Part 3: "In Search Of Heroes Book 1" What is your definition of heroism?
Jason Potash: That’s a good question. I think you can look at it in two different ways. From a business perspective, or from just a social perspective of someone who is in the community who you idolize as a “Hero”.
Let’s look at things from a business perspective.
Heroes can be many things, but I think in terms of people that I see that in my mind are heroes, are people that are role models. People that you can look at that are really leaders in their field, people who are a prime example of how you should conduct business and how you should behave on an individual basis in terms of how you treat people, the way you look at the world, how you balance personal life, family life, how you are contributing back to society.
Really, the road they’ve gone through to travel to get to that point, whatever their measure of success is, if it’s financial success, if it’s that they are the Chairman of the Board for a certain charity, whatever that might be.
Really, I think it’s also important to look at the path it’s taken to get there. That, in my mind, really determines a hero. A person that’s willing to stick through it, to get back on the saddle and get kicked off again, overcome adversity, challenges and everything else that goes along with it, and to finally rise up and actually experience that wonderful feeling of success.
Having gone down that bumpy road, in my mind, puts somebody up there as a hero, having accomplished that and having gone through all those things as well.
Dave Kekich: It is probably a couple of things. Facing your fears and acting in spite of them would be one. Standing up for your convictions when faced with adversity would be another one. You talked about being willing to die for your principles, and that would certainly be one: one I hope most people won’t have to take.
I say walking the talk, when you have a lot to lose, doing the right thing when it is not popular. I would say that all those things go into making a hero.
The opportunities for heroism are limited in this kind of world: the most people can do is sometimes not to be as weak as they’ve been at other times.
- Angus Wilson
Cameron Johnson: I think a hero is someone who helps others and gives back. I think that is the simplest definition that I can give you. I know there have been so many heroes in my life that have served as mentors to me in the business world.
They have guided me along, and anytime I have ever asked anyone for advice, I have always been greeted with open arms and have been able to get great advice. A lot of those people have turned out to be my mentors, and a lot of my success is thanks to their credit.
So, I think those are the true heroes, those that give back more than they take from life. I think that is the definition of hero to me.