Spidey Sense

It’s summer blockbuster season. A good super hero movie is bound to make its debut.

 

Spiderman is one of my favorite superheroes. He wasn’t born a superhero, like Superman.

 

Spiderman acquired his powers suddenly as a young adult, through a quirk of fate. Very similar to the way most people become leaders. And the core principles that make Spiderman a force for good in the world are pretty much exactly the same ones that can make leaders a force for good in an organization.

 

Number one on that list…. Trust your spidey sense. The definition of spidey sense is simple -- intuition, instinct. Leaders must trust their instincts. Your spidey sense tingles when you feel a strong sense of something being wrong, suspicious, or false. I call it quirky.  Many people will try to rationalize the quirkiness you sense by defending the situation because of a “personality” involved.   Heads up, or 8 legs up, friends –your spidey sense is not fooled.  Leadership is the ability to cling to walls, superhuman strength, perfect balance and equilibrium, as well as, superhuman speed and agility. Also, be aware that the person next to you may use the same spidey sense but get very different information from it and may choose a very different response as the one your consider.  Your own spidey sense has a directional component and can guide you to or away from hidden weapons and disguised enemies (get it?).

 

With great power comes great responsibility. This is the one everybody knows; Spidey’s credo, shared by his dying Uncle Ben.  It really should be core to every leader’s thinking. As you gain power in an organization, you have increasing opportunity to make decisions and act in ways that are selfish, short-sighted, and reactive (and that hurt others, either personally or professionally). However, you can also choose to make decisions and behave in ways that are generous, far-sighted, thoughtful…that support others’ growth and success. Great leaders know that they have a deep human obligation to use the gift of power for the greater good. Leaders must put a sticky web tape around the words “I” and “My”.  As a leader, it is “We” and “Our”.

 

Be who you are. The thing about Peter Parker that stands out the most is his desire to be honest - to do the right thing-and even when he sometimes fails in that quest, he manages to pick himself up and keep moving ahead.

 

When Peter Parker is catapulted into the world of a superhero by that bite from a radioactive spider, he struggled with his new identity. It took him a while to figure out how to be himself – geeky, smart, compassionate, shy -- and still be a superhero. Most of us who get thrown into leadership roles go through a similar struggle. Good leaders realize that there are skills and capabilities they must learn and practice in order to be effective leaders and managers. But they also know that they are who they are….and that’s a good thing. The leaders who people want to follow aren’t trying to be somebody else, some made-up version of who they think they should be as a leader. That always feels fake. Good leaders are comfortable in their own skin, confident in their own gifts – and that allows everyone around them to operate in the same high flying way.  Ahhh… my favorite word – confidence!

 

Do good things even if you don’t get the credit. Spiderman is often misunderstood and maligned. The local newspaper goes through phases of thinking he’s a villain; people question his motives; mothers tell their kids not to emulate him. But he keeps on fighting crime (even though he sometimes gets disheartened). Good leaders don’t do the right thing just because their boss is watching, and they don’t stop doing the right thing when nobody’s noticing or when someone else gets the credit. They do the right thing because it’s the right thing to do…even when it’s hard. And that demonstration of courage and integrity inspires others to behave in the same way, shifting the whole axis of the company toward trustworthiness.

“Not everyone is meant to make a difference. But for me, the choice to lead an ordinary life is no longer an option.”

--Spiderman and You