Does Clark Kent REALLY Need Superman? Your Superhero in the Office
A somewhat indestructible individual who dedicates his cause to standing up for the weak, protecting the innocent and saving the world time and time again. Clark Kent on the other hand, is a normal, everyday average Joe who has many vulnerable traits. He is a genuinely good bloke however, can be clumsy, and like the rest of us has many weaknesses (not just the one!).
Since the beginning of my career I have been somewhat intrigued by the ‘Superhero’ split personalities many of us display in the workplace. Having witnessed three types of these superhero split personalities, I have begun to wonder whether or not these personalities which we display really are invincible or if they even save the day for anyone. Having worked with many friends and personal associates as colleagues, clients and even employees of mine; I have observed both those individuals and myself demonstrating these types of superhero alter-egos on numerous occasions throughout our careers.
The different types of superhero personalities I have witnessed/demonstrated are:
The Batman – The Batman is someone who is a superhero to their bosses and peers. These individuals may also be known as ‘Yes-men’ and will take on any extra work given to them (despite their current workload), demonstrating that they can take on any task without being defeated.
Captain America – Captain America is someone who demonstrates a character who is unwavering in their dedication and enthusiasm. These are those that show their employees and colleagues that no matter what; they represent the brand with complete invincibility, inflexibility and impersonality.
Superman – Superman is someone who is simply the best; a top performer with absolutely no floors. These demonstrate to their colleagues and employers that they are by far the best, do not make mistakes and are have no weaknesses.
If any of these are familiar to you and you either relate to having felt like this previously, or currently feel like you demonstrate a similar alter-ego; you may be wondering why. For me at least; I believe that it has been a recipe of many ingredients which have contributed to achieving my ‘build your own’ Superman.
As an employee from day 1, despite our individual motivators, we are all slapped with the reality that we are competing for similar goals; mostly being success. This can be in the form of recognition, promotion or simply financial gain; but can be the main ingredient which really packs the punch in creating our superheroes. Life itself is competitive, and whether it’s by competitive nature or not, this may be the reason as to why we demonstrate this superhero persona. This may be because we are attempting to display that we are indeed a Batman, a Captain America or a Superman; to show our colleagues and managers that we are undefeatable with no cracks and therefore successful.
Some of my proudest achievements in my early career may as well be credited to my alter-egos saving the world rather than myself. I can think of many examples of this and after all, why not? My Superman only does good, has great hair and many strengths with no weaknesses, doesn’t he? Of course not! We are all only human; and as far as I am aware superheroes are only fictional. Although I have a lot to thank my superhero alter egos for; I also believe that they have been a key element in forming a Kryptonite-shaped rod for my own back, helping me to realise that being more like Clark Kent may actually offer me a lot more in my career.
We all know that superheroes have weaknesses, and we all know that we are only human. Continuing this persona, it is therefore inevitable that one day we will be found out as we are, unfortunately not perfect and therefore do make mistakes. If this is the case; I believe that it’s surely a much better idea to be proud of being Clark Kent and show the world that we can offer them a lot more than we ever could have as Superman.
Alternatively, perhaps Ironman is a better example to follow. He makes it publicly known that he is actually just Tony Stark in a costume; an ordinary human with no super powers, doing the best he can with what tools he has. He doesn’t hide behind his alter-ego, he embraces the fact that he is both. The whole world knows about him and all of his weaknesses and perhaps this is a much stronger characteristic. After all, being someone who is open and aware about their own weaknesses may not actually be a bad thing. Doing this gives out the message that yes, we are only human, but we also do know how to develop weaknesses into strengths, whilst maintaining our strongest qualities.
I have learnt to be more like Tony Stark and let the world know who I really am. I am the same to my friends and family as I am to my colleagues, clients and employers. With this new-found confidence, I can proudly say that I face no inner battles with my personality and have really earned the respect of my peers in a deeper way. Everyone is on the same page as me; knowing that I am only human and do make mistakes just like the real Clark Kent. I now publicly work on my mistakes, admit when I am wrong to all (including employees) and accept criticism with an eye to working on the creases, like Tony Stark, for the world to see, giving me more strengths than any superhero alter ego could.