*”Heroes are heroes because they are heroic in behavior, not because they won or lost.
– Nassim Nicholas Taleb
– author of The Black Swan
One becomes a hero when one fights against adversities with courage or strength, overcoming fear of danger to do things which others don’t dare.
They earn admiration because of fine attitude and well executed brave acts.
These brave acts are usually against something or someone mightier, and is believed by them to be harmful to a group or society.
Most times heros fight it out all alone, or lead a group in the fight, when almost all others give up and resign to the inevitable.
People who engage in acts of heroism, do care for the people around them because they are able to empathise with their problems.
They try to achieve what is considered impossible or not-doable by others.
Heroism is celebrated only when the same results in success.
Interestingly, earlier failures are quoted as examples, but, only after they achieve big success.
At this point, let’s stop for a moment and connect all these with what a business owner does.
It will occur to us that he does everything what a hero does!!
It’s very rare for business owners to be successful all the time, but invariably they are all heros. They strive continuously for success against all odds.
They also take profound personal risks and indulge in sacrifices while running their respective businesses.
During very tough times l, they go beyond their means to keep the business afloat, meet commitments in their business and also in the interest of their employees.
Unfortunately neither their success nor failure is well appreciated.
When business owners succeed, they are not considered genuine and straight; during failure, they are just dumped without help.
Rarely, when a Business owner is admired, it’s no where close to the accolades received by war and sports or political heros get from the society.
To be a hero is not easy; in any field, certainly not in business.
Business Owners take a lot of personal responsibility, risk, threat of failure and loss of reputation and ownership in the event of failure; all these for the sake of a single cause or a goal.
Sometimes the qualities of a hero in them is brought out, because, they decide to do something to protect the interests of people who rely/depend on them.
And…they rise to the occasion!!!
Top qualities like
Bravery,
Conviction and
Courage
have to be bundled with
determination,
readiness,
out of box thinking and
sacrifice of personal interest
are inbuilt qualities of Heros.
Sure, all will agree when I say that there is hardly any doubt that CEOs and entrepreneurs are the ultimate everyday heroes.
Inspite of profound personal risks, they go beyond their personal capacities to succeed in their business and protect interests of their employees
Business owners are ambitious, and that makes them what they are.
Even if they are not treated as heros, atleast let them not be painted with negative images of greed, excess, and soullessness. ,
Not that they don’t exist, they are far and few between.
-Muralidharan Margabandhu
Business Coach
Debt Resolution & Business Turnaround