Organizational Heroes
ORGANIZATIONAL HEROES: COMMUNICATING WHAT MATTERS MOST
EXECUTIVE OVERVIEW
Who are our organizational heroes? What makes an organizational hero? And why do we need heroes in the organization? We attempted to find the answers from a group of middle-level executives in Hong Kong. They were asked to identify critical incidents showing behaviors of their bosses, peers, or ordinary employees who have acted in ways perceived as being "heroic." The respondents represent a broad sample of companies in Hong Kong. They were asked to explain why they had considered these people as organizational heroes and describe the situations or conditions when these individuals had behaved heroically. Critical incidents were gathered using a story-telling method. Heroes were first broadly defined as individuals whose actions benefited other organizational members and the organization. A significant portion of the respondents selected immediate superiors as heroes. Fifty critical incidents were examined for the study and an analysis of these incidents yielded six themes or main categories of heroic behaviors. Three themes stood out: Being an effective leader who empowered and motivated their followers; effectively playing the role of change agent; and meeting customers' needs effectively. These findings reveal what middle-level executives perceive as important behaviors and attitudes of those who they respect and value in their organizations. They have important implications for organizations in helping their executives develop their careers, leadership and managerial capabilities.
ORGANIZATIONAL HEROES:
COMMUNICATING WHAT MATTERS MOST
Communities all over the world have revered and celebrated people who do heroic deeds. Since 1904, the Carnegie Hero Fund in the United States has awarded medals to persons who have risked their lives saving others . Each year, the Hong Kong Police Force gives the Good Citizens Awards to individuals who helped the police in the
EXECUTIVE OVERVIEW
Who are our organizational heroes? What makes an organizational hero? And why do we need heroes in the organization? We attempted to find the answers from a group of middle-level executives in Hong Kong. They were asked to identify critical incidents showing behaviors of their bosses, peers, or ordinary employees who have acted in ways perceived as being "heroic." The respondents represent a broad sample of companies in Hong Kong. They were asked to explain why they had considered these people as organizational heroes and describe the situations or conditions when these individuals had behaved heroically. Critical incidents were gathered using a story-telling method. Heroes were first broadly defined as individuals whose actions benefited other organizational members and the organization. A significant portion of the respondents selected immediate superiors as heroes. Fifty critical incidents were examined for the study and an analysis of these incidents yielded six themes or main categories of heroic behaviors. Three themes stood out: Being an effective leader who empowered and motivated their followers; effectively playing the role of change agent; and meeting customers' needs effectively. These findings reveal what middle-level executives perceive as important behaviors and attitudes of those who they respect and value in their organizations. They have important implications for organizations in helping their executives develop their careers, leadership and managerial capabilities.
ORGANIZATIONAL HEROES:
COMMUNICATING WHAT MATTERS MOST
Communities all over the world have revered and celebrated people who do heroic deeds. Since 1904, the Carnegie Hero Fund in the United States has awarded medals to persons who have risked their lives saving others . Each year, the Hong Kong Police Force gives the Good Citizens Awards to individuals who helped the police in the