Tap into Your Alter Ego to Become a Better Leader

Bruce Wayne has Batman. Clark Kent has Superman. Bruce Banner has The Hulk. Kobe Bryant has the Black Mamba. How about you? Do you have an alter ego you can channel to elevate your leadership to the elite level?

You should.

To find it, we’re going to need to take a trip to your dark side. Don’t think you have a dark side? Let me assure you that everybody has one. Think about the things you crave, the things you lust after, the secrets you keep hidden deep, deep inside. That energy comes from your dark side. The problem is that your entire life you’ve been told those feelings are bad, so you locked them away and hid them from the world.

That’s a mistake: they’re the key to leadership success. It’s time to tap into that power and harness it so you can become the badass leader you are.

Your Dark Side Doesn’t Have to Be Bad

Just because it’s called your dark side doesn’t mean it has to be dark, per se. Batman fought against injustice even though he lived a dark life, so maybe you prefer to call it your “alter ego.” It’s that part of you that comes out when you need an edge. Most of the time it sits quietly in the background not causing any problems.

But you need it to surface because your alter ego is your true self. It’s the person who doesn’t give a shit about what others think. Its purpose is to protect you and its mission is to win. You probably shut it down when those around you (usually family and friends) told you things like:

“You can’t say that.”

“Don’t do that.”

“Be good.”

“Stop causing trouble.”

“Behave.”

“Don’t make a big deal of it.”

“Why can’t you be like ________.”

You’ve been trained like Pavlov’s dogs to push that alter ego to the back. Instead, another persona you’ve adopted for everyday life comes to the front. That’s not the real you, that’s the “surface” you. Deep inside is the real you, just waiting to come out.

The real you is powerful. It’s exacting. It’s strategic. It’s honest. It’s driven. It wants to succeed and it doesn’t accept failure.

It’s not evil, it’s merciful.

It’s not cruel, it’s fair.

It’s not hateful, it’s compassionate.

How to Release the Real You

Now that you know the truth about the real you, how do you bring it back to the spotlight? The first step is to be honest with yourself.

Think about this: What would it feel like to let go of all the bullshit, all the external pressures, every expectation, and just be yourself?

It’s freedom.

To get there you need to trust the voice inside you, the raw instinct that knows you best. For years you’ve suppressed that person to conform and be who others said you should be, who you thought you had to be. Badass leaders know exactly who they are and the things at which they excel. They don’t bullshit others, they stare straight at the truth. They own their shit.

Article Courtesy of Donald Burns