Stop Being the Green Lantern of Business

Posted by on Apr 15, 2011 in Awakening, Guest Post | 3 comments

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In Chris’s flagship post about how we’ve all become modern superheroes at business, he points out how common some “super powers” (infinite knowledge, instant communication) have become.  In a way, that means the barrier to entry for becoming a workplace superhero is getting dangerously low — and that opens the door for lame superheroes.

And you probably are one… but you don’t have to be.

Why I Would Kill for a Weakness to Kryptonite

Quick: what’s Aquaman’s weakness?

He needs to be in contact with water at least once a day.

But wait… don’t we all?  That’s not a very “super” weakness, is it?
Sure, he can talk to fish, but he has to do it from the water cooler.
And that makes him about as “super” as your district manager.

But it could be worse.

Quick: what’s Green Lantern’s weakness?

Yellow.

That’s right: yellow.  Green Lantern’s ring is powerless against a color *that also happens to be a component OF green.*  (Go figure THAT one out…)

Meanwhile, what’s Superman’s weakness?

Kryptonite.

That’s right: aside from magic (which doesn’t really exist) and lead (which has felled better men than Clark Kent over the past century), Superman’s main weakness is being exposed to radioactive asteroid chunks of his exploded home planet.

And how many of THOSE do you think people find on the side of the road?  Not many.

Which is why Superman is Superman, and why Aquaman is the guy the Justice League usually asks to wait by the phone while they handle the REAL emergencies.

What the Hell Does This Have to Do With YOUR Job?

Everything.

If we’re all superheroes, then we need GOOD super-weaknesses.  We can’t be flummoxed by dehydration and primary colors.  And yet, most gurus I know fail completely when it comes to simple skills like:

* time management
* financial planning
* customer service
* self-awareness
* spelling

If the power of the Internet gives each of us an honorary membership in the Justice League of Business, we owe it to the people we’re supposed to be helping (e.g., your clients or, if you’re a nonprofit, the whole of humanity) to not be rendered useless by basic tasks.  We should be improving our basic skills AND our “super” powers at all times, so the services we provide truly ARE unparalleled.  And we need to identify the bad habits and external pressures that are capable of derailing our workflow (and our careers) so we can work around them, learn to disable them, and eventually overcome them.

So… what’s YOUR Kryptonite?

(Are you sure it’s not just yellow?)

HINT: If there’s a flaw in your work approach that you just can’t fix, team up with someone who’s really good at the things you do horribly.  As the Wonder Twins taught us all, there’s strength in numbers – especially when one of you can transform into a dinosaur.  So work on that.

 

Justin Kownacki is a writer, videographer, brand strategist and media consultant.  Since 2003, he’s created and produced the web sitcoms Something to Be Desired and The Baristas.  He also tweets far, far too much.  You can find Justin on the web here:
http://justinkownacki.com/
http://somethingtobedesired.com/
http://thebaristas.com/
http://twitter.com/justinkownacki

Taking The Vow of Super Heroism

Posted by on Apr 14, 2011 in Awakening, Guest Post | 0 comments

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I , (insert name here), also known as (insert Super hero Name here) promise to always use my SuperHero powers for good. I promise I will use the items I’ve purchased here today safely and in the name of Justice.  I promise to remain ever vigilant, ever true.

-Required Oath before any purchase at The Brooklyn Superhero Supply Store

When Chris refers to his blog as Awakening Your Superhero, I always think of this as a collection of messages to remind us to be a bit better than we are every day, and to do a bit more for others.  Dave Eggers and his 826 project, which provides free tutoring and writing coaching for kids in eight centers across the Country embodies the spirit of this heroism in all of its locations, especially in the center located behind the secret wall in the Brooklyn Superhero Supply Store.  Anyone wishing to make a purchase of their excellent Superhero supplies must take the Vow of Heroism, complete with hand over heart.  As silly as it may seem, I felt special as I recited the vow, and I hope by reading this blog, you will consider taking a similar vow as well.

Vows and slogans are ideals to live up to.  The tough part, as we all know too well, is taking those broad statements of good intention, and making them operational- making them work every day.  To help you with that, here is my list of every day action items that help me live up to my Vow of Heroism (my Super Hero To Do List):

1. Do something for someone else without any expectation of return, at least once a week.  This means starting to look out for others as you look out for yourself.  It may mean helping someone spontaneously without being asked.  It may mean making a special snack for your kids.  It may mean heading off trouble for a friend.  It could be anything, but it should be something that’s done just to be a good human being, without any thought of pay back.  Maybe it’s doing a volunteer job, or going that extra mile for a customer- anything that requires you do more than the average.  The secret here is that you do get a return, whether it’s karmic or just the warm feeling you get inside, but the act of doing something just because is a super power to everyone you interact with.

2. Be Brave.  Try something that’s out of your comfort zone, or confront a fear you have, and deconstruct why it scares you so much.  Whenever I feel myself resisting or avoiding something, I know that’s often fear-based.  Once I start tearing the thing apart, I find out I’m afraid of failing, of being wrong, of feeling stupid or humiliated or admitting a mistake.  In the end, fessing up to myself and owning whatever it is helps me get rid of the fear and move forward.  It’s not easy, but trust me, facing your fear in the eye is the most important skill you can have to awaken your own Super Hero powers.  (Everyone has a weakness to their own version of Kryptonite.)

3.  Be Loyal.  This means looking out for friends, colleagues, and clients.  It means warning friends of pending trouble, and also looking out for opportunities they can use even if you can’t.  If you see a job advertisement, for example, that’s not right for you, is there anyone in your network who could use it?  Can you tweet it out and see if it gets to the right person?  Can you offer someone help or pointers without sounding like you are secretly trying to diss them or seem superior?  Can you offer them helpful advice?  These little acts of looking out for others and having their back will make you the best friend anyone has ever had, and that’s value beyond measure.

4. Be Reverent.  This means being respectful of others and their powers, and maybe even looking for ways you can all work together for the greater good of your community and/or your business.  Respect the talents of others, and look for ways they compliment your own.  By knowing your own strengths and those of others, you can overcome any of those pesky weaknesses as a joint force.

5. Remember that Today’s Side Kick is Tomorrow’s Super Hero.  For goodness sakes, don’t tear apart other super heroes or their side kicks and minions just because their talents are not yet as evolved as yours.  Everyone starts on a different point of the path, so help nurture those sidekicks and minions into true independent heroes of their own.

6. And remember- Villians who have a change of heart will be welcomed and not be referred to as “on a short leash”.  Even those who have spent time on the Dark Side can have a change of heart at any time.  It’s often hard to regain trust once its lost, but we’ll be better off if we assume that everyone is well-meaning and trying their best.  For the few times I guess incorrectly at someone’s motive or purpose, I gain more from expecting people to live up to high expectations than I ever do lowering the bar or assuming the worst.  It’s a risk we Super Heroes have to take.

I hope these pointers help you channel your Super Hero.  I know Chris helps me find mine, and challenges me to do my best every day, and I hope collectively, we can help you do the same.

Whitney Hoffman is Director of Operations for the Podcamp Foundation, a digital media consultant, and author of the upcoming Differentiated Instruction Book of Lists, to be published by Jossey Bass, a division of Wiley & Sons this summer. You can find her online on twitter @LDpodcast, or on her various blogs www.whitneyhoffman.com or www.differentiatedinstruction.co.

Crisis and Motivation

Posted by on Apr 13, 2011 in Awakening, Guest Post | 1 comment

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I’m pleased and honored to guest post over here at Awaken Your Superhero. Chris and I have worked together for years on the Marketing Over Coffee podcast, which has allowed us to hang out with cool kids like Chris Brogan, Mitch Joel, Seth Godin, and David Meerman Scott, as well as the thousands of members in the MoC LinkedIn group. I’m happy to help him out with a bit of writing, and to have a chance to chat with you, loyal reader.

In my efforts to maintain an image of professionalism I normally avoid referring to Super Heroes in my daily work. The image of comic book fanboy as adolescent doofus is a powerful one, and perhaps one day it will go through the same transition that blogging has gone through – from that of basement dwelling dork to the latest application of technology to writing and storytelling. But I’m not holding my breath.

As a reader here, you have already moved beyond the Superhero stigma, so I thank you for the chance to speak freely. By virtue of nothing more than the number of years I have followed the comic industry I’ve amassed a broad knowledge of the genre, a use of time I rank as better than watching television, but not as worthwhile as traveling or exercising.

The concept of the superhero meshes nicely into both mythology and religion. The tales of heroes, the brave and the bold, performing incredible feats is universal and an excellent way to educate. But it’s not enough that our heroes have the power to accomplish great things, the stories are only interesting if there is conflict. The ability to survive crisis (a term with an extensive history to those who know DC), challenges on a larger stage, is often the cornerstone of a great tale of adventure.

The benefit of these stories is that they define what makes us all heroes, that fire in our core that keeps us motivated. They give solid examples of the determination in your heart that tells you to go one more round when your body says “stay down”. We look to the heroes as the people we want to be, those who stand up when duty calls. Reading about, or better yet meeting heroes who have the courage to do what is necessary can inspire you to do the same.

Chris and I have been able to work together through the uncanny coincidence that we live very close to each other. Both of us are along the race course for the Boston Marathon that will be held this Monday. I ran the marathon in 2002 and there’s one moment that was (literally) the darkest hour of that adventure.

A big problem with me running Boston is that I am a big fat bastard (BFB), and when the temperature goes up, my ability to stay cool and maintain pace drops off rapidly. With this race so early in the season, the majority of training is done in the winter and then race day is a roll of the dice. You can get snow or sleet, or you could get over 70 degrees and a sunburn (my Perfect Storm scenario, which played out perfectly, much to my chagrin). Another problem of being a BFB is that many will argue that this is the most prestigious marathon in the world, attended by the World’s Finest, so the organizers are able to set qualifying times that an average athlete (never mind a donut chowing bozo like myself) will never get to. In a wonderfully inspired bit of marketing, many charities have taken advantage of the hubris of would be runners, and offer a race number if you agree to a fund raising threshold (now usually around $3,000).

The Franciscan Hospital for Children had thrown a number of events for young professionals in Boston, and this was how I was notified that they had numbers. I signed up in December and began upping my mileage from my max of 10 to 26.2. As part of the program I took a tour of the hospital and the day care facility they run there fo

r children that have medical needs that make it impossible for them to attend any other day care program. I met a young lady I’ll call Dee, to preserve her privacy, who had the voice of an angel, and we had a picture taken that was liked enough to be used in the Annual Report for the hospital that year (in the full size photo you can see that I am actually still sweating, my metabolism cranked up from doing 12 miles around the Charles River that morning).

By the end of February I was falling apart, not only was I feeling a twinge in my knee, just finding the time and energy for both work and the additional workouts was taking its toll. As the alarm went off at 5:30 am and I faced a run of 10 miles in the dark, over ice, I finally broke, ranting and raving in the dark. Only half jokingly I said “F— this. I’m not doing this, f— the marathon”. My (then not yet) wife asked “What about the hospital? You’ve committed this to them.” I said “F— them, they suckered me into doing this, and worse yet I need to get them $2,500 for the right to do it.” She paused and asked “What about Dee?”

This stopped me completely. Even on my worst day, standing there in the dark, I could not say anything bad about a young lady that faces more challenges just getting to school than I face on what I consider a bad day. My dear wife had invoked one of my own heroes. I took a deep breath, wiped my eyes, kissed my wife, and went out to do my miles.

 

John J. Wall (@johnjwall) is the co-host of Marketing Over Coffee and writes about his life at Ronin Marketeer. He harbors no illusion that he is a runner as he still qualifies for the fat guy division (commonly called Clydesdale). In May 2011 he will be running the Run To Home Base, an event that raises funds for veterans dealing with traumatic brain injuries and post traumatic stress disorder. If you would like to support those who have fought for your freedom, please consider donating. Thanks true believers!

The suitcase is packed again

Posted by on Apr 12, 2011 in Awakening | 4 comments

Full bus... er, plane

The suitcase is packed again and it’s off to distant lands, this time for well over a week. I’m headed out on a vacation to someplace that’s almost-new, that I’ve almost never been to before – Seoul, South Korea. I say almost because once upon a time, long ago, I was born there, in a time when things weren’t nearly as good as they are now.

I tell you this not because it’s a particularly interesting story in and of itself, but as a living testimonial about the success of adoption. The mother I was born to recognized she wasn’t able to provide the kind of life she thought I should have, so shortly after I was born, I was adopted and sent over to the United States of America to live and grow up, which I did quite happily and became the person you know me as today.

Adoption is one of the best solutions for people who want to have kids but are thinking about the impact of yet another human being on a planet full of nearly seven billion of them. It’s a crowded place that we live, and giving a child whose life ahead might not be filled with as much opportunity a chance in your home is an incredible gift to give if you’re able to do so. Adopted kids like me love their adoptive parents just as much, if not more, and go on to very interesting lives like mine.

Now I head back on vacation, not to see what I missed, but to celebrate what South Korea has become in the decades since I left and see the sights. I’d never trade what I have in this lifetime, but I’m excited to see how the land has changed from what I read growing up to being the technological and industrial powerhouse it is today.

While I’m away on vacation, you’ll be seeing guest posts on the blog from a few folks I asked to think about the awaken your superhero theme. I think you’ll actually get more out of those folks than you do from me on the topic, so I look forward to seeing what they have to teach.

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This too shall pass

Posted by on Apr 12, 2011 in Awakening | 5 comments

There’s a cliche that’s arguably over a hundred years old in the United States, to stop and smell the roses, an admonition against hurrying through life so fast that you miss all of the delights of life. Variants of this phrase and ideal stretch back as far as recorded human history goes. For example, Judaism contains an admonition to enjoy all that was created, and it’s even considered a sin by some interpretations to reject the wonders of life. (those of you who are active practitioners, feel free to correct me)

When I see friends writing and speaking about being ambitious, being hungry, wanting to do more, more, more, I’m partly happy and partly sad for them. Happy that they’re driven to accomplish, that they’re driven to do so much and create many good works, but saddened that they’re rushing through their lives, saddened that when the ride is over, I truly wonder if they will have actually enjoyed their lives fully.

Lunar eclipse 2008

What brings this to mind right now is the perfect evening breeze blowing through my window. Not too cool, a touch of humidity hinting at the springtime coming around, a faint scent of greenery as the first shoots pop out of the ground. It’s a breeze worth taking the time out to enjoy, which I did before writing this, the sort of breeze that will stir memories of youthful adventures when we’re old. You know exactly the kind if you’ve lived for a few years, the kind of breeze that will make you get up and go outside for a bit, maybe even grab a beverage to enjoy with it.

If there’s one teaching tool I’ve learned over the years to help me counteract the very bad habit of rushing past things, it’s the simple phrase, “this too shall pass”. Everything good and bad, right and wrong, new and old, eventually fades to nothing. Every joy, every sorrow, everything comes to an end. “This too shall pass” is a mantra and reminder to poke yourself with: if you’re enjoying something now, take the time to really enjoy it, because it will pass and it will never come again exactly as it is now.

Now if you’ll excuse me, an evening breeze is calling my name.

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