Talking Story

Starting new conversations in the workplace!

  • Rosa’s Books
  • ManagingWithAloha.com
  • RosaSay.com

Who Will Be Our New Heroes?

March 23, 2010 by Rosa Say for Say “Alaka‘i”

Who are your heroes?

How did they pop up on your radar? What did they do?

Where did they come from? Where are they now?

Our 2010 personification of heroes came up in a lively conversation over dinner recently. A friend of mine kicked it off, bemoaning the reputation of both Baby Boomers (those born between 1946 and 1964) and Generation Xers (those born between 1965 and 1980) as less than glorious. There were six of us dining, all with children who are Millenials (those born between 1981 and 1999).

As he put it, “Ask us, and we’re likely to say that our parents are among our heroes. We mention them first, because we admire them, and then we think of others. I really wonder if our own children will mention us at all!”

My fear, one I’ve had since Managing with Aloha was in its roughest, first-draft form, has been that the reputation of managers and bosses is even worse. What child will answer “a manager” or “a boss” when asked what they want to be when they grow up? Managers and bosses aren’t the first who come to mind when we think of heroic acts and achievements.

“A hero is an ordinary individual who finds the strength to persevere and endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles.” —Christopher Reeve, who most of us knew as Superman

Heroes inspire us. They give us inspiration in abundance because they personify a picture of who we can be, and what we can achieve. Most of our heroes are just like us, with a little something more. They’re human, and because they are, they inspire possibility we feel is reachable.

Sure, it’s fun to think about Superman, some other movie hero, or an Olympian athlete with extraordinary talent in some sport, but I do think my dinner companion is right about how parents have traditionally had an edge. We want them to be our heroes because they are so much like us. It brings possibility closer, and places it in our own two hands.

Recently I’ve asked you to think about new job creation, and how you, the Alaka‘i Manager, can impact jobs. There’s no doubt that doing so gives you the chance to be a new kind of hero, admired for helping people in one of the best ways possible.

It’s a wonderful prospect, don’t you think?

What kind of heroes do you think we need in the workplace right now? Why?

Could you be that hero?

Think about having this conversation in one of your workplace huddles: Give it the context of your company environment, industry and discipline. Then listen, to see with your ears. I’d love to hear about the feedback you get, and what you think about it.

sayalakai_rosasay My mana‘o [The Backstory of this posting]
Each Tuesday I write a leadership posting for Say “Alaka‘i” at Hawai‘i’s newspaper The Honolulu Advertiser. If this is the first you have caught sight of my Say “Alaka‘i” tagline, you can learn more on this Talking Story page: About Say “Alaka‘i”.

Filed Under: Columns: Say “Alaka‘i” Tagged With: Christopher Reeve, heroes, inspiration, quotations, reputation

Search Talking Story your way

RSS Current Articles at Managing with Aloha:

  • Do it—Experiment!
  • Hō‘imi to Curate Your Life’s Experience
  • Kaʻana i kāu aloha: Share your Aloha
  • Managing Basics: The Good Receiver
  • What do executives do, anyway? They do values.
  • Managing Basics: On Finishing Well
  • Wellness—the kind that actually works

Search Talking Story by Category

Talking Story Article Archives

  • July 2016 (1)
  • April 2012 (1)
  • March 2012 (6)
  • February 2012 (6)
  • January 2012 (10)
  • December 2011 (1)
  • November 2011 (4)
  • October 2011 (17)
  • September 2011 (8)
  • August 2011 (6)
  • July 2011 (2)
  • June 2011 (2)
  • May 2011 (4)
  • April 2011 (12)
  • March 2011 (16)
  • February 2011 (16)
  • January 2011 (23)
  • December 2010 (4)
  • November 2010 (1)
  • October 2010 (1)
  • September 2010 (4)
  • August 2010 (1)
  • July 2010 (4)
  • June 2010 (13)
  • May 2010 (17)
  • April 2010 (18)
  • March 2010 (13)
  • February 2010 (18)
  • January 2010 (16)
  • December 2009 (12)
  • November 2009 (15)
  • October 2009 (20)
  • September 2009 (20)
  • August 2009 (17)
  • July 2009 (16)
  • June 2009 (13)
  • May 2009 (3)
  • April 2009 (19)
  • March 2009 (18)
  • February 2009 (21)
  • January 2009 (26)
  • December 2008 (31)
  • November 2008 (19)
  • October 2008 (8)
  • September 2008 (11)
  • August 2008 (11)
  • July 2008 (10)
  • June 2008 (16)
  • May 2008 (1)
  • March 2008 (17)
  • February 2008 (24)
  • January 2008 (13)
  • December 2007 (10)
  • November 2007 (6)
  • July 2007 (27)
  • June 2007 (23)
  • May 2007 (13)
  • April 2007 (19)
  • March 2007 (17)
  • February 2007 (14)
  • January 2007 (15)
  • December 2006 (14)
  • November 2006 (16)
  • October 2006 (13)
  • September 2006 (29)
  • August 2006 (14)
  • July 2006 (19)
  • June 2006 (19)
  • May 2006 (12)
  • April 2006 (11)
  • March 2006 (14)
  • February 2006 (14)
  • January 2006 (7)
  • December 2005 (15)
  • November 2005 (27)
  • October 2005 (22)
  • September 2005 (38)
  • August 2005 (31)
  • July 2005 (34)
  • June 2005 (32)
  • May 2005 (27)
  • April 2005 (28)
  • March 2005 (36)
  • February 2005 (33)
  • January 2005 (35)
  • December 2004 (13)
  • November 2004 (24)
  • October 2004 (22)
  • September 2004 (28)
  • August 2004 (8)

Copyright © 2021 · Beautiful Pro Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in