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In the world of sports, seldom do world-class athletes make the same heroic efforts to connect with their fans as they do to excel in their sport. Most athletes, especially the elite ones, go about their business on the playing field and then retreat to their personal lives while giving minimal attention to the fans who pay their hefty salaries.
Arnold Palmer is a refreshing exception to this general rule. There is no disputing his remarkable talent. Between 1955 and 1973, he won 62 tournaments on the PGA tour, ranking him 5th among all the golfers who have ever played the game. He also won 7 major championships, again placing him among the best all-time.
But these cold statistics do not begin to tell the story of Palmer's heroism. Fans who came to see him golf were treated to a memorable and appealing image. Palmer was a handsome man with a boyish smile and a friendly twinkle in his eyes. With ease and grace, he connected with his large legion of fans, called Arnie's Army, who eagerly traced Palmer's every move around the golf course. To them, Arnie was known as The King. Palmer initiated conversations with members of his adoring crowd, always looking them in the eyes when addressing them. Any fan who met him walked away believing he or she was the most important person Palmer had ever met.
The image of Palmer as "every man" was enhanced by his style of playing golf. Most professional golfers play a conservative brand of golf designed to avoid mistakes. Palmer eschewed this strategy. He attacked the golf course, attempting shots that only weekend golfers with nothing to lose would dare to try. Even his powerful swing was unorthodox; it had an odd hitch in the follow-through that smacked of reckless abandon. He marched after every shot with a bold, brazen gait that exuded confidence.
Palmer was legendary for honoring every request to sign autographs that came his way. When younger golfers, such as Curtis Strange, would complain about having to spend so much time signing autographs, Palmer would politely remind them of their responsibility to the people who made them rich and famous. During his rookie year in 1997, Tiger Woods expressed his frustrations to Palmer about his newfound fame. “I can’t be a normal 21-year-old,” said Tiger. “I have to sign autographs all the time, talk to the media after I play, do photo shoots for my sponsors. It just never ends.” Palmer replied to Tiger, “You’re right, Tiger, you aren’t a normal 21-year-old. Normal 21-year-olds don’t have $50 million in the bank. If you want to be normal, give the money back.”
Our images of heroes have at least three different components: Visual, dispositional, and behavioral. Visually, with his good looks and powerful build, Palmer fit the mold of a hero perfectly. Dispositionally, his natural charm and warmth drew people to him like a magnet. He was electric and charismatic both on and off the golf course, yet he remained a caring and humble man. No one spent more time with fans or connected with them emotionally better than Palmer could. Behaviorally, Palmer fit our image of a hero to a tee (pun intended). Palmer was a true gentleman in his conduct, a man who exhibited supreme talent at his job yet displayed a humility and respect for all people.
Below is a video tribute to the great Arnold Palmer.
Oops! We had to remove the hero profile you’re looking for because it will soon appear in our new book Heroic Leadership: An Influence Taxonomy of 100 Exceptional Individuals, to be published by Routledge in 2013.
Our contract at Routledge required us to remove many of our profiles on our blog at this time. But we do have other hero profiles and information about heroes on the menu bar located on the right side of this page. Check it out!
Our contract at Routledge required us to remove many of our profiles on our blog. But we do have other hero profiles and information about heroes on the menu bar located on the right side of this page. Check it out!
Our contract at Routledge required us to remove many of our profiles on our blog. But we do have other hero profiles and information about heroes on the menu bar located on the right side of this page. Check it out!
Comic book superheroes have long captured people's imaginations. The prototypical superhero has an extraordinary power or ability, a secret identity, a strong moral code, a striking costume, a sidekick, and a mortal enemy. The world inhabited by the superhero is typically dark and sinister, with a formidable villain posing grave danger to the general population. Only the superhero can save this world. He or she (but usually he) triumphs by overcoming three types of obstacles: family of origin issues, a unique personal vulnerability, and the fearsome villain.
The latest superhero enjoying great popularity is Iron Man, portrayed in two recent movies by Robert Downey, Jr. Iron Man made his first appearance in a Marvel Comic book in 1963, at the height of America's cold war with the Soviet Union. Iron Man's secret identity is Tony Stark, a brilliant weapons designer who suffers a severe heart injury while being kidnapped by a foreign menace. In the original comic version, the kidnappers are Russians; in the first Iron Man movie, they are Afghan terrorists. To save his life and aid his escape, he constructs a powered suit of armor that transforms him into a nearly unstoppable human weapon.
What accounts for the great critical and box-office success of the Iron Man movies? There are several factors. First, the part of Tony Stark is played superbly by Robert Downey, Jr., who is both charismatic and likeable. Second, as viewers of Stark's remarkable accomplishments, we are especially impressed because he is a man without an innate superpower. He relies solely on his superb mind and fierce determination to overcome his enemies.
Third, the Iron Man movies have successfully put a modern spin on many of the classic superhero themes. For example, narcissism, rather than humility, is seen as a virtue. In place of the cold war is the threat of terrorism, to which all modern viewers can relate. Modern technological gadgets are portrayed as the solution to the world's problems; we even witness Robert Downey, Jr. use his cell phone to hack into the U. S. government mainframe. There is racial and gender diversity, with African-Americans and women showing as much physical prowess and genius as Tony Stark himself.
But with all these modern trappings, Iron Man owes most of its success to its effective use of the classic elements of the heroic journey. There is a poignant origin story, featuring Stark’s emotionally unavailable father who plants the seeds of greatness in his son. There is adversity for Stark to overcome, namely, his damaged heart that is failing him and requires his genius to repair. The villain in Iron Man 2 is an evil Russian physicist, who is nearly Stark's intellectual equal. Stark's inherent goodness is highlighted when he saves a small boy from certain death at the hands of the villain.
Iron Man 2 also emphasizes the hero's reliance on social support to achieve his noble goals. Early in the movie, Stark notes with pride that he has no sidekick, yet in the final battle with the villain he concedes that he needs help from his friend, James Rhodes. The movie ends with Stark winning the heart of his beautiful female love interest, Pepper Potts, played by Gwyneth Paltrow. Throughout the story, Stark receives important assistance from both Potts and the physically formidable Natalie Rushman, played by Scarlett Johansson.
Why are we drawn to superheroes? Put simply, we admire their ability to overcome imposing obstacles and triumph over evil. In a dark world, their actions shine the light of hope and promise for a better tomorrow. Below is a movie trailer for Iron Man 2.
