"Superman must have a part time job with
LaserShip,” said an Amazon customer about her experience receiving
packages. “Got my package two days
early,” she related.
For Superman, who was just an ordinary
being on the planet Krypton, what made him super on planet Earth was the difference in the two planet’s environments
and atmospheres; Earth’s influences are what gave Superman his extraordinary
powers of super strength, super speed, super everything.
Superman had to come to Earth in order to gain extraordinary
powers; otherwise he would have passed his life in an ordinary way on his home
planet. This can also be said of many
people who come to work for LaserShip: In previous work, perhaps, they were
ordinary, but in our unique culture became extraordinary; our culture can be
said to encourage excellence, extraordinary performance, Superman like powers
for those willing to assume them.
Super powers
are what give Superman an edge
in his battle for “truth, justice, and the American way.” But powers are just traits,
attributes, or characteristics that give anyone who can develop them in the
right cultural environment an edge in meeting the challenges of life.
Superman’s real powers are not jumping
buildings, stopping locomotives or bending steel, but characteristics that any
or all of us can have and develop, such as:
The Power of Courage: Courage
is a central force in overcoming obstacles; courage is what it takes to go the
extra mile even when already tired from the previous mile.
The Power of Collaboration: Collaboration goes beyond cooperation; it
is closer to “synergy” where the final rewards are greater than that which
individuals alone can achieve
The Power of Wits: Becoming a clever problem-solver is a super skill to
meet life’s challenges head on.
The Power of Loyalty: Loyalty
is a powerful binding force in all relationships; it must be earned and never
to be taken for granted.
The Power of Passion: Nobody
accomplishes anything great without a joyful investment in what they do.
The Power of Empathy: Putting
others first in terms of understanding how others see and understand the world;
responding in an appropriate and supportive way.
he Power of Sacrifice: Focusing
on the goal you are sacrificing for, not what you are giving up is essential in
achieving worthwhile goals.
The Power of Vulnerability: We
all have strengths and weaknesses. Being
aware of your own weaknesses, surrounding yourself with those who are strong
where you are weak, and being able to call upon them in times of vulnerability
are traits that make you powerful in the end.
The Power of the Code: Truth, justice, loyalty,
professionalism—all the things that define LaserShip’s Culture. A code
commits us to behaviors we can be proud and cause others to be inspired.
These are powers that
make Superman an enduring hero; these are also the very attributes that
define all truly “powerful” people, the ones who—irrespective of position or
title—lead energizing, inspiring and successful lives.
A real life super powerful hero is really
an ordinary individual who finds the strength to act upon their positive
characteristics in order to persevere and endure in spite of overwhelming
obstacles. In the movies about Superman he possessed special powers, but that's
not what made him a super hero. If you recall, in Superman II (1980), there
were three other Super-people from Krypton, and they all possessed superhuman
abilities. However, they were no Supermen. Despite being able to fly and throw
buses around they lacked the superhuman characteristics of loyalty, empathy,
collaboration and sacrifice that Superman possessed.
These characteristics not only made
Superman so powerful, but they are also what made Superman so enduring; it was
not Superman’s incredible other-world powers that have kept him in the pantheon
of super heroes for 75 years, but the more human-like qualities that everyone
can identify with and develop that has made Superman so durable and lasting.
That which Superman possessed, is conveniently available to all of
us. Placed at our fingertips and available at our whim, we have the ability to
be average people that do extraordinary things; we are able to access the
Superman within us.
If we want to be enduring
as a company and as individuals, it is the other characteristics that Superman
possesses that we would be well advised to develop, maintain and practice.
Clearly
our Amazon customer is impressed with what we have to offer. She said, “LaserShip is LaserSharp." She
also wanted to know if we would be expanding to deliver E-bay packages to her
in the future.
