The Batman of Business

Superman, Spiderman, Green Lantern, The Hulk; comic book superheroes that littered the landscape of my childhood like fallen leaves on an autumn morning. Comics were infrequently available growing up but when I could get my hands on them I would devour them with a speed that almost elevated me to superhero status (SuperZach: secret power-lightening speed reading, not likely to ever be a popular superpower). More recently there has been a noticeable increase in the rise of superhero movies. Old franchises have been revisited and a few more dragged off the comic book pages into three dimensional flesh and blood enactments. Not only that, they have been a staggering success. Three of the top ten, top grossing international movies last year were comic book crossovers (IronMan 3, Thor 2 and Man of Steel) and both Captain America's and The Amazing Spiderman's second offerings are well entrenched in this years top lists.

Why have they been so popular? One reason is that deep down we all want to be a hero. Superheroes resonate with the little bit of our souls that goes 'if only I could (insert appropriate superpower here)'. Many superhero back stories have a painful past; it makes us like them more and helps identify with them. Noone cares that Spiderman does not earn much, he has spidey-powers dude! We all would love that extra touch that would make the struggle for cash seem irrelevant. I watched the second Amazing Spiderman this weekend and left thinking I should order a Spiderman costume just for kicks.

There is one superhero for me that stands out among the rest though. Sure I like Spiderman, I think Captain America is a pretty solid character, but Batman just rocks it as far as masked vigilantes go. You see, the deal with Batman is this, he has no superpowers. Nothing. No extra speed, no regeneration abilities, nothing. All he has is a brain, some hard earned training, some cool toys and a desire to make the world a better place (he also has a butler called Albert which has to count for something).Likewise he had no quick fixes to get his powers like so many others. There are no radioactive spiders and no booster serums. Batman is simply put 'an ordinary human' who has to work hard to get where he needs to be. And if he can be a superhero, well so can I. I may not run around in tights and spandex beating up the bad guys but I can make a difference in the life of my clients. I can have the discipline and commitment to self improvement and training that he has. I can create tools and inventions that can radically alter the interaction of people with one another and the environment. I can be a positive force of energy to those around me. And so can you.

Here are some tips to help activate your inner superhero:-

Identify your superpowers, the strengths that you have. These are the skills you bring to the table, the abilities that when the chips are down people call of you to activate. From problem solving to fund raising, from the ability to calm a situation down to clinching a deal, there is no end to the possibilities that are out there. You have one or more.

Be diligent on honing your skills. Develop them, train them, seek mentors in them, learn from others. Read books, take classes, practice your craft. One mentor I have deliberately takes two courses a year; one to better himself (in that is included family, marriage, personal finance etc) and one to better the organisation he leads.

Think ahead. I love movies that have a surprise ending, when you think that the bad guys have won and the protagonist still has a secret card up their sleeve that they set in action well before the action started. Forethought gets you places. Develop thinking ahead. If all you can do at the moment is think ahead one day at a time it is a good place to start, then stretch it to two, a week, a month and so on.

Once in a while you are going to get beat down. You need some resilience. Some of that comes from the discipline of training, and of training out of a comfortable zone. Some of it is going to come directly from the school of hard knocks, you are going to have to get back up from a hit. If you purpose in your mind to get up before the hit even comes your are more likely to be able to recover.

Be ready to take opportunities. Being the same as everyone else is going to keep you ordinary. Seeing a gap in the market or a unique way of solving a challenge is going to elevate you beyond the normal.

Finally keep your moral compass straight. The only difference between a hero and a villain is the intent of their heart. Just like the movies, in the long run villains fall and no one mourns their demise.Oh and if you can afford it, get yourself an Albert like Batman, they help keep you sane.