I have a small confession to make:  I wrote recently that the world is in need of more heroes.  And while I still firmly believe that, I also think I’m wrong…

We don’t need heroes nearly as desperately as we need guides.

Think about it—without Yoda, Luke Skywalker is just an angry, misplaced youth trying to find his way.  With him, Luke defeats the entire Empire.

Frodo is just a little guy who finds a magical ring; that is, until he meets Gandolf and ultimately saves Middle Earth.

Think about your own life, and the mentors and guides who have brought out pieces of greatness in you; take a minute and ask yourself where you would be without their influence.  Or perhaps reflect on a moment where you could have desperately used a guide to help you along your path, and without it, you felt desperate and hopeless.

Guides understand something about the world that many of us don’t.  They see things differently, and because of that, they make the world around them a better place.

Guides inspire future heroes.

Guides know how to pull out the potential in another person.  They understand that we’re all flawed beings, but that inside of each of us is a hero in the making—just one that needs a little encouragement in order to emerge.

Guides look for that in another person, validate those qualities instead of feeling threatened by them, and coax them out.  What is birthed is a young hero, one who learns of his or her own potential for greatness to reach their calling.

Guides care about the greater good.

Guides aren’t as interested in moving their own personal agenda forward; they are interested in what will make the world a better place.  A successful coach doesn’t stand on the podium taking the credit; he praises the players who elevated their own performance in order to achieve incredible results.

They understand that in order for great things to happen, they need to fade into the background and not demand the spotlight.  They understand that in order for a group to advance, the individual must take a back seat.

Guides understand how to effect real change.

On the surface it might seem that an individual can accomplish quite a bit in today’s society, but a deeper look will reveal that the person accomplishing much is actually doing it through others.

He or she is a guide, empowering others to reach great heights, and because of this, real and dynamic change occurs.  One swordsman in a battle can do much, but a swordsman who trains an army can conquer the strongest of foes.

Guides understand this, and put all of their efforts into effecting real change by investing in others’ ability to carry out that change.

Imagine a society where you and I are willing to relinquish our own desire to grasp for personal validation and instead focus on building others up, on mentoring them to achieve greatness.

Is there someone in your life right now looking for a guide?  You may not think you have much to offer, but trust me—you just might be the answer to that person’s prayer…