The myth of the heroic blueprint

Management theorists often construct narratives of greatness by working backward from the outcomes of successful leaders, a practice that ignores the many individuals who employed identical strategies but failed to produce extraordinary results (Andrew Barban Practical tools, insights…). This survivorship bias creates a mythology where observers mistake luck or circumstance for a repeatable formula, leading to the assumption that one can achieve similar status simply by mimicking the actions of the famous. The halo effect further distorts this, as the reputation attached to a person changes how extraordinary their specific behaviors appear to others.

Joseph Campbell’s The Hero With a Thousand Faces proposed that all myths follow a universal monomyth structure, a framework that became deeply ingrained in modern storytelling and political culture (Matt Orsagh from Degrowth is the Answer). Critics argue this approach oversimplifies complex histories and centers on male heroes, yet the narrative persists because it offers a clean, albeit flawed, interpretation of the human condition. When societies fixate on these heroic journeys, they become uniquely susceptible to propaganda-driven systems that glorify leaders as infallible.

Historical understanding requires holding competing truths in one's head, such as condemning a regime while acknowledging the complex lives of those who lived under it (Daniel Lazar from The Junction). As Marcus Aurelius noted, "When someone’s fault offends you, immediately turn to yourself and consider what similar mistake you make" (Stoic Philosophy from The Stoic Manual). This internal reflection serves as a necessary check against the tendency to use the shortcomings of others to elevate one’s own social status.