A Leader’s Guide: Leadership is for Heroes and Heroines

In the realm of leadership development, there’s a powerful story map that has resonated across cultures for centuries—the hero’s journey. This path of courage, transformation, and achievement appears in everything from ancient myths to today’s best-loved stories. Rooted in Greek epics, Sun Tzu’s teachings, and modern figures like Harry Potter and Wonder Woman, the hero’s journey highlights our drive to overcome obstacles, grow, and uplift those around us.

Consider the example of Malala Yousafzai, a modern leader who, in the Swat Valley of Pakistan during the early 2000s, faced the growing influence of the Taliban. This extremist group imposed strict limitations on women’s rights, including a ban on girls’ education. At just 11 years old, Malala began speaking out for her right to learn, a courageous stance that defied cultural norms and a repressive regime. Despite threats to her life, she continued to advocate for girls’ education, becoming a symbol of resilience and hope.

Her journey from a young girl in a remote region to a global activist reflects a powerful leadership arc, moving from personal challenge to impact worldwide. Leaders can learn from each element of this journey to deepen self-awareness, stay rooted in their values, and build purposeful momentum toward positive change. These elements include Challenge, Desire, Obstacle, Playbook/Plan, Support, Execution, Self-Revelation, and Equilibrium, each offering insights for leadership growth and resilience.

Begin with a Creative Mindset

A creative mindset is essential for outstanding leadership—it shifts your gaze beyond limitations and invites you to see challenges as openings for innovation and growth. Leaders who embrace creativity approach obstacles with curiosity and a readiness to explore new possibilities. This mindset builds resilience and allows you to lead with vision, inspiring others by demonstrating that change is possible and achievable.

I call this an “avatar practice”—imagining and embodying the leader you aspire to be. To begin, ask yourself: “Am I thinking expansively?” and “How can I approach this with possibility?” These questions reframe your challenges and unlock fresh paths forward, empowering you to shape a leadership journey that is bold, purposeful, and aligned with your values.

This creative mindset emerges most strongly in the “Build” and “Multiply” impact fields, where leaders focus on fostering growth and amplifying potential within their teams and organizations. A creative mindset drives leaders to look beyond immediate challenges in these fields, encouraging innovative solutions and inspiring others to see new possibilities.

The Hero’s Journey Elements and the MBIR Playbook

Each element of the hero’s journey invites self-reflection and growth, setting the stage for sustainable leadership. The MBIR processmindset, behavior, impact, and results—is the “playbook” that translates these elements into actionable steps. Here’s how leaders can navigate these stages, with MBIR as a practical guide.

Challenge: Embracing the Call to Lead

Every leadership journey begins with a challenge, a call to confront complex realities that demand courage and self-awareness. Facing these challenges initiates growth and shapes purpose.

  • Malala’s Challenge: The Taliban’s ban on girls’ education became a defining moment for Malala, a call to leadership that transformed her life and mission.

Leadership Reflection:

  • “What challenge am I currently facing that aligns with my values?”
  • “How can I embrace this challenge to build resilience?”

Desire: Fueling Vision with Purpose

Desire is the compelling “why” that fuels vision and sustains leaders through adversity. A clear willingness aligns purpose with action and serves as an anchor.

  • Malala’s Desire: She envisioned a world where every girl could access education and shape her future. This vision sustained her even in the face of life-threatening adversity.

Leadership Reflection:

  • “What does my desire reveal about my purpose?”
  • “How can my desire help me lead with clarity and conviction?”

Obstacles: Building Resilience and Adaptability

Every hero encounters obstacles that test commitment. Leaders who see obstacles as opportunities to adapt and grow can build resilience and deepen their purpose.

  • Malala’s Obstacles: Facing threats to her life, Malala strengthened her resolve and amplified her commitment to her mission.

Leadership Reflection:

  • “What insights does this obstacle offer about my strengths?”
  • “How can I view this obstacle as a catalyst for growth?”

The MBIR Playbook: The Framework for Your Plan

If desire is the fuel, then the playbook is the engine that drives the journey forward. The MBIR process—mindset, behavior, impact, and results—translates purpose into concrete actions that inspire and engage. Let’s use Malala’s journey as a guide to break down each component.

1. Mindset: Shaping Your Perspective

Mindset is the core belief that shapes how you approach challenges. A purposeful mindset empowers leaders to create a space for growth and resilience.

  • Malala’s Mindset: She shifted from self-protection to a belief in the power of her voice, guided by her conviction that “one child, one teacher, one book, and one pen can change the world.”

Leadership Reflection:

  • “What belief about my leadership needs to shift to support my goals?”
  • “How can I cultivate a mindset that empowers me?”

2. Behavior: Taking Purposeful Actions

Behavior translates mindset into action. These actions should be visible, practical, and aligned with your values, demonstrating commitment and consistency.

  • Malala’s Actions: From public speaking to founding the Malala Fund, her actions align with her purpose, reinforcing her message through visible steps.

Leadership Reflection:

  • “What specific actions will demonstrate my commitment to my purpose?”
  • “How can I actively engage my team?”

3. Impact: Creating a Ripple Effect

Impact refers to the influence of your actions on others. Effective leadership amplifies purpose, inspiring those around you to align with the vision.

  • Malala’s Impact: Her advocacy sparked a global movement, demonstrating the power of one person’s voice to mobilize change.

Leadership Reflection:

  • “What kind of impact do I want to create in my organization?”
  • “How can my actions inspire others to work toward a shared vision?”

4. Results: Defining Success and Measuring Progress

Results are the tangible outcomes that validate progress and provide motivation. Clear, measurable goals help track the impact of your efforts.

  • Malala’s Results: Increased global awareness, funding, and policy changes underscored her mission and highlighted the power of her journey.

Leadership Reflection:

  • “What specific outcomes will show my progress?”
  • “How will I measure my impact and stay aligned with my purpose?”

Applying the MBIR Framework: Senior Director of Science and Innovation

Let’s apply the MBIR framework to a real-world coaching client: a Senior Director of Science and Innovation at a Fortune 400 company, aiming to advance to VP through up-leveling scope and scale through their team. This leader used the MBIR process to blend technical expertise with relational influence, fostering a more inclusive and impactful leadership style.

  1. Mindset: Expanding from Task-Orientation to Relational Leadership

Objective: Shift from a task-focused mindset to one that values relational dynamics and emotional intelligence.

Mindset Shift: From “I deliver results through my expertise” to “I create value by empowering my team and fostering trust.”

Leadership Reflection:

  • “What mindset will support my team’s growth and engagement?”
  • “How can I cultivate a belief in collaborative success?”
  • Behavior: Implementing Inclusive Leadership Actions

Objective: Develop behaviors that reflect relational leadership, such as active listening and empowering team members through delegation.

Key Actions:

  • Open meetings by inviting team input.
  • Delegate tasks, allowing team members ownership.
  • Practice active listening, showing team members their ideas are valued.

Leadership Reflection:

  • “How can I show my team that I value their input?”
  • “What steps will empower others and encourage ownership?”
  • Impact: Building a Collaborative and Inclusive Culture

Objective: Foster a culture that values each team member’s contributions, creating a sense of unity and shared success.

Impact Goals:

  • Encourage psychological safety, allowing open feedback.
  • Strengthen cross-departmental relationships.

Leadership Reflection:

  • “What impact do I want to create in my team’s culture?”
  • “How will my actions promote collaboration and inclusion?”
  • Results: Setting Measurable Goals to Track Progress

Objective: Establish metrics to evaluate team engagement, delegation, and inclusion growth.

Result Metrics:

  • Conduct engagement surveys for feedback on empowerment.
  • Track successful delegation and team ownership.
  • Collect meeting feedback on presence and listening.

Leadership Reflection:

  • “What milestones will show my progress?”
  • “How will I celebrate successes to keep momentum?”

Summary of the MBIR Plan for a Senior Director

  1. Mindset: Shift to a belief in empowering others and collaborative success.
  2. Behavior: Actively listen, invite input, and delegate to foster ownership.
  3. Impact: Build a culture of trust and inclusion, inspiring open contribution.
  4. Results: Track engagement, delegation, and feedback to measure growth.

This MBIR framework provides a structured approach to growth, helping the senior director transition to a relational, inclusive leadership style. By following these steps, leaders can deepen their impact, inspire their teams, and work toward their goals with clarity and purpose.

With Malala’s journey as inspiration, this guide maps the hero’s journey as a framework for leadership growth, with MBIR as the actionable Playbook. How will you use the MBIR process to transform your journey and make an impact?

Certainly! Here’s the reformatted structure for each of the remaining elements:

Support: Building a Network for Resilience

No leader journeys alone. Building a support network is essential for resilience and growth. Identifying allies who can offer guidance, feedback, and encouragement strengthens the leader and their mission.

  • Malala’s Support: Malala’s family, particularly her father, was foundational to her courage. As her journey continued, a network of advocates amplified her voice, making her message more potent and resilient.

Leadership Reflection:

  • “Who can I call on for support, and how will I engage with them?”
  • “How does connecting with others reinforce my leadership purpose?”

Execution: Turning Vision into Reality

Execution is where a leader’s vision becomes reality. This stage is critical for building self-confidence and gaining feedback on how well the actions align with goals.

  • Malala’s Execution: Malala’s execution took the form of speeches, global advocacy, and consistent action. Each step reaffirmed her identity and inspired others to join her cause.

Leadership Reflection:

  • “How does each action affirm my growth and reinforce my leadership identity?”
  • “What measures will I use to assess progress and refine my approach?”

Self-Revelation: Discovering New Strengths

Self-revelation clarifies the leader you’re becoming. Reflecting on the journey allows leaders to understand how they have grown and see new possibilities.

  • Malala’s Self-Revelation: Malala realized her voice had power and her courage could drive change. This moment solidified her role as a global leader.

Leadership Reflection:

  • “What new strengths have I discovered in myself?”
  • “How has this journey shifted my perception of myself as a leader?”

Equilibrium: Embracing a New State of Resilience

Equilibrium represents a stable state of transformation. After the journey, a leader is more resilient, prepared for future challenges, and grounded in purpose.

  • Malala’s Equilibrium: Today, Malala stands as a global symbol of resilience, hope, and education. Her equilibrium allows her to inspire and lead others with confidence.

Leadership Reflection:

  • “How has this journey transformed my capabilities, beliefs, and values?”
  • “What foundation have I built for my next leadership challenge?”

The Wisdom Key

Leadership calls us to rise above challenges and empower others. How will you respond to your call to lead? Who will support you as you step forward, and how will you build on that support?

“One child, one teacher, one book, and one pen can change the world.” – Malala Yousafzai

Malala’s journey teaches us that authentic leadership isn’t defined by power or titles—it’s the courage to use one’s voice, face fears, and inspire others to join in a greater purpose. Her story challenges us to see leadership as a path of conviction, resilience, and meaningful impact.

Questions? Let’s Connect Now.

References

  • I Am Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban by Malala Yousafzai with Christina Lamb

Malala’s autobiography provides an intimate look at her courage and transformation from student to global advocate.

  • The Hero with a Thousand Faces byJoseph Campbell

Campbell’s classic on the hero’s journey offers a timeless framework for personal transformation and leadership.

  • Mindset: The New Psychology of Success by Carol Dweck

Dweck’s insights into the growth mindset reveal how embracing challenges can build resilience and inspire