Super Powers...

There is a great scene from the movie X-Men First Class (Here!) where young mutant teenagers finally get some acceptance and training on their individual super powers. Up until this point in their lives they had been pressured to believe that these extraordinary abilities have actually been disabilities. As disabilities, these things should be hidden, compensated for or removed, if possible. In the movie, it’s only after someone (Dr. Xavier) accepts them for who they are, and how wonderful their gifts are and shows them how to control their super powers, do they change. They go from misfits to super heroes.

I have witnessed super powers in many people, and believe we all have super powers… we just don’t know what they are or worse, have been pressured into thinking of them as disabilities. To be honest my early schooling years weren’t the best. I had a good touch of dyslexia, failed the second grade and could not understand what (maybe why) my teachers wanted from me. The term disability was utilized pretty heavily… despite many other signs. To this day I am most likely the slowest reader I know… it’s a common joke in the meeting room to have to wait for John to finish reading the slide before moving on. It wasn’t until much later in my life that I actually realized that this was one of my super powers and to control it (use it) to my advantage. Due to my dyslexia I (learned to) memorize words, actually how they looked, when I would pull them apart they would become jumbled, so I just decided to not do that. I’ve built a visual, mental map of 90% of the most commonly used words in my life, and struggled as needed through the rest.

While this slowed down my reading, it has built an alternate index and amazing scan and processing talents. While I am one of the slowest readers, I am one of the fastest scanners of information and a very quick thinker. These things serve me very well and in most situations give me a great advantage. Had I listened to society (especially some teachers) I would still be convinced that I needed to live a life hampered by restrictions. Instead I have learned to control my super power and use them to my advantage.

I have personally discussed with many people how to understand their super powers. In one case the super power was addiction… addiction, focused on the wrong thing can be horrible, but focused and trained to control on the right things, like physical fitness, can be an amazing super power. Another person’s super power I have seen was asking really, really hard questions. This is an awesome super power because the hard questions need to be asked… just at the right time and in the right setting. Additionally, I have seen super powers show in the areas of persuasion and manipulation. These powers were already controlled, maybe over controlled, as the individual was at times fearful of them, but when discussed to only be used for good, added a new perspective. One person’s super power was actually being nice, so nice that there were times of being taken advantage of. With a slight shift of understanding this as a super human power, the utilization of it becomes so much more powerful and useful, with the negative side minimized.

We all have super powers.  These powers, when accepted, controlled and used for good, turn us into amazing 'A' players, the kind that organizations are dying for. They allow us to operate at orders of magnitude within our lives and at work. Through the comprehension of them, one can lead an aligned, productive and peaceful life of greatness.

To get there, seek, recognize, control and use for good your own super powers. Then seek to assist the same in others. As the Avengers realized, there are few things, if any, that can withstand a team of people with super powers.

So I ask you...  are you creating and organizing teams of misfits? Or developing super heroes?  :D

ps… my current boss’ super power might just be dealing with difficult people. :D