SEATTLE–No one cares how good you or your credit union used to be.
People don’t care how many times you or your credit union knocked it out of the park in the past or how good you will be in the future. What they do care about is how you can solve challenges for them right now, and that requires “heroic” leadership, according to one person.
But what makes for a hero when it comes to leadership? Four attributes according to Kevin Brown, the author of The Hero Effect and a consultant to organizations on leadership.
The word “hero” is frequently and often overused today, said Brown, who believes it’s also misunderstood, as it’s most often applied to careers such as first-responders and members of the military.
A Decade of Exploration
Brown told NAFCU’s annual meeting here he has been exploring the question of what a hero looks like for more than a decade and that the process has changed his life.
“How do you define this group of people, the influencers, the people who when they show up to do what they do they do it differently than everyone else?” he asked.
He said the issue has become especially relevant in a world where he said “everything is a condition, a transaction, an
I’ll do this for you if you do this for me.’” Heroes, he said, don’t expect such a quid pro quo.
What heroes do within organizations, he said, is create environments where people can be the best version of themselves.”
“Heroes are ordinary people,” said Brown, before allowing his audience to complete the sentence, “who do extraordinary things.”
But Brown said that cliché is not just over-used, it’s not right.
‘Absolutely Dead Wrong’
“I heard it a hundred times and began to wonder, and after a thousand times I learned it was absolutely dead wrong,” he said. “We’ve been taught and conditioned to think about heroes in a dangerous ways. If you’re people buy into that you are giving your people permission to be ordinary most of the time.”
Brown suggested as people go through their lives they are increasingly conditioned to believe they are ordinary.
“Ordinary is a choice. I think heroes understand it’s not ordinary people doing extraordinary things; it’s extraordinary people who choose not to be ordinary,” he said.
For credit unions, that translates into making a choice to own the whole pie and not just settling for a slice, he told the meeting.
Referencing his own childhood dreams of being Superman, Brown asked, “When did you forget how to fly? It’s an important question for you and your organization. Are you a faceless presence in a sea of sameness?”
It’s the decision to have a face that separates one credit union from another? It’s the reason why members will wait in line to deal with one member service rep versus others.
What Heroes Do Differently
According to Brown, heroes do four things differently:
- Heroes help people, with no strings attached. “They go all in every time they take the field. They understand that in business and in life it’s always personal and never perfect,” he said. “Heroes create strong connections and reach beyond the borders of transactional thinking to create transformational moments.”
- Heroes create an exceptional experience. “The hero’s calling card is pure excellence. It’s about using our talents, gifts and abilities to their fullest potential and highest purpose,” he said. “The hero uses the best of who they are to serve more people, more often, in bigger and better ways. The hero is committed to personal development and shows up better today than they were yesterday. Heroes build trust by serving others with an authentic passion that turns everyday moments into superhuman experiences. The hero is driven to serve others and understands that the greatest rewards in life are determined by how well we take care of the people we live and do business with.”
- Heroes take responsibility. “Heroes own the moments that matter. They are actively present and engaged and do not believe in random acts of kindness. The hero is motivated instead by intentional acts of difference making. They live by a simple code: Bring your best stuff to the present moment and pour it into the lives of others.They understand that before you can lead anyone else, you must first be able to lead yourself. The hero owns their attitude, their actions and their results. They are committed to the best possible outcome in every situation regardless of circumstances or events beyond their control. The hero leads by example and knows that true success is found in the power of simple choices.”
- Heroes live and work with optimism. “Heroes see the world differently. For them, it’s not about positive thinking, it’s about perspective,” he wrote on his website. “Looking through the lens of optimism gives the hero supernatural vision. They see what others cannot. They see opportunities instead of obstacles – possibilities instead of problems. When things go wrong…and they will, optimism is what helps the hero’s turn life’s messes into a masterpiece.”