You might not be surprised to hear that business leaders and superheroes have much in common

CREDIT: This is an edited version of an article that originally appeared on Management Today

Being a superhero or being a manager isn’t for the faint-hearted; they both require courage, resilience, and the ability to perform under pressure. They often cut lonely figures and feel people depend on them – but which character are you most like? Be the Business has created a squad of superheroes to help business leaders understand themselves better and improve their performance as a result.

So for a bit of fun, here are the six ‘superleaders’ and their alter egos!

The Determinator – a determined driver 

Every team needs a leader who can relentlessly drive forward performance, getting the best out of everyone around them. These leaders believe networking and meeting the right people are the routes to success. Indeed, in the business leader survey, 82% of the leaders who fit into the Determinator category agree that you can only be successful if you know the right people (compared to the average of 44%).

Dr Know – a methodical specialist 

When danger strikes, the Dr Knows quickly identify gaps in their knowledge before becoming experts in their chosen subjects. They delegate decisions to those who they think have the skills to make them – 75% of these leaders believe that direct reports can be better at making decisions (compared to 45% average). 

The Instinct – an intuitive decider 

Saving the day by making far-sighted, snap decisions, The Instinct has the super self-confidence to make the best moves, fast. They value their gut instincts and feelings to find the best way forward, with 80% agreeing they rely on intuition to make a final decision compared to an average of 59%.

Agent Action – a collective adventurer 

This group deliberately search for new and exciting situations where they can lay it all on the line.

Past defeats only make these leaders stronger as they hone their skills and make the perfect moves to snatch victory, even when the odds are stacked against them. They value input and debate with people who hold different views and challenge them when they make decisions. Eighty-six per cent believe that the best solutions come from diverse groups of people with different views compared with 71% of the total sample. 

Growth Rider – a culture creator 

When it comes to making the world a better place, Growth Rider knows that it matters most to lead by example. They truly care about making their team the best it can be. They do not believe that asking for help signals that you don’t know how to do your job (12% vs 39% average).

Hivemind

Hivemind brings together the forces of good to overcome even the mightiest foes. By combining the awesome abilities of the superLeaders, Hivemind ensures that the right powers are used together to win the day.

This is the only group that are more likely to be women (53% female vs 41% average), less likely to be white British (49% vs 59% average) and more likely to be aged 30-39 (41% vs 30% average). They are very receptive to external support, believing this can help them find the ‘right’ answer to business problems.