Activity – Your Heroic Modes
In a crisis – or in ‘high-stakes’ – we tend to adopt a hero type. There are three main hero types – the Fixer, the Survivor and the Protector – each with a light and dark side.
LIGHT
Fixer
Indomitable will – driven to overcome whatever gets in the way of their mission
Skillful self-presentation, irrepressibly optimistic, believe in their own powers to make things happen
Willingness to lead from the front with formidable energy
Believe they know the ‘right’ way. Hard on themselves and on others
An appetite for confrontation
Survivor
Extraordinary perseverance and endurance
Shutting out negativity, including pain and defeat
Confidence through preparedness
Deep commitment to a cause
Protector
Dedication to caring and shielding
Realistic appraisal of danger
Compassion for the underdog to redress power imbalances
Bearers of moral conscience
Aesthetic sensibility
GREY
Fixer
Inexhaustible assertiveness
Inflexible zeal & intolerance
Grandiosity, crave adulation, need to be worshipped, surrounded by ardent followers
Blinding focus. The will to fight can supersede the purpose of the fight in the first place
Survivor
Dismissing defeat, believe that nothing has power over them
The cause above all else, the struggle defines their life
Lashing out when blocked
Choosing the cause over love
Protector
Pessimistic preoccupation with danger
Exaggerated perception of external power, sensitive to the abuse of power
Prone to becoming emotionally overwhelmed
Sensitivity to abuse of power
DARK
Fixer
Overcoming whatever the cost
Must-Win mentality
Hunger for battle
Killer instinct
Survivor
Cause becomes more important than self
Going deaf to reason
Martyring self
Abandoning others
Protector
Great emotional neediness
Disproportionate suffering
Quick to exact revenge
Violent victim-accuser
Adapted from Dr David Kantor: Reading the Room
Exercise
Opportunity for Personal Reflection
Reflect on the hero characteristics in the light, grey and dark zones and compare them with your thoughts/responses to the activity on ‘Your Archetype of a Hero’.
- Which light zone characteristics seem to accurately describe you?
- Which do you value most?
- Which of the dark zone characteristics do you recognise in yourself when you find yourself in a highly charged, crisis situation?
Survey
We thought it might be interesting to get a feel for the profile of learners undertaking this course, by conducting a series of polls across the classes. All votes are anonymous, the aim is to build an understanding of the behaviours, preferences and characteristics of those in governance positions across Scotland’s public services.
SUGGESTION: If you are progressing through the course with colleagues, you can download this activity as a PDF document enabling you to share your thoughts and findings with others offline and assess your overall profile as a group. To download the activity as a PDF, simply click on the button at the top of the page.