When heroes talk about their own actions, they tend to be very humble. According to an article on the management-issues.com website (originally published by the INSEAD business school), people who work tirelessly for the benefit of others usually don’t see themselves as particularly deserving of praise.
What is heroism about?
The author of the article investigated heroism by having people assess reports of heroes saving lives (e.g. by rescuing a passenger from a burning vehicle or preventing a terrorist attack). The heroes in question described themselves in their own words as ordinary people, who were just glad to help.
Most of the survey participants, when asked about their assessment of these deeds, considered the heroes more admirable than the heroes considered themselves. Heroes tend to be very modest when assessing their own actions. While taking pro-social action, they don’t focus on personal costs, but rather on the benefit for others.
Could this be a case of false modesty? In fact, the author of the article checked for sensitivity concerning self-image and discovered this was not the case.
Let heroes at your company do their own thing
Acts of selflessness happen also in companies, ranging from, for example, informal mentoring to planning birthday or farewell parties.
To encourage helpfulness among your team, don’t reward heroic acts with public praise. Instead, create more opportunities for everyday acts of heroism. Create an environment of emotional safety in which people feel comfortable sharing their vulnerabilities and talking about their struggles. Honest sharing is what encourages other people to help.
Workplace heroes need a platform, not a pedestal.
-jk-