Be like Superman

Who is your all-time favorite superhero? If you could choose one superhero power and use it, what would it be? What is it about them that you love? Even if we look into the biographies of our role models in real life, we can identify some of the qualities we wish we had.

Do you recall a situation where you wanted to do something, but the fear of failure, insecurity, or self-doubt overruled your decision and made you hesitant? You probably wished, secretly in your head, that you were more secure, stronger, wiser, or even more like your superhero or role model, whom you are sure would have handled the situation differently and taken the challenge head-on.

Well, one way or another, we all go through this, and to some, it was motivational enough for them to take action by adopting the persona of the role model, effectively acting as if they were them.

This is called the alter ego effect, where your alternative persona emerges and takes charge. Sounds familiar? Think of Clark Kent, that goofy, clumsy reporter who cannot hold a pencil straight in his hand and stumbles on every other word he says. Yet, when he needed to save the world, he became a whole new persona, entering a phone booth to change into the hero character Kal-EI, from planet Krypton. In this case, the actual character is Kal-El, and Clark uses Kal-EI as his alter ego persona to fit into the earthly world. Just in case, we all know Kal-EI as Superman.

When you are in a situation and feel you need an alter ego, ask yourself, what would so and so (think of your role model) do in such a situation? Asking yourself this question will help you identify the suitable skill set needed for the job.

Having a clear mission in your life creates a strong sense of purpose, and that helps you find your perfect alter ego character for the occasion and use it the right way.

 

In reality, it is never straightforward, and we all have layers of who we are that we use differently depending on what we are doing or want to do, and the “fields of play.”

It is more about what parts of ourselves we put forward and what factors we keep on the back-burner. The character/persona we adopt with our families at home differs from the one we employ in the office in a more formal environment, and vice versa.

Sometimes we find it hard to adapt to some of the characteristics from one domain to another, as we feel it is too hard or will not work.

In the book “The Alter Ego Effect” by Todd Herman, the author talks about having an alter ego and how, if managed well, it can help you achieve your best results and tackle life challenges. However, it would be best to start with the end in mind. Have your ambitions, goals, or expected target/outcome clearly set.

The book also talks about some hidden forces that might work against your alter ego, preventing it from showing up, and you need to have strong self-awareness and realization to be ready to stop those forces.

Such hidden forces include lack of self-confidence, being too emotional, being insecure or doubting your abilities, overthinking, and the imposter syndrome.

Having a clear mission in your life creates a strong sense of purpose, and that helps you find your perfect alter ego character for the occasion and use it the right way.

The stronger you believe in your mission, the easier it is to adapt to the alter ego needed.

The book talks about Beyonce, a quiet and shy person in real life, but she had a strong belief in what she wanted to become, so she had to invent an alter ego persona to help her be the Beyonce we all know. Her character’s name was Sasha Fierce.

So who is your alter ego character? If you have never thought about it, now is the time to do so. Define the character, using a superhero character, a role model from your life, an athlete, a public figure, whoever it is; define that persona in every detail and learn it well, as if you are playing their role on stage.

You are adapting into a better version of yourself to get the job done, and if that means entering a phone booth to wear a cape or adjusting the characteristics of your role model on stage to deliver, so be it. Rest assured that whatever persona you put out there is not coming from an external world; instead, it was inside you all along, just waiting for the right moment to get on stage.

So who is your Sasha Fierce?

• Rakan Tarabzoni is the chief operating officer of the FII Institute. He began his career in business management at Procter & Gamble. He later moved to Microsoft, then to the Public Investment Fund as head of Corporate Communications. Tarabzoni established a personal blog on self-development and growth in 2011 under his name www.RakanTarabzoni.com.