Strategy Batman: Origin Story

If you haven’t read my newest Forbes.com article, check it out here (3 Steps to Stop Strategy Batman).

I’m really excited about this article and wanted to share the article’s origin story along with some things that didn’t make the cut in the article. Think of this as a Director’s Cut.

Batman Begins

I read Harvard Business Review (HBR) fairly frequently. Hearing the research and thought leaders talking about a wide array of topics inspires me to think differently. During one of these reading sessions I stumbled across this line:

The ‘bat signal’ is on for you, strategy leaders”

I talk about the Idea Store in writing and when this line of text went on the Idea Store shelf, it collided with a line from The Batman Lego Movie.

It takes a village, not a Batman

If you’ve seen the movie (and you absolutely should) you will know that this line is from Barbara Gordon when she says Gotham Police need to own crime and not depend on Batman. She provides examples of Batman swooping in and swooping out. How Batman really hasn’t fixed crime in Gotham.

So…is that what we’re looking for in Strategy Leadership?

My article isn’t a reaction to the HBR article but a collision of ideas inspired by the HBR article. The HBR article didn’t mean for strategy leaders to go it alone. And I absolutely agree with the sentiment that the “bat signal” is on for people who can help build strategy. I’ve seen too many leaders try to be Batman, too many people go it alone and then fail after much stress and heart ache. Those answering the signal need to avoid being like Batman.

But how?

The Dark Knight

The first draft of this article was written in a weekend that produced two articles. Just like I say in the article, have your Robin, I then sent the first draft of the article to my Robin(s) who provided feedback, helped me clean up the ideas and organize my thoughts. Writing is often seen as a solo activity but just like Strategy, it is better with a team.

You, Strategy Leaders, are not the Dark Knight. You are not a tortured billionaire (probably not at least) who is trying to transform a city through violence. You have a team, or at least should have a team, who helps you formulate ideas and poke holes in those ideas.

My wife is my first Robin. She reads my content, discusses my ideas, pokes holes, asks questions, and cares about the outcome. Having honest conversations with your Robin(s) is critical. Can your Robin tell you the idea sucks? Can you push back on your Robin for things you believe in? Does your Robin deeply care about the outcome as if they were you?

After my wife, I have my Robins at work who help me hone the idea further. They help me cut the idea down to the bones and convey just what’s important. Notice the tiers of Robins that help me cut down, build up, reshape, refine the idea? Build that for yourself in your Strategy Team.

Strategy isn’t wrestling, it’s rugby. Use your team’s strength to get the best ideas identified, refined and done.

Dark Knight Rises

Rejection is a reality when you work in ideas. As a writer and innovation person, I’ve had more than one idea (or article) rejected. Be ready for rejection. Be ready for an idea that you’re super excited about to fall flat in a room of peers. Remember, the idea isn’t you. It’s just the idea.

Have a plan for rejection. Go into a situation ready to act on the idea if accepted, ready to react to rejection if necessary. Normally, I think my ideas are going to succeed. I have confidence that they’re good and refined (remember the Robins above). Success is inevitable. And rejection creates opportunity.

Can you twist the vision a bit? What if you go back to the Idea Store (more on that later) and find some other inspiration to mix with your current idea? Remember, rejection isn’t the enemy, it is just another method of refinement.

Strategy Leaders rise or fall with their reaction to rejection and failure. Will you rise?

Final Note: Why Batman?

I love the character of Batman. Growing up with Batman: The Animated Series, I grew an affinity for the character, the art style, the deep stories. Batman is portrayed as a lone wolf but the reality is he has a symbiotic relationship to his cadre of villains and the city of Gotham itself. He is a complex character with a lot of good and bad characteristics.

We all have a little bit of Batman in us. Recognizing how to use the Bat for the betterment of our life is a great lesson. Equally important is seeing the negative attributes of Batman and recognizing those in ourselves as well.

As a Strategy Leader, I’ve felt the strong pull to be Batman but over my career have learned to resist it. Build the team. Work with the community (the business team members), share ideas and collaborate to success. Don’t lone wolf it. This article was to share some lessons I’ve learned on my journey and I hope you enjoyed it.

The Idea Store

If you’re wondering what the Idea Store is, here’s a quick introduction. I use this technique for fiction writing but it works just as well for business innovation. All you have to do is change your aisles and you’ll be ready to tackle the most complex business problems.

Thanks for reading!