When what to my wondering eyes did appear… a big honkin’ article on “Heroes” in my Leadership Journal that just came in the mail today. How ’bout that. Some good stuff too. Since 2000, church coach Chad Hall has been asking hundreds of church leaders he’s been coaching “Who are your heroes?”…

When it comes to naming one’s heroes, I’ve noticed a distinct pattern: the progress a leader makes in moving toward his goals is directly correlated with the degree of speed and certainty with which he can name his heroes. The pattern is most obvious in the negative: I’ve never coached a leader who is unable to name his hero and who also makes substantial progress toward real goals.

I really liked a chart called the Fantastic Four which illustrates the four types of heroes we all ought to have:

1. Familiar - Parent, mentor, teacher, coach, great-grandparent, etc.

2. Famous – historical (i.e. Churchill), successful (i.e. Bill Gates) or popular (i.e. Oprah) [I thought it too… Oprah??? He also listed Bono. Please. It’s a sign of the times)

3. Faith – Biblical figures, church history greats, mission pioneers

4. Fictional – movie or literary characters/folklore or legend (he lists William Wallace!?) (Again, I can’t restrain myself… William Wallace wasn’t a fictional figure.)

I like the four categories he calls the Fantastic Four. Who are some of your heroes and what qualities do you admire and seek to emulate?

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