A couple short years ago, I had the privilege of working closely with an agency based in Columbus, Ohio. This agency asked all of their new employee candidates the strangest question during the interview process.
Everyone looking to be hired was asked to describe their superpower.
The first time Scott and Shannon, the owners of IMC, asked me that question I didn’t know how to answer. And to be honest, two years later I am finally understanding what it is that I can do that no one else can.
I can’t leap tall buildings in a single bound, but I do have an equally unique superpower that allows me to bring groups of seemingly unconnected people together to work towards a common goal. I can teach truck drivers to talk to developers and sales guys to communicate with laborers. I have always been able to connect with people quickly and simply take for granted the fact that that everyone cannot get to know the elevator operator or the forklift driver—even if they want to.
This ability—to genuinely connect with others and want nothing in return—is what enables me to then bring people together and quickly motivate teams. As I grow older, I am realizing that this isn’t a common trait—but it is one that has value in a team setting. If Shannon wouldn’t have taught me to think about superpowers this way, I would have likely never discovered mine. So, I encourage you to ask yourself the question, “What is my superpower?”
Cheers,
MJV
