Be Your Own Hero #61 031010

There were a lot of things I liked doing as a kid growing up in Central Florida. One of my favorite activities was reading and trading comic books. A comic book cost a dime and delivered a million dollars of high adventure and escapism.

All the kids read and traded comics. Some comic books were more valuable than others and when you traded them, you would give two or three less popular comics for a single Lone Ranger, Batman or Superman book. These heroes had extra value, even if was only in our minds.

These hero books have come a long way. I recently read that a copy of the first comic book featuring Superman, a 1938 edition of Action comics No. 1, sold for $1-million at auction. Wish I had known about economics back then. Invest a dime and seventy-two years later sell your investment for a million dollars. Heck, why not invest in two copies?

A lot of kids dreamed of being able to move faster than a speeding bullet, being more powerful than a locomotive and having the ability to leap tall buildings in a single bound. In reality I know no one with those capabilities other than Superman.

People attach the term hero to sports figures, movie stars, political leaders, and yes, comic book characters. They think of these people as having divine strength, talent and the ability to defy the law of gravity, remain ageless, or be bullet proof.

Unfortunately, most of us have never looked at ourselves as a hero. We often view our abilities, talents and strengths as flaws, failings and weaknesses. Instead of always wishing we were someone else, we should realize that it is ok to be me.

I have observed that some people over estimate their ability and self importance. But it has been my experience that more people have the tendency to sell themselves short. The people I meet day in and day out don't consider themselves heroes. But anyone, in any role, who consistently performs at their best is a hero. True, they are not legendary figures with great strength or god-like ability. Real heroes deliver on time, on budget, and on target.

In their best-selling book, Now discover Your Strengths, Marcus Buckingham and Donald O. Clifton tell how great managers do no not help people fix their weaknesses. "Instead they capitalize on them. They try to help each person become more and more of who he already is."

The only way to be a hero is to become more and more of what you are. The only barrier to being a hero is your failure to perform at your best. Good enough isn't good enough, because the competition is performing at a good enough level. The only way to be a hero is to refuse to be classified as a good performer.

It isn't always possible to get agreement on just who is a hero but there are a number of situations that can develop where a person stops or ceases to be a hero.

• When you stop learning, you stop being a hero.
• When you stop caring, you stop being a hero.
• When you cease to be enthusiastic, you stop being a hero.
• When you stop setting authentic goals, you stop being a hero.
• When you stop short of the goal, you stop being a hero.
• When you cease being a team player, you stop being a hero.
• When you stop innovating, you stop being a hero.
• When you stop being a cheerleader, supporter, and encourager, you stop being a hero.
• When you stop living our core values, you stop being a hero.
• When you cease to have integrity, you stop being a hero.
• When you stop thinking, you stop being a hero.
• When you stop accepting corrective criticism, you stop being a hero.
• When you stop raising the bar, you stop being a hero.
• When you no longer delight your customer, you stop being a hero.
• When you stop being true to your principles, you stop being a hero.
• When you stop being productive, you stop being a hero.
• When you no longer have a positive attitude, you stop being a hero.
• When you stop adding value, you stop being a hero.
• When you stop believing you are in business for yourself, you stop being a hero.
• When you stop holding yourself accountable for outcomes, you stop being a hero.
• When you stop taking responsibility for our career, you stop being a hero.
• When you stop pursuing excellence, you stop being a hero.
• When you stop being the master of your time, you stop being a hero.
• When you stop taking care of your health, you stop being a hero.
• When you stop being an aggressive listener, you stop being a hero.
•When you stop acting and began reacting, you stop being a hero.
• When you lose your sense of humor, you stop being a hero.
• When you don't follow up, you stop being a hero.
• When you can't say, "I was wrong", you stop being a hero.
• When you stop leading by example, you stop being a hero.
• When you stop being the master of your time, you stop being a hero.
• When you stop believing in yourself, you are no longer a hero.

Ignore the call to goodness and embrace Heroism. If you get used to being a hero, you'll continue to be faster than a speeding bullet. More powerful than a locomotive. Able to leap tall buildings in a single bound. Heroes— like you— have powers and abilities for beyond those of mortal competitors.

A fictional hero is worth a million dollars. As your own hero, what are you worth?

Three Point Success Summation

HOG THOUGHT: It takes people with all kinds of skill, talents and abilities to build a successful organization. The transformation happens when each member of the team contributes their best to the team. This way, the organization is comprised of a team of heroes. The spotlight may not be on you, but it will be on the team. Enjoy the illumination you help create.

HOG QUOTE: "The ordinary man is involved in action, the hero acts. An immense difference." —Henry Miller, Author

HOG ACTION: Look in a mirror. Do you see a hero? If you want to be a hero, you have to think and act like a hero.

Motivation Is Playing Up To Your Ability

On Saturday, September 27, 2008, 90,106 fans in “The Swamp” and millions of TV viewers watched the favored Florida Gators lose to underdog Ole Miss 31 to 30. The nation’s fourth-ranked team was defeated by the unranked Mississippi Rebels. Only two days earlier, on Thursday night the nation’s top-ranked team, USC had lost to another unranked team, Oregon State.

Clearly, the Gators and the Trojans had the superior “weapons”. Both highly ranked teams have an abundance of talent and depth. Both had THE reason to win: remain in the hunt for a national title. Both wanted to win and expected to win. But, as Florida’s junior Heisman winning quarterback, Tim Tebow said after the defeat, “We felt like we were a better team, and we didn’t play up to our ability.”

I believe both upsets and many sports losses can be described in one simple phrase, “The loser just didn’t play up to their ability.” Motivation was lacking. There is a Hog Law that says, “Talent without motivation will lose to non-talent with motivation.”

On paper the superior teams were the Florida Gators and USC Trojans. On the field—where it counts—the Mississippi Rebels and the Oregon Beavers proved to be the superior teams. The two losing teams lost due to failure to play up to their ability. The two winning teams won because they were motivated to win and played to their ability.

I don’t know much about ranking football teams or players, but given the choice, I know I would choose a team or player with talent and motivation. Forced to choose between the two, I choose the motivated team and motivated player. Motivation is the magic.

HOG THOUGHT:
Don't tell people how good you and your company are. Tell people how good you and your company can make them.

HOG QUOTE:
"Money was never a big motivation for me, except as a way to keep score. The real excitment is playing the game." —Donald Trump