This is BS: Celebrating the Lone Hero

Quick: Name your Top 5 Greatest Heroes from American cinema.

Here’s my list, in no particular order:

1. Rocky, Rocky. Rocky shows a great deal of self-awareness and courage, not only in the ring, but in the decisions he makes outside the ring, too.
2. Will Kane, High Noon. Risks his life and marriage to save a town… even after the townsfolk who will benefit from his actions refuse to pitch in.
3. John McClane, Die Hard. Takes out a gang of international thieves while getting shot at by Special Agents Johnson & Johnson (no relation) of the F… B… I.
4. Jefferson Smith, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington. I’m not sure why this movie is not on my Top 20 movies for leaders. Hmmph. Anyway, Jimmy Shtewahrt playzh a freshman zhenator who ah, ah, let’zh she how we wanna—yea, OK: he needzh to overcome a corrupt machine, she, because he speakz the trufth they don’t wanna hear it, ay! (That’s my Jimmy Stewart impression, typed out. It’s better when this guy does it.)
5. General Maximus/Gladiator, Gladiator. What happens to this guy should send him off the rails… yet he is able to keep his eye on the prize.That’s fortitude, folks.

If you’re curious, you can also see the AFI’s list of top 50 hereos… and 50 villains, too.

The problem is, when we glorify the hero, we forget the context, and we start to imagine the hero working as a sole contributor. Yet this is not the image we should have at all!

1. Rocky tried for a long time to work with Mick, the coach, but Mick blew Rocky off. Completely. After Apollo Creed gives Rocky his lucky break, Mick finally offers to teach Rock to “crap thunder.” Rocky quickly gets over his hard feelings and accepts the help.
2. Will Kane rounds up exactly one man to join his posse against Frank Marshall’s gang after the town goes deaf to Will’s pleas for help. Kane sends the man home, takes on Frank & co alone, and in the end is saved by a very gutsy Grace Kelly.
3. John McClane spends the entire movie unsuccessfully trying to enlist LAPD’s help; survives thanks to the support (and interference) of sharp-shooting Al Powell.
4. Jefferson Smith resorts to taking on corrupt Senators alone only as a last resort… and still he needs the help of a girlfriend who coaches him on parliamentary procedure and legions of kids with paper routes back home.
5. General Maximus/Gladiator rallies his “troops” only to watch them be imprisoned or shot through. Faces an evil emperor alone only when left with no choice… and even then, he benefits from a belatedly loyal lieutenant.

None of these heroes wanted to face destiny alone. They each actively sought to avoid that possibility, seeking help right to the very end.

So the next time you see someone playing “hero,” refusing to accept or offer help until the last moment, rest assured, you’re watching glory hound.

Real heroes don’t try to stand out, they try to get the job done… with others.

Jason Seiden is Co-founder and CEO of Ajax Social Media, a training company that shows professionals how use social media to work more effectively.