Careers coach Lucinda Harlow of Uevolve blogs about work heroes
I don’t know about you but I have two kind of heroes.
The first kind includes the likes of Nelson Mandela. I mean what a combo of determination, ethics and action that’s led to jaw dropping change and liberation. When it comes pedestals, it’s of Everest proportions. Legendary, life changing and immensely humble – unbeatable.
So that’s my first kind of hero. The verging on god-like kind.
My other kind are the ones I met at the WATC Women in Technology a few weeks ago. These were women living the same (ish) life as me and proved to me how you can be really quite terrified of doing something – but do it anyway.
Two amazing women stood up and told us about their careers, sharing the secrets to their success in an inspiring way. As I’m quite nosey I did find myself taking a good look at the audience – and there was definitely a lot more hero fodder in that room.
So heroes – what are they good for?
Well Nelson et al, they just make me remember the big stuff about truth and justice and a certain kind of courage. The problem with them of course is their achievements are so huge the temptation is to sit back and just admire. Worse, they make you suffer a bit of ‘I could never do that’?
The ordinary, daily-grind heroes packing out WATC? Well they make it real. They show me another kind of courage, more mundane maybe but still crucial to a good life and a great career.
The speakers at the event were showstopping – but maybe not for the reasons you’d think. They showed themselves to be ordinary women like us. Ones who had “stuff” that held them back until they fought through to ride high in their careers.
One talked of being under-confident, yet acting brave. The other spoke of being in the same junior role for 16 years before she decided to go for it.
They showed something important – heroes are just people. People who face issues and barriers like the rest of us.
They don’t have an extra power gene or superman cape they whip out in times of need. They just get on and do.
Heroes are just normal people doing extraordinary things who show how logical it is that you can, too.
So have a think, who are your heroes? How did they help you push on and through in your career? I’d love to hear about it.