Over the weekend I saw the movie "Kick-Ass." It's a highly controversial film because, aside from the general violence and strong language, one of the characters is a 13-year old female crimefighter who swears like a sailor and kills like an angry ninja. Suffice to say, its "R" rating is deserved; even though it's based on a comic book, it's not suitable for kids.
There was a line from the film, though, that I found inspiring. In the Spider-Man comics and movies, Peter Parker/Spider-Man lives by his uncle's credo: "With great power comes great responsibility." In Kick-Ass, however, the self-titled main character has no special abilities. He doesn't even really know how to throw a punch. In gearing up for the movie's final confrontation, therefore, he narrates: "With no power comes no responsibility... except that's not true."
That's what struck a chord with me: "Except that's not true." And it isn't. Just because we haven't been bitten by radioactive spiders, or just because we're not elected officials, or just because we're not wealthy, doesn't mean that we have no responsibility to "do good." In fact, while there may be a proportional correlation between power and the type or amount of "good" one can do, there is no such correlation between power and responsibility itself. I can't lift a bus over my head or make a million dollar donation, but I can volunteer my time and I can spare a few bucks to a charity or some canned goods to a food bank. I can even recycle.
The same dynamic holds true in the work-place. The CEO has more "power" to positively affect a business' bottom-line, but everyone on the payroll has a responsibility to work and to help. No one is unimportant when it comes to making individual contributions. I fear this concept gets lost, at times, in our society's hero-worship of celebrities. We all can make a difference- a bigger one than we think- and in that respect we are all important. Recognizing our importance helps us recognize our responsibilities... and that makes work- and life- better.
At Obbee, we strive to make life better for sales professionals. We provide sales leads for the real estate, insurance, mortgage, debt settlement and loan modification industries. Using proprietary internet tools, we can even pair up salespeople and clients in real-time. We're not superheroes, but we will help you succeed.
- Dave
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