What If We Were All H.E.R.O.E.S. in 2009?

Last year I had two t-shirts made up: "Dare to be a Hero" and "Heroes Wear Pink." They got an interesting response.

Some loved them. Some couldn't wait to get one.

Some thought they were silly.

A couple thought I was insulting the true heroes of the world.

Some purchased them for friends and colleagues. One woman even bought two of the "Heroes Wear Pink" shirts for her teenage daughters to remind them of their power as young women and the ability to take a stand.

A very mixed set of responses.

The t-shirts sold out, I'm very happy to say, and obviously they struck a chord. Many would say "Well! Can't please everyone!" - Perhaps true, and this also offered us a great opportunity to explore this word HERO.

After all, the word "HERO" evokes many emotions; respect, hope, excitement, courage, fear and sadness to name just a few.

There are the traditional heroes who save lives and engage in acts of bravery most of us can only imagine. And then there are everyday heroes like teachers and parents and others committed to something "bigger" than themselves. (Did you know that approximately 70% of kids rate their parent(s) as their number one hero - followed by Spiderman?)

Whatever the case, and whatever your definition of the word "hero," let me invite you for a moment to try it on. After all, regardless of our connection to the word, couldn't we at least aspire to be our own heroes and heroes WITH and TO those around us?

The word "hero" can mean very different things to different people. Personally, I see that stepping out of one's comfort zones in service of another human being, or the greater good can be a type of heroism.

This year I've also been playing with another "definition" of hero, one that speaks to mindset and a "way of being." I've found it useful and I offer it to you as a New Year's gift for 2009. I invite you to take a close look and really feel into what each of these components mean. Because imagine if we all came from this place. Truly, what would be possible?

H: Helpful & healthy
E: Engaged & evoking the best in others
R: Real, responsive, resilient & in relationship
O: Optimistic & open to service and opportunity

Imagine moving through your day with the intention of:

**Being helpful to those around you. Taking great care of your health so you have the energy and stamina to lead.

**Being engaged (and directly engaging) with others, directly engaging your fears, goals, and challenges, and evoking the best in those around you?

**Being real (truly authentic) and responsive in your relationships. Being resilient to challenging times, comments or "bumps." Embracing that life is always in relationship and that we do not have to do it alone.

**Being optimistic about the people and situations around you. Assuming good and being open to opportunity and the opportunity to be of service.

Pick one component to focus on, or pick them all, but notice that it's not about doing it alone. It's not about "trying to be a hero for the sake of being a hero." Or being a "Pollyanna." It's simply about showing up fully, engaged, and in service of. (In fact the "E" and "S" of "HEROES" - are "energized" and "service oriented.") And then of course there's HEROIC Leadership - more on that soon.

What would happen?

How would this "come from" / mindset impact your life personally, your relationships, your organization? How would it impact our planet? Our company cultures? Our families and our teams? How would it help you be more effective in reaching your goals? Where would it give you that extra edge or optimize your performance or leadership?

So that's my invitation in 2009. Be a H.E.R.O. Don't apologize for it. Don't discard it. Believe in it. Live it. And pass it on.

Let's honor the heroes in our lives, cherish our relationships, help things go right, and yes, let's all be heroes. After all, if not you, who?