As the Guide You Become the Hero's Hero

Those you lead are the heroes in their own story. When they are in front of customers or their team - it has to be their story, not yours. The role you play is coach and coaches are rarely at the forefront of any hero's journey.People look to their leaders to help solve their internal problems, such as wanting more success, a promotion, or be a better leader themselves. They want to be able to take pride in the work they complete. They want confidence in what they do. Everyone has aspirations. As the coach or guide, your role becomes helping them develop their own aspiration identity.But wait, doesn’t everyone want to be the hero? Think about some of the most identifiable guides - Yoda, Luke Skywalker’s guide in the Star Wars movies. Haymitch is Katniss’s guide in the popular book and movie series The Hunger Games. or Gandalf from The Lord of the Rings, he is Frodo’s guide. In every case, the hero looked to their guide to help lead the way and provide the support and encouragement they needed to fulfill the hero’s role. Sure, it may be the hero who ends up saving the day, but that is their journey, their story. You play a critical role, behind the scenes, in the path they are taking. But don’t lose sight of the fact that it is their journey.

What Does a Guide Do?

Yoda restates the issues at hand and presents the potential obstacles and outcomes. He doesn’t make decisions for Luke. Instead, he points the way and helps to clear the path for Luke to determine his own journey. While it sounds a little hokey out of context (and maybe a little even in context), but “search your feelings” is fine advice for a leader to provide those they serve. That is a way to open one's eyes to new possibilities and help them see how something could be different.A guide asks plenty of questions. As I have covered in articles on coaching and listening before, those are two of the most important things a guide does for the hero. They remain curious to see where the journey can go and they listen to what is being said along the way. In doing so, they can continue to probe further to provide potential options for the hero to choose from.Since everyone is writing their own story leaders can embrace the ideas used in writing to help guide their followers as well. Donald Miller speaks of this in his book “Building a StoryBrand: Clarify Your Message So Customers Will Listen.” While he is using it as a way to grow your business from a marketing standpoint, there are useful lessons for leaders as well. Following his SB7 approach for storytelling defines a clear path for every hero.

• What does the hero want?
• What problem needs to be solved?
• Find a guide or mentor.
• Build a plan.
• Call to action.
• Define what failure might look like.
• Define what success will look like.

Almost every story follows these general steps. Leading people through their own story can be very similar. Most people already know what it is they want to do or become - what they want. They likely even know what problem needs to be solved or which obstacles need to be removed - what problem needs to be solved. They have come to you to refine and clarify those first two questions and then move forward - find a guide or mentor. In your role you help them build a simple plan that will ensure they can move towards their vision of success - build a plan. Motivate them, provide encouragement, or issue a challenge to get them moving - call to action. Finally, you need to paint the picture of what could happen if they do not take the steps they have defined - define what failure might look like or paint the picture of what success will be like and how they might feel to reach their goal - define what success looks like.In helping others find the happy ending to their own story, a leader becomes a behind the scenes hero to the hero. This is another step in your own journey towards being a servant leader. The best leaders remain out of the limelight and place others in the spotlight of their own tale. To find the greatest success as a leader, remember not cast yourself as the hero— instead place those you lead as the hero while you serve as their guide.Who have been your favorite guides in stories you have read, seen, or been a part of? Share your thoughts in the comments.