Who are YOUR Heroes? | Executive Coaching Insights

As an Executive Coach, a big part of my job is to ask you challenging questions to get you to reflect on your experiences. This helps you define yourself and what you want (you have to do the work on you!), and help move you forward. It's a fun and intensive process.

So let’s dive into one of my favorite questions I like to use to spur reflections: "Who are your heroes?"

First - what is a hero?

The dictionary definition is:

• a person noted for courageous acts or nobility of character

• a person who, in the opinion of others, has special achievements, abilities, or personal qualities and is regarded as a role model or ideal

Ok got it.

Now, think of your heroes*

*Real people you know, who are alive.

Not celebrities or historical figures. While those types can be valid heroes, we need to use live, known people for this exercise.

Having real life examples, lived experiences with these people, is what creates some of the most salient learning moments of our lives. The influence of our “everyday heroes,” the “normal people” in our lives, who are our role models are extremely formative in our development.

These are the people and experiences we need to reflect on right now.

Write down the names of your heroes.

I hear you saying “ugh Karli I already thought of them and I have them in my head, I’m just going to keep reading…”

STOP.

Seriously, write them down.

There’s a beautiful power and supreme finality in the written word; in recording and declaring your thoughts.

Write it on paper, text yourself, tweet it, type it in a google doc - I don’t care but seriously, for real - Write. It. Down.

Right NOW.

Actually, I'm going to make this easy for you. Before you move to the next step, download this FABULOUS worksheet I put together for you. Now, isn't that incentive to follow along?

Okay, do you have your worksheet ready? Now...

What makes them your hero?

This is key.

We need to not only FEEL it, but DEFINE it.

“I just know” or “just because” or “ they are amazing” is NOT GOOD ENOUGH.

Do better.

Reflect.

Think.

Think hard.

Use that beautiful brain.

Now write.

Why do you admire them? Respect them?

What actions have they taken that impressed you? Inspired you?

What qualities do they have?

What are they great at?

How do they handle conflict?

How do they communicate?

How do they make you feel? How do they make others feel?

What have you learned from them directly?

How have they challenged you?

What are you better at because of them?

What can you do to be more like them?

Create an action plan.

What strengths do you have in common you can nurture into talents?

What are some things you can say to communicate like them?

What do you need to start doing to emulate them?

What do you need to stop doing to reflect their (and your) best qualities?

This part is not easy.

It takes more serious reflection.

More defining.

Do it. It’s worth it. I promise.

What can you DO to be more like your hero?

This is just one of many exercises I use with my Executive Coaching clients to help them reflect on their experiences, make meaning, and use that to move them forward to the next level of their professional lives.

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Executive Coaching is for any and every professional who wants to develop, in an individual way, to reach their professional goals.

Let’s chat! Schedule a FREE consultation by grabbing a time on my calendar right now!