Friday Reflection (No.42): Ikaris or Sersi?
October 21, 2022
The 2021 Marvel film “The Eternals” didn’t get the buzz and fanfare it deserved.
It is the story of a race of immortal beings with superhuman powers who have secretly lived on Earth for thousands of years. Despite their powers, they never interfere in the events of man (they stood on the sidelines for countless wars, famine, the infamous “Snap”1 and all kinds of human suffering). Their sole purpose is to wait to protect humankind from powerful enemies, the evil Deviants.
One element of the storyline that I found particularly compelling is how the leader of the Eternals, called the Prime Eternal, was selected after the death of the original Prime Eternal (Ajak).
The obvious choice was Ikaris, a Superman-like hero who can fly, shoot laser blasts out of his eyes, has superhuman strength and can regenerate. In all senses of the word - a badass! This combination of powers plus his bravado made him a seductive leader, who most thought would be chosen as Ajak’s successor.
In a surprising twist [SPOILER ALERT], Ajak chooses Sersi as the Prime Eternal. She is most known for her empathy for humans, but has seemingly underwhelming powers. She only realizes the extent of her powers when she becomes the leader and can channel the combined energy of the other Eternals to alter molecular and atomic structures of all matter. In other words, when she taps into the strength of other Eternals, she can protect and/or destroy just about anything, including other supernatural beings. (If you read this far and you aren’t into comics, I applaud you…there is a point here).
The reason this storyline is so compelling is that it is a powerful metaphor for the talent selection process for senior leaders. One of the most common biases I see is boards and senior leaders preferring Ikaris, the self-oriented and seductive star, over Sersi, the empathetic and team-oriented power multiplier.
The Allure and Dangers of Ikaris-style leaders
Ikaris-style leaders are those that come across as superhuman. They are usually distinctive for their intelligence, charisma and drive. This combination draws others in and makes people want to follow them.
At the same time, Ikaris-style leaders are primarily motivated by their personal ambition.2 They only view other people as important if they can help them reach their own goals.
The challenge with these leaders is that their personal ambition takes priority to that of the team and enterprise, which can lead to mistakes in judgment, erode the trust of others and at its worst, result in lapses in integrity.3 In other words, selecting an Ikaris-style leader can be very costly.
The Untapped Potential of Sersi-style leaders
Sersi-style leaders may not initially “wow” on the leadership stage. They also can have a tendency to avoid leading from the front, preferring for others to have the spotlight. That said, they lead with empathy, invest in the development of their teams and garner the respect of others based on their reliability and determination.
Many organizations unintentionally create conditions where Sersi-style leaders get overlooked for the seductive Ikaris’s. However, when Sersi-style leaders are given the opportunity to assume the leadership mantle, two things happen. First they often elevate B-player talent to become A-players through coaching and teaching. Second, they become effective enterprise leaders, because they complement and elevate their own strength with distinctive strengths of each person on their team.
So what are some practical ways that organizations can avoid selecting the “Ikaris’s” and instead opt for more Sersis in leadership?
Define (with specificity) and embed leadership behaviors in selection decisions. If “team over individual,” collaboration, and enterprise mindset are important behaviors for the organization, then it’s critical to gather enough data in the interview and selection process to ensure that you have a strong point of view on how a leader stacks up on these dimensions.
Weight the “how” as much as or more than the “what” in decision criteria. When we identify an incredibly talented leader with hard-to-find, distinctive strengths (particularly digital acumen), it can be tempting to overlook “how” these leaders operate. Instead, make sure that in talent selection decisions, you emphasize the “how” as much as the “what.” In fact, you should pass on leaders who bring the technical and managerial skills required if the “how” a leader operates is antithetical to the type of leadership behaviors you want for your organization. This is a decision that is much easier said than done.
Proactively identify the “Sersis” through creative means. Sersi-style leaders can go unnoticed precisely because they don’t seek out the limelight. That said, if you ask people who are individuals or leaders that bring out the best in others, you may come across some hidden gems. If you are more senior leader and can influence annual engagement surveys, consider including a question or two that asks about who are the individuals that best embody the leadership behaviors of the organization.
Some questions I reflected on this week:
Who are the potential Sersi-style leaders in my ecosystem?
For those leaders I thought of, what would it take to fully unlock their potential?
How can I protect myself and those I advise from falling for the seductive charm of Ikaris-style leaders?
For the non-Marvel fanpeople, the Snap refers to when Thanos, a super villain, snapped his fingers while using the Infinity Gauntlet (a collection of cosmic stones that fit into a metal glove), resulting in the extermination of half of all life in the universe. There’s a great line in the film where one of the humans who gets close to them asks “Why didn’t you guys help fight Thanos? Or any war? Or all the other terrible things throughout history?”
In the terms of McClelland’s motivational profiles, these are “self-power” dominant leaders. For a related post, see my previous reflection on the power motive and decision-making.
This proved to be the case for the actual Ikaris in the film. No further spoilers here though…
Awesome. Thank you.