In a previous Entrepreneurial Epiphany series column, I asked “What is your superpower?”. In this one I ask, “Who is your sidekick?”.
Most successful entrepreneurs and business builders have a superpower, and hopefully the last column helped them recognize and appreciate theirs’. Continuing with that superpower theme a little bit longer, this column focuses on the “sidekick”.
Although Superman did not have an obvious sidekick, many other superheroes did. Batman had Robin. The Lone Ranger had Tonto. Even Inspector Clouseau (Pink Panther) had Cato.
The sidekick is key to the superhero’s success, and the same is true for the entrepreneur, CEO, founder or primary business builder.
It’s a role that is not only exceptionally important, but it is also a role that is exceptionally unique; the sidekick must add complimentary skills, not competing skills, be tremendously loyal, but not just to the superhero, but also to the cause the superhero is fighting for.
It’s a very difficult and often unrecognized and underappreciated role, and the irony is, that once recognition and appreciation become important or apparent, the net effective contribution of the sidekick often diminishes. Being number one, or top dog, is not their objective or obsession.
A few years ago, I came across an interesting (and to me, an eye opening) study on personality and character attributes that ‘natural’ entrepreneurs possess. The study suggested that only 3 percent of the population had the natural wiring to be start-from-scratch’ entrepreneurs, and that 97 percent didn’t.
What separated the 3% had little to do with intellect, training or education, and more to do with how challenges were seen and interpreted, and how the dots were often connected through a more instinctive process rather than pure rational reasoning. Although this may tie into the previous column on recognizing your superpower, the purpose of this column is to help identify the qualities needed in the sidekick.
The same study that indicated 3 percent of people process problems and opportunities differently than the other 97 percent also identified something even more important for me to understand; 8 percent of people, once they hear and get excited about a vision, or a new idea, or a freshly conceived new approach, are quick to adopt it and fully embrace it.
When they catch the vision, they are the first to add their rational thought and apply their energy and talent towards achieving it. They not only contribute their support, but they also contribute supportive and critical thought and apply their talents and energies to achieving the goal. They become early advocates, early adopters, and the initial enablers. Without them, the leader is faced with fighting the battle alone or diluting and reducing the vision down to a very low level to try to gain the support of the rest of the cast. But with them, the leader can cast a higher vision knowing that the early adopters will help gain the support of the rest of the team.
I refer to this group of people as the “8%’ers”. You need them to give your ideas and vision wings. They aren’t going to give you automatic “yesses”, but they’re not going to give you automatic “no’s” either. There are many smart, educated and experienced people that are more than willing to show you (and everyone else in the organization) how smart, educated and experienced they are by being quick, thorough and convincing about why an idea can’t be done and why a vision is flawed.
However, intelligent, innovative and genuinely interested people, will see the same challenges and obstacles, but will also be curious, inventive, committed and persistent enough to give the idea merit and give the vision a chance. The skills they bring should be additive to yours – complimentary to fill in some of your gaps, but with enough overlap to aid in understanding you and building mutual respect.
Those are the kinds of people you want closest to you, as your generals and second-in-command, and as your sidekick.
How do you know who they are in your organization?
Easy. You’ll know them as you interact with them. They’re the ones that have questions, but they’re also the ones that suggest possible answers. In my experience, they are usually quiet, attentive listeners, thinkers, but most importantly, they are doer’s. When they ask a question, you can tell that they’ve thought it through, or that they’re still working something out. Sometimes, before offering an opinion or making a suggestion, they’ll ask for a bit of time to try something out, to do a bit of research, or to sketch an idea out.
They see the obstacle and the challenges, but they’re already committed to finding a solution. Your goal has become their goal; your vision, their vision; your cause, their cause. Their efforts are additive and compliment yours. And together, you and your team delivers.
That’s how you know you found your sidekick. Sometimes its more than one - but you do need at least one.
Comments