Happy Halloween! Pretty soon, the streets will be overrun with ghosts, monsters, superheroes, princesses and other characters looking to fill their bags with loot. Hearing the door bell ring on October 31st brings about immediate curiosity about what kind of little creature will greet you on the other side. Experiencing leadership is kind of like answering the door on Halloween. You just don’t know what you’ll get and sometimes it’s a monster and sometimes a superhero!
Monsters: Monsters are easy to spot when you open your door. They tend to be loud, obnoxious, and impatient. For these creatures, the day is all about filling their own bags with candy. They may even push others out of the way or steal candy from others in order to have the fullest bag. They rarely say “thank you” or compliment others on their costumes. For them, it’s all about the candy and how much they get from the next house. You can spot them because they’re generally alone (no one wants to trick-or-treat with them) and when you give them Smarties or Tootsie Rolls instead of a Kit Kat or Snickers, they roll their eyes in disgust at you. Monsters might even come back and exact revenge by smashing your jack-o-lanterns! They don’t seem to be enjoying themselves much, in the end. And for some reason, they chose the same tactics year after year.
Superheroes: For these characters, the holiday is about more that just filling their own bag full of candy. They are out for the fun of it, interacting with the other superheroes, noticing the costumes and amazing decorations. They seem to realize that it’s about more than just the candy. They are grateful for the candy they receive, and as a result, tend to get a little extra ‘treat’ from time to time. They like to run in groups and you’ll see them congratulate each other when they get the “good” candy. They will often separate to conquer whole neighborhoods at a time, then reconvene to trade and divvy up their haul so everyone can enjoy their favorites. You’ll often see them with younger siblings or cousins, showing them how to go about this great sport. Superheroes generate a lot of excitement about this holiday and just seem to have a great time with the whole night.
I know you’ve seen them, the “monsters” and the “superheroes” of Halloween. And you’ve also seen the “monsters” and “superheroes” of leadership. So, as you answer your door tomorrow night, pick out the “monsters” and the “superheroes” of the bunch and make a decision about your own leadership this year. Which costume will you put on? If you want to learn more about how to be a superhero and how to manage the monsters, contact FutureSYNC’s consultants at (406) 254-2326.