I was recently reading an article about a book written by Brad Stulberg called, The Practice of Groundedness.

Brad Stulberg is an incredible author of multiple books. His previous work has some fantastic insights for those hoping to be peak performers. Some of these ideas include Just Manageable Challenges, the iPhone Effect, and the Optimal Work/Rest Ratio.

However, in his newest book, he coins a new term, "Heroic Individualism".

What does it mean? Is he right about this idea? Or is there a major problem with it?

What Is "Heroic Individualism"?

Stulberg defines "Heroic Individualism" as...

"an ongoing game of oneupmanship against yourself and others, where, regardless of how far you make it, the goalpost is always 10 yards down the field, so it's never enough."

It's an interesting concept to be sure.

But is the term "Heroic Individualism" a good way to express the concept?

Is The Term An Oxymoron?

What is "Heroic" and what is "Individualism"?

Let's start with the word "Heroic".

The word "Hero" comes from the Greek word "hērōs" which literally means, "protector" or "defender". However, in Greek tradition, it had a more specific definition. A "Hero" was someone with strength for 2 (or more) people, whose strength comes from love.

Already we can see some challenges with the context of what is being defined.

Then, let's look at the word, "Individualism".

The literal definition is, "the habit or principle of being independent and self-reliant". There is also another understanding of this term in a social context. It is the belief that we should promote and realize our own individual goals, and that they should take precedence over any social group goals.

In this case, as well, it does not connect with what Stulberg is getting at.

Really the phrase "Heroic Individualism" is an oxymoron.

Heroicism inherently requires "interdependence", and it further implies making things better for a group of people (including the self). Along with this, Heros must have the strength for themselves, which implies self-care which is the opposite of what is being defined. On the other hand, Individualism proposes an opposite belief, that people should forsake group goals, and should focus only on the self, but that there should be a focus on what is good for yourself.

In every sense of both words, they are not getting at what is meant as they not only are an oxymoron, but also both words imply doing something for the good of yourself (just in different ways).

I believe that a better way to describe what Brad Stulberg is getting at is, "Insatiable Ambition".

Is This A Real Problem for Leaders?

Though the phrase Stulberg uses may not hit correctly, the idea of "Insatiable Ambition" is actually a HUGE problem!

I have seen this problem occur with many of my clients, and it generally gets worse as they reach higher levels in their careers. In fact, I also have had challenges with "Insatiable Ambition" in my own life. It can become an addiction of sorts to say, "what's next?" and "what's bigger and better?".

It is a real struggle to not only see this problem when it occurs but to also figure out how to stop it.

However, to be able to stop and see what amazing things you have accomplished is a necessary component of success.

If you are always going, you can't stop and appreciate things. Appreciation is a fundamental aspect of success that positively impacts our own psychology, as well as drives teams to higher levels. Without appreciation, you end up getting burnt out, and worse you will drive other people away from you.

Without appreciation, you cannot get to the highest levels of success.

However, there are other benefits to stopping.

It allows you to see the full trajectory of your teams and business. This helps you see potential pitfalls that you would miss when you are too headstrong. Without stopping, you inevitably miss things, which can spell your doom.

Also, by stopping, we have the ability to reduce stress.

Stress itself has incredibly detrimental effects on leadership.

Stress activates the Sympathetic Nervous System. When activated, it actually becomes impossible to do long-term thinking and come up with creative answers to solutions. In the long run, it also has terrible health consequences, not only for yourself but also for everyone around you!

"Insatiable Ambition" when left unchecked, can cause horrible issues

What Is The Solution?

In order to avoid "Insatiable Ambition", we actually need to truly become "Heros"

I mean this in the fullest sense of the word. The Hero first needs to have enough strength for themselves, which means self-care habits such as stopping and appreciating all of what they have accomplished so far. It also means that the Hero must stop and truly figure out if their work is actually benefiting others, those they lead in their teams, and those they serve through their products or services.

To overcome Insatiable Ambition, we first must understand and then work toward our Heroic Potential.

Having people on your team, like a Coach, can also be tremendously helpful.

Stulberg has other extremely useful tips for beating "Insatiable Ambition".

➼ Accept Your Situation

➼ Focus on Owning Your Attention

➼ Know That Patience Is Key To Success

➼ Embrace Vulnerability

➼ Build Deep Community

➼ Move Your Body

All of these are necessary aspects of being Heroic, and destroying "Insatiable Ambition".

I may not agree with the phrase Stulberg used to describe the problem, however he does have an incredible understanding of this huge problem and how to overcome it!