Imagine being a semi-immortal Amazon warrior demigoddess. The crown princess of Themyscira. Daughter of Queen Hippolyta and Zeus.
That’s a lot of wonder.
Imagine also that, with that external authority, comes tenacity and a never-say-die attitude; fearlessness and focus; and a naivety that keeps you constantly engaged with the world around you.
If you can see yourself this way, then you might have a lot in common with Diana Prince - also known as Wonder Woman.
She may seem otherworldly at first, but one of the reasons we love her so much, is because she’s relatable. She’s also stubborn and flawed, and unafraid to show it.
Wonder woman or betrayed child?
Diana has been told by her mother through childhood that a god-killing sword will kill Ares. So, when she realises that she is actually the god-killer, she’s stunned. She also experiences a sense of betrayal that her mother has not told her the whole truth.
Aside from this she’s lost the man she loves, and she has to hold down a job. That’s a lot to deal with in one day… even if you are an Amazonian warrior.
Guiding a goddess
Through coaching, Diana would learn flexibility and deal with the curveballs that life throws her way. It’s through self-awareness, contemplation and reflection (our soft skills) that we build resilience and face challenges in life.
That’s how we find our inner ninja.
If I were Diana’s coach, I’d work with her to develop these soft skills to prepare her for the revelation that she is, in fact, the god-killer.
Expectations vs reality
We go through life constructing beliefs so that we can navigate life. These beliefs can either empower our actions or disempower them, depending on the circumstances and what we are facing. Until the age of three, we focus entirely on ourselves, i.e. I’m hungry, I’m tired, I need, I want.
Towards age seven, we start to interact more with our environment and develop empathy. As we build certain beliefs, we test them out and use them to make decisions into adolescence and adulthood.
But what if the beliefs create unrealistic expectations? Just because you go to a good school and get good grades doesn’t mean you’ll never face challenges like redundancy. Unrealistic expectations can lead to crisis.
Wonder Woman has been building a certain belief system for her life – she believes she holds the god-killing sword. So when she realises that this isn’t the reality, she is overwhelmed, feels betrayed and confused. But her life doesn’t depend on her circumstances. It depends on how she perceives these circumstances, and how she shows up to them.
The results reside within her. It would benefit her to see the glass as half full. For this to happen, it is all about being flexible. Flexibility would empower her to take action and create a more effective outcome in the moment.
As Mahatma Ghandi once said:
“Your beliefs become your thoughts,
Your thoughts become your words,
Your words become your actions,
Your actions become your beliefs,
Your habits become your values,
Your values become your destiny.”
Protector of self
Diana never gives up on mankind. She has huge empathy and believes that her ikigai is to protect earth. Her consistency is something we can learn from. It’s an incredible skill that we can develop throughout life.
As Denzel Washington said, "Without commitment, you will never start. Without consistency, you will never finish."
Remember that nothing is black and white. Things change all the time. When we learn self-awareness and contemplation, we’re able to be flexible and to navigate through change, limiting our disappointment. We also remove ourselves from the negative emotion of disappointment, and we embrace the new adventure ahead.
We’ll be ready for anything life throws our way.
Your call
Which character from popular fiction do you think could benefit from coaching?
About the author
I’m Dorothée Oung, Executive Coach and Neuroleadership Expert. I work with senior leaders and executive teams to apply neuroscience in practical, results-driven ways. My goal is to guide emerging and established Neuroleaders through deliberate, evidence-based practices that elevate how they lead, think and show up in the world.
