Embrace Your Humanity to Be a More Impactful Leader
In the realm of leadership, we often encounter two distinct archetypes: the Superhuman Leader and the Human Leader. Take a moment to reflect on your past experiences with these leaders, and let’s delve into a quick exploration of each.
The Superhuman Leader
The Superhuman Leader is a captivating storyteller, regaling you with tales of their incredible feats and how they conquered adversity to achieve perfection. They boast about their immense success, wealth, and ostentatious possessions. Remarkably, in the true fashion of a “Superhuman,” they never seem to acknowledge their mistakes or shortcomings. They’ve never erred; they’ve never faltered. In their narrative, they’re faultless and essentially devoid of imperfections. They’re Superhuman!
The Human Leader
On the flip side, the Human Leader is more down-to-earth. They candidly share the lessons they’ve learned through the trials and tribulations of their journey, not shying away from their mistakes. They are inquisitive and ask questions to better understand others, recognizing their own imperfections. The Human Leader recounts stories of challenging times when everything seemed to unravel, yet they always emphasize the invaluable lessons they gleaned from those storms. They acknowledge the mentors who shaped them, frequently crediting them for their personal and professional growth. Most importantly, Human Leaders embrace two of the warmest words in the English language: “I understand.”
The crux of the distinction between the Superhuman Leader and the Human Leader lies in the element of understanding.
When the Superhuman Leader narrates their saga of flawless perfection and superpowers, their audience often struggles to relate. In reality, here on Earth, perfection is a myth, making it challenging for anyone to connect with such narratives. Consequently, not many are eager to follow in their footsteps.
Conversely, when the Human Leader shares their story of imperfection, highlighting their humanity, everyone can relate. It’s a universal experience. People are naturally drawn to the Human Leader, eager to learn from their experiences.
Consider this:
Which type of leader would you be more inclined to follow?
Even better, which type of leader do you aspire to become?
Choose to be human.
Embrace your most admirable quality—your humanity. Without a doubt, it’s your most relatable leadership trait. And in the realm of leadership, relatability is everything.
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