Find Your Superpower

You’ve probably been asked this before… “So, what’s your superpower?”

It’s a fun icebreaker and you may have dismissed it when you were asked. I’m here to tell you that it is surprisingly useful. But with 2 caveats.

First Caveat!

You have to be brutally honest. Don’t gaslight yourself and say what you want your superpower to be. Figure out what it actually is.

What’s mine?

I am amazingly non-intimidating. I seem to exude “this guy is not a threat” vibes.

In the mall, at shows, in theme parks, wherever I go, I am the guy that strangers invariably come to and ask “what is this line for?” or “how do I get from here to wherever?” or whatever is on their minds. I smile and do my best to answer them.

Turns out, that is very useful in this line of work. And I lean into it when I am working with someone and trying to get the right bit of information from them.

I am here to work with you, not against you.

For my brutally honest journey… it’s a little tough to admit that nobody would ever think you’re a threat, especially since I am a big strong man!

Second Caveat!

Since you know your superpower, you should also know your weakness, your Kryptonite as it were.

Understanding and making accommodations for whatever will shut you down is a critical tactic.

No, I will not share my Kryptonite with you (who are you, Lex Luthor?), but I know it, and when I think I am going to be exposed to it I always make sure to have backup. And you should, too.

You probably can’t read minds or have super speed (hands down, the best superpower), but just knowing what your greatest asset and your worst liability are will make the job that much easier.