Last week we talked about X-men and working together to achieve goals.  Bonus points for the cool names people submitted.  This week I want us to think about how we properly arm ourselves for success and how that relates to Iron Man.  In case you don’t know, Tony Stark is a billionaire science genius who put his brains to work to help the world as a scientist and as the superhero Iron Man! 

Here is one of the interesting things about Iron Man.  His suit isn’t just a suit he wears to cover up his identify.  His suit is armor that he builds.  Tony realizes that the situations he faces are often unique and that it would be IMPOSSIBLE to create one set of armor that could do everything.  While most superheroes wear the same thing all the time, Iron Man designs, builds, and changes his gear based on the SPECIFIC situation at hand.  He has his basic armor, and then he has armor built to last in outer space, armor for undersea exploring, armor built for speed, stealth armor, his Hulk busting armor (see pic), and many more.  Each set of armor has its pros and cons.  For example, his stealth armor is fast and agile, but not very powerful.  His Hulk buster armor gives him strength but not agility.

What can we learn from Iron Man and his armor built for specific situations?  How many times do you start a project or create a tactic intended to solve 1 specific problem, and then scope creep sets in and turns the project into a Frankenstein monster that is supposed to accomplish everything?  How effective does that end up being?  Does it actually meet anyone’s needs?  In the end, something that attempts to do everything doesn’t do anything particularly well.

Now think about yourself.  How often do you feel like you are one suit of armor trying to be an expert in everything?  How often do you feel like you have to be everything to everybody?  The best decision I ever made was that I don’t need to be everything to everybody.  I finally came to grips with the fact that it’s okay that there are some situations where I’ll be great and some where I’ll be bad.  I’m great armor for big ideas, energy, and funkiness.  I’m bad armor for rules and processes, and that’s okay because there are many other people better suited to tackle those problems.

The challenge: Be like Tony Stark.  Understand that 1 solution can’t solve all problems.  Understand that you can’t be everything for everyone.  Build your special suit of armor that accentuates you!

Have a jolly good day,

Andrew Embry