by Lori Roe
I have recently been converted into a Heroes fan. When the series first began, I was unable to watch because of time constraints; but with the help of modern technology and my DVR, I have been able to record and watch at my leisure. And with the help of the Sci-fi channel, I started my new obsession with a marathon of episodes. The day I watched episode one I had been reading Buckingham and Clifton's Now, Discover Your Strengths, and I couldn't help but make comparisons between Heroes and Strengths.
In case you aren't a Heroes watcher, let me catch you up. It's modern day and people around the world are discovering they have special powers. They are evolving into a new race of people. Some can teleport and time travel; others have super strength, can regenerate, the ability to paint the future, or fly. Some can even take on the powers of others just by being near them. As they are discovering their powers they are also learning they must save the world. There are also villans abusing their powers for personal gain. It's a classic comic book story line.
The first episode introduces us to many of these people who are discovering their powers and I couldn't help but think about people around the world discovering their strengths. We come to many of the same realizations about ourselves whether we discover we can time travel into the future or we discover we have a strong futuristic theme. Having this new knowledge is power in itself. It can change our path, change our plans, change our future. Once our Heroes discover their powers, their lives begin to change; just as our lives change after we discover our strengths. We see the world in a new way; a world of possibilities rather than obstacles. Each Hero and person finding their own path, their own purpose, based on their unique, individual power or strength.
The Heroes not only discover their own powers, but they also discover each other and begin a revolution, a movement, to save the world. This brought me back to what Marcus Buckingham recently said about starting a Strengths revolution around the world. It was a little eerie to sit and watch a tv show that seemed to have a foundation in strengths-based theory.
Even the villans play their part. Our trainer in a Gallup strengths educator workshop mentioned the "basement and the balcony" of strengths - the good and the bad. For example, those strong in the adaptability theme are able to "go with the flow" of almost any situation (balcony) but may seem uncommitted to outsiders (basement). The main villan in Heroes longs to be seen as special or unique, yet uses his powers to kill and steal the powers of others. In contrast, another character can adapt to other Heroes' powers but does so to help rather than hinder. These two characters are the epitome of the "basement and the balcony" analogy.
The comparisons continue. I find new commonalities between Heroes and Strengths with each episode I watch. In case you haven't been able to watch Heroes from the beginning, you can see all the episodes in their entirety at www.nbc.com. I hope you enjoy watching and comparing as much as I.
Comments