Part 5 of my Incredible Leadership Series.
Click the links to read parts 1,2,3, and 4.
A hero is only as good as his . . . integrity? You better believe it. A good leader and an Incredible Father does the right thing, even when he thinks no one is looking. Not doing so has led to the downfall of many a hero.
What you do is not half as important as how you do it. Emphasis always seems to get placed on success and for some, it doesn’t matter how ruthless they must be to achieve it. Then there are others, like Captain America. He turned down an easy solution when it was offered in favor of doing what was right.
When he’s asked to sign the Superhuman Registration Act, a law which effectively makes superheroes acting agents of the government, he refused. Even though Cap was already property of the U.S. Government, he had been betrayed by them before and disliked the idea of being blindly told what to think, who the bad guys were, when he could fight, and never having a say of his own. So, he went rogue, knowing full well the consequences that would follow. But he stayed true to his integrity by fighting for what he knew was right.
As the IncrediDad, I am faced with little things that test my integrity throughout the day. Man I’m really tired, I know it’s not good for him but I could get a little peace if I just camped Boy Wonder out in front of the t.v.. Believe me, I’ve been tempted. But then I do the right thing, feed him, change him, play with him, read to him, and when he’s tired out, I can rest too. I’ve also learned that doing the right thing is rewarding. I’ve never felt more like a superhero than when I finally get him down for that nap.
Heroes aren’t the only ones who wrestle with integrity. Sometimes villains need to stay true to themselves too. Though we may question their motives, we can appreciate their dedication to staying true to what is right for them. At the end of Batman Returns, Catwoman, is offered a fresh start by a love struck Batman. Although she is tempted, she knows that they would only be living a lie. So she makes the difficult choice to keep her integrity intact.
You thought I wouldn’t add a clip? C’mon, it’s my favorite movie. As usual, I don’t own this and I’m not making any money off of it. It just so happens to illustrate how even villains need to do the right thing sometimes.
So stay true to yourself. Let that moral or immoral (whatever the case may be) compass guide you to make the right decisions, even when you think your little sidekick isn’t watching. Hopefully, when Boy Wonder and all the other sidekicks grow up to be the hero of their own story, they’ll follow our incredible example.