Leaders are Made
September 9, 2019
The Iliad tells the story of two warriors, Achilles and Hector. One warrior was born a demigod (Achilles) and the other fully human (Hector). Achilles' mother Thetis, determined to make her son even more impenetrable, dipped the young Achilles in the River Styx, a river whose mystical water would protect him from harm and death. As Thetis dipped her son into the river, she was able to cover/protect every part of the boy, except his ankle. His only weakness was his heel (hence the phrase, "Achilles Heel"). It wasn’t just Achilles heel that was his weakness, but his ego, petulance, vain glory and desire for vengeance. Even with these flaws, Achilles was still the most capable warrior alive. He was born gifted!
In contrast, every square inch of Hector was susceptible to harm. He didn't have a goddess mother and wasn't born with divine abilities. He was like us, human! Hector was a loving and loyal son, husband and father and citizen soldier who only fought to protect his family and his country. He was Troy's best warrior and a model for all of us born from the dust. His effectiveness as a warrior wasn't given to him at birth; it was something he had to learn and earn through experience.
As a mortal, Hector had to learn how to hone his skills as a warrior and leader. On the eve of his battle with Achilles, he had a conversation with his wife, Andromache, who pleaded with him to not go back into battle the next day, fearing he would die. He expressed to Andromache his own limitations and feelings of mortality, but nevertheless, why he must step into battle.
"All this weighs on my mind too, dear woman. But I would die of shame to face the men of Troy and the Trojan women trailing their long robes if I would shrink from battle now, a coward. Nor does the spirit urge me on that way. I’ve learned it all too well. To stand up bravely, always to fight in the front ranks of Trojan soldiers, winning my father great glory, glory for myself" (Iliad Book VII, 6.63-70).
Like Hector, we are susceptible to the human limitations of fear and shame. These human emotions can sometimes entice us to stay home where it is safer and more predictable. But, these emotions can become opportunities to practice standing up during difficult situations. Sadly, Hector met his fate on the battlefield fighting Achilles, but he left us a lasting legacy of a hero who was made, not born.
When we humbly recognize and name our limitations, we take our first step toward transforming them into our greatest opportunities for growth. Sometimes we walk into leadership situations where we feel unqualified and mismatched. Anyone? It is often in these situations that we learn and are strengthened the most.
Most of us will never be the stuff of legends. Instead, we are leaders who carry around real human emotions and limitations. We need to recognize that if we are going to make our lives mean something, we will need to embrace the characteristics of our humanity and stop trying to convince ourselves that we are impervious to the dangers of this world. True bravery in leadership is stepping into situations where we don't know the outcome, but we decide to engage anyway because our integrity and others lives depend on it.
Questions in which to marinate:
What is the most difficult task to which to have been called as a leader? How has learning from your past helped prepare you for this task?
As a leader, what have you learned about yourself lately that has provided increased clarity for your current challenge(s)?
What similarities do you see between Hector and the best leaders with whom you have had the opportunity to follow?
What are you most afraid of losing as a leader? How might your fear of losing this thing be undermining your leadership?