Unmasking the Hero Within: Why Leaders Are the Alfred’s and Yoda’s of Our Teams
Growing up, I was a superhero enthusiast. Batman was my favorite. Still is. To this day, I carry a keychain of the Bat Signal. When the 1989 Michael Keaton Batman movie premiered, my dad took us to a midnight screening. It was an unusual move for him, but that night remains one of my core childhood memories.
Batman, who first appeared in May 1939 in Detective Comics issue 27, debuted during a tumultuous time, with the rise of Nazi Germany and the onset of World War II. When comic book popularity waned, DC's creation of Batman, Wonder Woman, and Superman brought forth the heroes we desperately needed during a global crisis.
Every great hero has an origin story. For me, Bruce Wayne's transformation into Batman is the most captivating part. At the end of the day, Batman is just an ordinary guy with a lot of money and an unyielding passion born from tragedy—the crucible of losing his parents.
A crucible is defined as "a situation of severe trial, or in which different elements interact, leading to the creation of something new." Bruce Wayne's passion to change the world was born from the crucible he experienced as a child. His unique perspective of Gotham allowed him to see the good in its citizens and the need for a protector. Batman stepped in to fill that void without any alien superpowers, just an ordinary man with an extraordinary purpose.
As leaders, we often see ourselves as the heroes in our story, longing to be the Luke Skywalkers of the Star Wars saga. However, our true role is not that of the hero but of the guide. When it comes to our teams, we are called to be the Yodas—not the Lukes.
Why cross analogies here? Because in Batman's story, one of my all-time favorite characters remains in the background: Alfred Pennyworth. For Bruce Wayne, Alfred serves as the guide, assisting the Caped Crusader in his quest to change the world.
Alfred is an integral part of Bruce Wayne's origin story. Upon losing his parents, Alfred became Bruce's guiding light. With an Alfred Pennyworth in your life, you don't need alien superpowers to make a difference!
Those we seek to help should be the heroes of our story. We need to be the Alfreds and Yodas of their journey. Every day, you choose to enter your work with a purpose—to change the lives of your Bruce Waynes and Luke Skywalkers by creating moments that matter. Because of your leadership, they learn that the world is not merely a binary set of good and bad choices. They see a world of endless possibilities, full of color and beauty, learning their place in it because of your guidance. You are literally changing the lens through which they view the world, and it is extraordinary.
Remember: One tree can make one thousand matches, but one match can burn down one thousand trees. With great power comes great responsibility.
That's the difference you make. Their origin story is shaped by the attitude and effort you invest in doing the right things, the right way, for the right reasons.