The Hero Trap: Breaking Free from a Culture of Disasters

Is your organization addicted to heroes?

By Bett Bollhoefer

You can do away with heroes. Take a moment to reflect on how often your team showers heroes with thunderous applause, ribbons, and the coveted "Hero of the Month" award. It's a clear indication that your organization is in shambles. If you find yourself relying on heroes, it means your organization is systematically and consistently breeding disasters. This cycle must come to an end. Heroes become addicted to their heroic acts, and in doing so, they perpetuate the very disasters they aim to solve.

Allow me to illustrate the toxicity of this hero culture with an example. Imagine you swim three times a week, and without fail, every week, one out of those three times, you begin to drown, requiring the lifeguard to save you.

Now, this may sound amusing, but if I were to tell you that I need saving one out of every three times I swim, you'd rightfully conclude that there are serious issues that need addressing. You would suggest learning how to swim properly, seeking guidance from a coach, or even using a kickboard to strengthen my weak muscles.

While this is just an example, it serves as a powerful analogy. We must all contemplate how we can reorganize and enhance our systems and teams to eliminate the need for heroes.

Instead of worrying, consciously or subconsciously, about where the next hero will come from, we ought to celebrate consistent success. We should revel in the smooth execution of our operations, the seamless launch of new products, and the unhindered progress of our customer success endeavors. Our mindset should be offensive, taking proactive steps to build a culture and operational framework that thrives on regular triumphs.

Now, let's delve into how you can smoothly transition away from the hero culture. Follow these four steps:

Cease rewarding heroes. Just stop. By celebrating heroic efforts, you are inadvertently training your team to create disasters. Put an end to this practice.

Start celebrating ongoing, sustained success. Shift your focus to the achievements that occur when everything is running as planned. Recognize the excellence of your operations team, the seamlessness of your product launches, and the consistent satisfaction of your customers.

Develop practices that breed success. When you encounter a system or customer that exhibits exceptional performance, investigate and understand what is working. Share this knowledge with the entire organization.

Continuously improve your processes and prioritize wins. Celebrate the smooth functioning of your operations rather than applauding heroic efforts. This four-step approach is a formidable undertaking, one that may require years of commitment. However, I assure you that it will eradicate the hero culture and put an end to the constant stream of disasters.

I hope you find this approach beneficial. Please share with me what you have learned and how you have implemented these strategies in your own context.