Lessons From Comic Book Heroes & Real-Life Sports Heroes

‘Thor’ – the Norse god of thunder - will be the next comic book character to be brought to life via Hollywood. Once again, Natalie Portman appears; she was the lead actress in ‘V For Vendetta’, about an underground, anti-establishment, renegade-terrorist. Shot in noir style, it was artsy yet believable in its Orwellian plot and premise. If there is a cause worth believing in, believers will uphold it. A Cause becomes a call for action – like the myriad of charities aimed at assisting a post-quake struck Japan.

This week, I watched a re-run of M. Night Shyamalan’s ‘Unbreakable’ which focused on superheroes. What if there was a man who was born so fragile that his bones break at the slightest movement? What if, he believed that there was another person – his antithesis – that was indestructible? This comic-book premise is about heroes and anti-heroes. 

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Tomorrow will be the 2XU 12K Compression Run. After the sudden strong downpour this evening, I expect an interesting morning. I hope to hold a 4:30 pace for the whole race; it is my time trial for the week (part of my Ironman and Gold Coast Marathon goals). That would be an assuring pace to work on (54:00 for 12K), as we make our way past iconic landmarks like the Singapore Flyer, Marina Bay Sands’s Helix Bridge, and F1 pit-stop/grandstand. The last time I ran there was at Pete Jacobs’s running session. I am looking forward to a tactically sound race, focused on clever and disciplined pacing.

Clifford Lee reported that he witness Zola Budd win the Iron Girl Race today at Nelson Mandela Bay – site of tomorrow’s Ironman South Africa. She was the famous barefoot runner, unfairly accused of tripping Mary Decker during a major race. Decker admitted, subsequently, that she was at fault. However, I was disappointed that silence on her part may have compromised Budd’s career, and more importantly, the desire to run to her potential. The  Budd-Decker Olympic, 3000-metre race was the race-of-the-year, yet yielded tragic results. Enjoy the Runner's World interview from 2009 - it is a very well written piece.

What Sort of Super-Hero Leader Are You?

In one episode of Season 3 of Heroes, the cheerleader is asked: ‘What sort of superhero are you?’ She was auditioning for a job at a comic-book store.

I thought: That is a good question! If you were a leader, what sort of superhero leader would you be?

Let’s steer away from the simplistic and superficial response of good and bad. Few would unhesitatingly claim ‘bad’. If you were a martinet or dictator you would still be effective. You may not like me for making tough decisions, yet somebody has to make them. Since nobody is willing to step up to the plate – I will. In making painful and tough decisions that affect others, the leader has to decide and act. Think about letting a team-member go, or holding a staff back from promotion because you felt that they were not ready yet.

If you chose to be the nice leader, how would you demonstrate your style? What would be your approach? The leader who is revered?

In comic-book hero term, what would your special power be? If you could heal fast, then you may be leader who resolves conflict. If you could read minds, then you may be skillful in empathy and active listening. If you could move fast between places, then you may be a leader who has a sense of urgency and multi-tasks effectively. If you could move through time, you may be a strategist who links the past and present with future, possible outcomes. You may also make the link between history and tradition, with future-orientated innovation.

What sort of powers would you like to possess?