Teddy Roosevelt put it well. “The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena…”
While the critic doesn’t count, the people behind the man in the arena do count.
There would be no King without its council of ministers, no cricketer without team members and support staff, no great theatre without the writers, producers, directors, designers, and stage managers that you do not see on stage, in the arena. The hero’s journey is about the hero. The leader’s journey is about the team.
Leadership is about inspiring and enabling others to do their absolute best together to realise a meaningful and rewarding shared purpose. Teams need heroes. They need role players. They need leaders in the arena and behind the arena.
- The most successful heroes are heroes to their teammates as well, working together and communicating well, combining both hero and leader as hero leaders —often as members of The Captain Class.
- It’s helpful, though probably not required, to have experienced success as a member of a team before trying to coach or lead. Being able to say “I’ve been in your shoes” builds credibility.
- The most successful leaders instinctively step back and let others be heroes.
The hero’s journey and leader’s journeys are similar, but not the same. At some point, the hero has to accept the quest themselves and get into the arena. The leader inspires and enables others on their quests perhaps arranging forces for battle strategically from outside the arena and perhaps leading forces in the arena tactically.