This is part 1 of 4 in our Homebrew Leadership series.
What makes your character a hero? What is their personal definition of heroism?
They might have a traditional definition of heroism, but chances are that they experience heroic feats of their own in their personal style. As we spend more time with each of our characters, this definition becomes more clear as we become in tune with who they are and where they are on their personal journey.
In much the same way, we can discover more about our own personal leadership styles. We believe that everyone has the capacity to be a leader, just like how any character in our favorite roleplaying games can become a hero.
There are a lot of unnamed expectations about what it takes to become a leader, endless skills to focus on, and somehow it is both generic and overwhelming.
What ends up happening is that we (“society”) uphold a generic idea of leadership when there is so much more potential for bringing in our unique perspective and sets of values.
There is no “best” way to become a leader. The reality is that you can create or “homebrew” your own personification of leadership – what we call at Coaches & Dragons the “Hero Within.”
Even if you don’t consider yourself a leader at this moment, it’s quite likely you’ve been in touch with your Hero Within - you just may not have noticed it yet.
Who is the Hero Within
The Hero Within has no prerequisites for titles you have to achieve, a certain number of people you need to mentor or manage, and doesn’t need the megaphone to be effective.
Your Hero Within is the culmination of your values - what you believe and how you act in the world - and your natural ability to connect to yourself, to others, and the world around you.
Your Hero Within shows up at those moments of radical self-acceptance and self-authority. When you think about those moments when you’ve felt “in your element” or extra magical, your Hero Within was likely right there with you. When you give yourself a pep talk or reality check, they were likely there, too.
If you take a moment and look back on your experiences, when has your Hero Within already shown up?
As you change and grow, facing new challenges and slaying bigger dragons, your Hero Within will also develop alongside you.
Meeting Your Hero Within
So, how do you identify and define your Hero Within?
Luckily for you, we have a guided visualization to get you started. You can either listen to the recording, read along at your own pace, record it yourself to listen to lateror have a friend read it to you. We recommend grabbing a journal or some place to take notes - you never know what thoughts might spring to mind!
You can also check out this week’s traits - designed to show you other ways your Hero Within might show up.
Here are some ways to formally create your Hero Within:
Name & visualize your Hero Within. For some folks, their Hero Within represents their favorite pop culture figures that have inspired them. For others, it’s a new entity that may not even be humanoid in nature.
Pick a way to embody your Hero Within. Maybe it is a pose, a posture, a dance move, a hand gesture. Anything goes as long as when you do it you are connected with your Hero Within.
Create a character sheet. Pick your favorite roleplaying game and create a character that represents your Hero Within. What classes or features best resemble them or their values? How might they act in a campaign?
Spend a few minutes each day in reflection. Conversation with your Hero Within can go a long way towards becoming a leader. If you have a challenging situation, problem, or decision you’re facing, now is the time to connect with your Hero Within and see what they have to say.
Homebrew Leadership
From there, the rest of the adventure is entirely yours. We believe in homebrew leadership - experiment with what works, test out creative new approaches, and ultimately build the world that you want to see. No titles, no hierarchies, no more waiting for the right time.
You don’t need to wait for the right moment to invest in your leadership style.
Adventure is calling, so start the journey!
Sincerely,
Autumn & Jerod
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