The Leader Who Needs To Be A Hero
Yesterday while I was baling hay I heard a great song by Five Finger Death Punch, Nails In The Coffin. I’m sure I had heard the song before because I really like Five Finger Death Punch, but this time, for some reason, all the lyrics were really resonating with me. Interestingly, when the song was over there was a quick interview with a member of the band on Sirius XM Octane. In the interview it was said that the band loved the song because it could be related to almost any circumstance in life. My thought exactly!
The very first lines of the song really jumped out at me: “There has to be a catastrophe; In everything you say and do; It’s like an urge you need to purge; Until it’s bruised through and through; You turn the knife to make things right” Have you ever experienced a leader that always needed there to be some catastrophe or problem to solve? I have experienced this type of leader and sometimes thought they even created disasters so they could solve them. Sometimes we find ourself in the presence of a leader who needs to be the hero. Many times in this presence, others can’t do their best. The challenge is that during a catastrophe we need the best in each of us.
There is actually a name for the type of leader I am describing: Hero Syndrome. Hero Syndrome, also referred to as Hero Complex, refers to the need, usually of an individual, to look for, create, and solve issues to justify their self-worth. Saving the day fuels this leader’s ego and provides control. This can be dysfunctional and hurt others.
Now, don’t think I am saying that leaders should not solve problems. My point here is for us to keep in mind is that we need to make sure we are not serving as captains of crisis, but as leaders of collaboration, risk mitigation, processes, and cohesive systems.
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