Superhero Quiz

Are you a Super Hero? Can you topple problems with your uncanny sixth sense or solve conflicts with your X-ray vision or super hearing? Do you know what it means to fly above the challenges to use your powers to find better answers? Can you create out-of-this-universe ideas based on your Super Power Elasticity or Magnetism?

Can you guess how a Super Hero would react to the following scenarios?

Read each question and then select one answer. Try to figure out what a Super Hero would do in each instance. Just how many super powers do you already possess? Read on to find out…

Instructions: Click the box to the left of your answer and the correct answer will open right below.

1. You’ve got two meetings before you dash to the airport to make your flight. It’s international, and you’ve got lots to do before taking off. Still you focus on always communicating with people and so you’ve scheduled two brief meetings with people who wanted to see you. The first person spends an inordinate amount of time filling you in on his problem; he could have given you a synopsis in one sentence, but he’s still talking after five minutes. Do you:

A. Interrupt him and help him focus on the real issues.
B. Allow him to continue for three minutes and then interrupt, his time is up.
C. Let him continue until he gets to the real issue.
D. Decide he’s unreachable, leave and send him your ideas on a postcard.

ANSWER:

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if all answers to our issues were black and white, or in the Superhero world, perhaps red and blue? Of course life isn’t like that, and the best answer is "A" for the following reasons:

Obviously the individual is what we would call an "Expressive," someone who loves to talk and is slow to get to the point. People like this can sometimes drive other people slightly crazy. But, that’s the way this person is wired, and to assume we can change him isn’t logical.

What we can do is interrupt immediately (using the person’s name to interrupt, “Bob, let me interrupt you a minute”) and talk about why it’s important to hear his thoughts, thanking him for his insight.

If you have more time in the future you can go back and let him go into more detail, and you can tell him that at the time of the brief meeting. What matters most to people who see communication as a social event, is that you take a little time to acknowledge, to listen and to thank the person for the information. It’s a little thing, right? But the little things are what ultimately matter so much to people.

Your Superpower: Magnetism

2. You’ve finished with that first meeting, but you still have the other individual to speak with. She’s usually no-nonsense and to the point, and she surprises you by bringing along a colleague who reports to her. Looks as if this colleague is fairly brow beaten. His body language indicates he’s not very happy to be at the meeting. She talks about the project they’re both doing and asks for more leeway in order to have the authority she and her colleague need to get things accomplished and meet due dates. Do you:

A. Look at her management style and give her advice on how to work more effectively with her colleague.
B. Agree with her and make an appointment to meet with them both at a later date.
C. Tell her you appreciate the urgency, but need to think about it and will get back with her once you return.
D. Give them the company credit card and suggest they settle their differences over some fine French wine.

ANSWER:

The best answer is B: Agree with her and set up a time to meet later.

Great management is delegation, letting others do things their way, even if it’s not the way you would do something, including her management style. When you meet with her later you can ask how her employee is working out, and make some observations at that time.

In the meantime you hired her to do a job and she’s asking for more authority to get it done. Nothing frustrates people more than not having what they need to get a job done, and by empowering her, focusing on priorities, you can deal with her management style later.

Your Superpower: Kaleidoscope Vision

3. You report to someone who has just redecorated the entire office space, and in the process has practically restructured the hierarchy of operations because of how people are now physically positioned. There used to be offices and larger and smaller spaces, depending on rank. There were two floors, with the most senior people perched on the top floor at larger desks in larger offices, and more junior associates on the first floor. Now that has been blown to smithereens, with nothing but wide open spaces and desks positioned helter-skelter around the facility. Many people who report to you are grumbling loudly, and it’s not to your taste to have such an open environment; you can’t imagine being productive here. Do you:

A. Talk with your direct report, try to understand what was behind his sudden urge at redecorating, and make some changes to accommodate your staff.
B. Just try the new space, realizing others will take your lead.
D. Go out and buy screens, etc. that will partition off your area, satisfying your group to some extent.
D. Hire an expensive corporate decorator and hope for the best.

ANSWER:

The best answer is B. Let the dust settle.

Even sought after change can wreak havoc, and this sort of restructuring is bound to have all sorts of complications. After things have been in place for a month, then suggest a meeting.

One idea would be to communicate with the quieter personality styles who would be innately uncomfortable with this arrangement, and ask them for suggestions on how to create some privacy areas more conducive for them.

Your Superpower: Elasticity

4. You’re in real estate, or large SUV sales, or in an industry that is suffering right now due to a variety of economic circumstances. You are thinking about cutting your losses and moving on to another area, since you can take your skills and find practical applications in almost any business. Several colleagues you have worked with in the past are suggesting you leave, at least to find some intelligent security in this topsy-turvy economic environment. Do you:

A. Decide that to stay is foolish, realize risks are part of the business fabric and so you get out of Dodge.
B. Decide that you can create luck anywhere you go, and that if you look at this obstacle(s) from other perspectives, you’ll find some new answers to guide you.
C. Bide your time and see what others in your industry do.
D. Retire early and let your spouse or friends support you.

ANSWER:

B is the best answer.

We all create our own luck, based on our belief systems. The Superhero knows how to change luck, how to identify any belief that is limiting in any way.

Your Superpower: Shining

5. You report directly to the CEO of your company, and you have a great deal of autonomy, good for you and all that you’ve accomplished. But your boss is not easy to get along with. Over the past few months, as his responsibilities have changed and he’s doing more traveling and responsible for more, his attitude has really slipped. When he calls management meetings he ends up yelling at everyone in the room, including you. This is not pleasant, and you know something has to be done. After the meetings you and your colleagues usually regroup and the talk is consistently on what can be done with this man, how can he be tolerated and what in the world has happened to him? You’re getting close to wits end here, and now it’s time to take action. Do you:

A. Confront him in a professional manner, explaining that he is alienating everyone with his shift in attitude, and offer to help.
B. Focus in on what he is already doing right and continue to support him in any way you can.
C. Decide it would be futile to communicate anything to him at this time and determine if it’s worth waiting to see what will develop.
D. Get out quickly, any job is better than what you’ve got now.

ANSWER:

B is the best choice.

People live up and down to our expectations, and despite the current frustrations the focus should be on what he’s doing right, what can be done to continue taking business to the next level.

As all your energy is focused in that area you will also have the insight to see what need(s) have prompted your boss to start reacting in this way. Or the simple act of laser vision, focusing on what you both want to accomplish, will go a long way toward alleviating his frustrations.

Your Superpower: X-ray vision

6. Your interests and passions have changed somewhat over the years, as well as what you’ll tolerate and what’s not so important anymore. As you’ve been promoted and shifted some of your priorities, you notice there are two or three people you’ve been close to, in or outside of work, that are starting to slip away from you. It doesn’t matter that much, but you wonder why their behavior has changed so drastically. Do you:

  A. Talk with them and try to figure out what’s going on, why they’ve changed.
  B. Realize that life and friendships constantly change and there is nothing to do but accept the differences and value them for what they are.
  C. Do some soul searching and focus on how and why you have changed, and how or why that might have impacted them.
  D. Consider firing or relocating these individuals so you’ll never have to deal with them again.

ANSWER:

While communication is always important, B. is the best approach here.

Just because as you’ve been promoted, there may be jealousy, feelings of inferiority, or any number of other variables. Continuing to treat them with respect and focus on business is the best thing you can do.

Your Superpower is definitely X-ray vision, you’re seeing through their negative behavior to the part that’s valuable, the part that shines.

7. You’re working on a project you can do blindfolded and on roller skates. You know how to do this inside and out, and you’re working with a team that doesn’t have your expertise. One person is highly opinionated, takes direction rather poorly, and is intent on trying an approach that you know won’t be as effective. The other team member is open to your ideas and is actually waiting for instructions instead of generating her own ideas. Do you:

A. Offer to take the project off their hands, and look for other options for the highly opinionated individual.
B. Invest some time to understand why your other team member is waiting to take action.
C. Focus on their strengths, and look to see additional ways that you can help them shine.
D. Ignore them and let them sink or swim.

ANSWER:

Your best choice is C.

Similar to the last question, here we are also looking where your colleagues are efficient, what do they do well, where their passion is. There is always pride in doing a job oneself, and as you continue to build rapport and trust, you can offer insights in ways that are constructive, without taking over.

General George Patton once said don’t’ tell people what to do, tell them what needs to be done and then step back and watch their ingenuity. Then there’s buy-in, and everyone walks away feeling as if they’ve contributed.

Your Superpower: Invisibility

8. You work with someone who manages a large segment of the department. She has been a valuable employee, and at the same time does a fair amount of whining over small things, she seems to get her feelings hurt easily. The other day she simply quit talking to you, and seems to communicate in one word syllables, or emails if at all possible. You called her in and asked what was wrong and she replied nothing. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to realize something is quite wrong, and it seems directed at you. Do you:

A. Ignore her theatrics, assuming it will pass in time, as other similar situations have.
B. Call her in and confront her in positive terms, forcing her to explain what’s really going on.
C. Look to see if you have changed the way you are responding to her and how that might impact her reactions.
D. Tell her to grow up.

ANSWER:

C is your best option.

You’ve already brought her in and she doesn’t feel inclined to tell you what’s wrong. Often people buy in to the martyr syndrome, they suffer loudly and hope all will see their frustrations and erect a small statue to them somewhere.

However it’s easy for that kind of behavior to push our buttons, which she has probably done. Look to see how you could have bought in to her histrionics, and continue to treat her fairly and with respect, despite her behavior.

Ask yourself at the same time, what is she missing or needing, what is she ultimately wanting, but doesn’t know how to get. You continue to model excellence, not being drawn into her childish behavior.

With this attitude whether she chooses to change or not, she will not impact you and how you manage and interact with others.

Your Superpower: Mental Agility

9. One of your employees asked several times to be transferred to a different area of the company, and when an opening came up, you agreed. Since then you have replaced him, and he wants his old job back. This is not possible, but he’s being relentless and his constant questioning on any openings is really starting to annoy you. You have already asked him why he wants to move back, and he simply says he misses his old co-workers, and isn’t comfortable in the new position. Do you:

A. Gently remind him there will probably not be openings for quite awhile, and he is welcome to look elsewhere.
B. Find out why he is so eager to leave, despite his previous comments.
C. Offer him training, assuming there is something that he is uncomfortable with, and possibly needs some help he’s not willing to tell you.
D. Fire him, whining will spread to other employees if you don’t take this action.

ANSWER:

Your best choice is B.

There’s almost always more to someone’s emotional reaction than meets the eye, and there is obviously something going on, possibly a lack of confidence that he can do the job. Using empathy, really getting to the real issue, saves endless hours of guess work, giving him training he doesn’t want or need, or trying to fix something that isn’t broken.

Your Superpower: Spontaneous Combustion

10. You have a wonderful idea for the conference this year, even though it’s a bit radical. You know it will play well and inspire everyone to be more productive, but you’re having a lot of trouble getting those planning this year’s conference to buy into the idea. Time is running out, and you’re starting to wonder if it’s worth the effort. If others can’t see the simplicity and effectiveness of your idea, why bother? Do you:

A. Try one last time, and decide time is too precious a commodity to waste if others aren’t going to buy in.
B. Look to see who at the company others look up to, and try to get that person excited about your idea.
C. Ask yourself why others are fighting it, and is there any validity in their arguments.
D. Go forward without asking anyone.

ANSWER:

A, B, C and D.

The Super Hero knows there is never just one right answer; probably there are many other combination of answers we could have chosen. Becoming the Hero you were always meant to be means getting your ego and emotion out of the mix, continuing to look at alternatives, and never being satisfied with the first “right” answer. And so the answers to this question prove my point. We could A. make a value judgment to give it one last time and then put energy into something else. B. We could wisely see who others already look up to and focus on creating excitement for your project in that person, thus letting her do your promotion for you. C. You could expand your perspective and see if there is validity in others’ arguments, or D. you could use your natural born courage and go forward anyway.

Superpower: Many


So, how did you do? The truth be told, the world needs Superheroes, and these Super Powers, these competencies, are what enables us to work with anyone; to inspire, guide and help individuals and companies reach their potential.

Look, up in the sky; it’s a bird, it’s a plane, it’s _____________ (fill in your name here)! Others look to you every day to see how you’re reacting, how you’re handling issues. As you continue to learn about and increase these amazing powers, you'll become the leader wherever you are, you will become the Superhero the world needs so badly!
 

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