Now I was never really a comic book kid to begin with because I thought they were too pricey to spend my precious paper route money on. The few comics I did come home with featured Spiderman, Superman, and an occasional HULK. That was over 30 years ago, so why am I talking comics now? I was asked by a group to theme my whole Leadership & Influence Keynote around any comic book hero of my choosing. With all the weird, wild, and wonderful characters to choose from, I found myself drawn towards a character whose comics I had never read….the Green Lantern.
Knowing virtually nothing about this hero – I think the initial draw was my thought that the lantern would serve as a good symbol of what an inspiring “level 5” leader must bring to take their organization or team from Good to Great. But the more I learned of the Green Lantern.. the more I realized he was the Hero who could best represent the solutions to some of the most relevant leadership challenges we face today. Skipping the nearly 7 page wiki summary & history of the Green Lantern…let me boil it down to the 2 major reasons for choosing Green Lantern as a symbol of the leadership we need today.
First… Hal Jordon – wasn’t bitten by a radio active spider, born on Krypton or freakishly changed by a DNA altering blast of gamma radiation. He’s just your almost average earthling who was chosen to be entrusted with a unimaginable power, the Green Lantern. Why was he chosen? (Notice earlier I said he was almost average?) He was chosen because he could be trusted, because those who chose him discerned that both his heart and head were in the right place. Hal Jordon wasn’t just willing to be good, but desired to do good! This desire compelled him to take action for benefit of others. Integrity matter, character counts, Trust is a MUST… but in addition to what we know is right, we must be willing to DO right. There is much more to discuss here, but lets save it for the conference.
Secondly – The Lantern, and the Ring it charges are indeed phenomenal symbols of what followers want leaders
to bring to the table. Since the dawn of time light seems to have served as a symbol of hope, knowledge, truth, virtue and nearly every good and noble thing. In a world filled with darkness, depression, disconnection, desperation and despair… the need for Bright Leaders who can help us all to “Lighten Up” has never been greater. The Green Lanterns ring operates by 2 core principles that will be central to our discussion of what makes Green Lantern leadership powerfully contagious.
In this fun and fast paced keynote I’ll build on these 2 concepts essentially tying them together to show leaders how to immediately and sustainably increase levels of employee engagement throughout their organizations by being & becoming the Positively Contagious Leaders they want to be and that their people and the world need them to be.
Your leave this session with your Lanterns Lit and Glowing Green or I’ll eat kryptonite. See you soon in Vegas where there will be many lights on...but we'll only be looking for your Green One.
Knowing virtually nothing about this hero – I think the initial draw was my thought that the lantern would serve as a good symbol of what an inspiring “level 5” leader must bring to take their organization or team from Good to Great. But the more I learned of the Green Lantern.. the more I realized he was the Hero who could best represent the solutions to some of the most relevant leadership challenges we face today. Skipping the nearly 7 page wiki summary & history of the Green Lantern…let me boil it down to the 2 major reasons for choosing Green Lantern as a symbol of the leadership we need today.
First… Hal Jordon – wasn’t bitten by a radio active spider, born on Krypton or freakishly changed by a DNA altering blast of gamma radiation. He’s just your almost average earthling who was chosen to be entrusted with a unimaginable power, the Green Lantern. Why was he chosen? (Notice earlier I said he was almost average?) He was chosen because he could be trusted, because those who chose him discerned that both his heart and head were in the right place. Hal Jordon wasn’t just willing to be good, but desired to do good! This desire compelled him to take action for benefit of others. Integrity matter, character counts, Trust is a MUST… but in addition to what we know is right, we must be willing to DO right. There is much more to discuss here, but lets save it for the conference.
Secondly – The Lantern, and the Ring it charges are indeed phenomenal symbols of what followers want leaders
to bring to the table. Since the dawn of time light seems to have served as a symbol of hope, knowledge, truth, virtue and nearly every good and noble thing. In a world filled with darkness, depression, disconnection, desperation and despair… the need for Bright Leaders who can help us all to “Lighten Up” has never been greater. The Green Lanterns ring operates by 2 core principles that will be central to our discussion of what makes Green Lantern leadership powerfully contagious.In this fun and fast paced keynote I’ll build on these 2 concepts essentially tying them together to show leaders how to immediately and sustainably increase levels of employee engagement throughout their organizations by being & becoming the Positively Contagious Leaders they want to be and that their people and the world need them to be.
Your leave this session with your Lanterns Lit and Glowing Green or I’ll eat kryptonite. See you soon in Vegas where there will be many lights on...but we'll only be looking for your Green One.
Kirk Weisler, Chief Morale Officer -
Author of 2 Best Smelling Books
Kirk's T4D Blog (Thought 4 the Day)
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2 comments:
Kirk, very commendable, especially since you have been a leader for sometime now. It is interesting though, how you choose to use a comic book character to help spread the 'light', easier to choose in today's world instead of the one true light who isn't as well accepted, Jesus Christ. Lynn
Great analogy! Love when comic books make their way into professional life :)
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