In 1984, the LA Summer Olympics nearly ended in tragedy when a bomb was found on the Turkish team’s bus. LAPD officer Jimmy Wade Pearson saved the day. He pulled the wires and ran the bomb to a runway. He was hailed as a hero.

For 24 hours.

The next day Pearson was arrested for planting the bomb himself. He wanted to be the hero so badly that he created the crisis that needed one. That’s Hero Syndrome. And it’s running quietly through leadership teams everywhere.

Every hero needs a villain. So leaders who need to be heroes start manufacturing them. First it’s competitors, then clients, then the Board. Eventually, it’s their own team. In this episode, I unpack why Hero Syndrome is addictive, why great leaders are guides instead of heroes, and the one question to ask yourself in every meeting to catch it.

🎧 Press play. Don’t tame the lion. Be Yoda.

In this episode:

▶ The 1984 LA Olympics bomb story and the officer who planted it himself
▶ Why every hero needs a villain, and what that means at work
▶ Clark the CEO who kept making his team redo the same analysis
▶ The addiction of heroism (and why it gets worse the more you feed it)
▶ Why great leaders aren’t heroes, they’re guides
▶ “Am I being like Yoda or like Luke?” The one question to ask in every meeting
▶ How to stop rescuing people from problems they can solve themselves

If you keep finding yourself saving the day, this one’s for you.

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Isn’t It Time You Got To The Next Level?

The Free Leadership Diagnostic Workshop >> Uncover the hidden patterns keeping you stuck. www.TheBestLeadershipCompany.com/leadership-diagnostic-workshop

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Everything Else Jeff >> linktr.ee/jeffmatlow

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Show Notes

[00:00] Introduction
[00:40] My Client Clark
[02:31] The Olympics Of Hero Syndrome
[03:48] The Hero Syndrome Leader
[05:01] The Addiction of Heroism
[05:49] Why Great Leaders Aren’t the Hero
[06:24] From Hero to Guide
[07:07] Hiding Hero Syndrome

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