Alex would always "save the day" with the perfect solution. He was my 'hero' until I discovered that, unbeknownst to all of us, the roadblocks to the project were being created by Alex himself. A comment here, a suggestion there, and quietly Alex had been sabotaging the work we had done the week before in order to become a hero the following week.
So motivation may be the key to understanding leadership and heroism. I may aspire to lead others because of who I am, what I know, and how I act. But aspiring to be a hero brings with it the shadow side of the need for approval and praise at the expense of others.
Leadership puts us in places where we can act in heroic ways. Most of us would not choose that role.
Who are the leaders in your organization? Who are the heroes?
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