Do We Really Need Our Leaders to Be Heroes?

One of the most common complaints I hear from my clients is around their disappointment in their leaders. “I thought they would be the perfect leader for me and now I see that they have lots of flaws.” There’s no doubt that there are some pretty horrid leaders out there, as well as some really excellent leaders. Yet a bell curve would suggest that most of the leaders we encounter are going to have some good days and some bad days. If we put our leaders on impossible pedestals, we are pretty likely to be continually disappointed.

This doesn’t mean we shouldn’t ask for excellence in ourselves and our leaders, yet expecting people to well, not be people, that’s unlikely to actually work. Ultimately, we are all humans with all that entails. So how can we ask for excellence but not suffer massive disappointment when others don’t live up to our expectations? We need to look inside and ask ourselves why we are looking for a hero other than ourselves. Why are we expecting others to have all the answers and to show up in a way that makes us happy and comfortable?

Who’s Your Hero?

What if…wait for it…you are your own hero? What if you trusted yourself to be your own leader? What if you hold the answers to your life, to your happiness, to your comfort and to your success? Did that all just scare you? If so, that’s understandable! Owning our own life, leadership, contentment, joy and success is a big freakin’ job and it can be really scary. Yet, no one else can do it for you. No one but you.

What if you trusted yourself to be your own leader, your own hero? What if you hold the answers to your life, your happiness, your comfort, and your success? #leaders #heroes #happiness #success #selfhelp Click To Tweet

It makes sense to look for mentors, role models, and good people to surround us, but the minute we put them in the hero category we are setting them, and us, up for a fall. Be your own hero, own your life and lead yourself to the life and career that you want. You have all of the answers you need. When you are in charge of your own life, you will live the life that you really want. Adding others to that is ice cream on a really delicious cake!

Love,

Lisa Kaplin Psy. D. PCC