Choose Your Role models carefully…

Heroes are a force, from the original superhero Superman, to the Fantastic Four, to the current television hit titled, well, Heroes. Ordinary people discover they possess special powers: the ability to travel through time, to heal, to see into the future, and perhaps to save the world! And when they become our heroes, they change us, too.

In nearly a decade of coaching, I've slowly discovered the powerful role heroes play in the lives of everyday leaders.

Most leaders I talk with can name a few people they consider to be heroes. These heroes exert unique power in the lives of the leaders who admire them. In the real world, ordinary people have the power to inspire leaders toward their heroic example. In his research on authentic leadership, Boas Shamir of Hebrew University in Israel found that leaders who spend time reflecting on persons they admire "start to define or re-define themselves through their role models." Truly, what we consider we become. ...