#hero code

I’m a fan of Admiral McRaven, way before he was ever an admiral and the man who developed the war plan that resulted in the demise of Osama Bin Laden.  My first readings were technical papers he wrote that eventually became a must read of Special Operators in the 80s & 90s.  Since his retirement he has written must reads for life and leaders.  One such book I recently came across from him was entitled The Hero Code.  The book and chapters within are small and short reads but are amazingly impactful with historical lessons both personal and otherwise to illustrate each component of the code.  When I finished reading The Hero Code, it was obvious to me the code for a hero is in line with what it takes to be a leader. Remember the first person one leads is themselves!  The Hero Code is reminiscent of similar codes of valor to include The Scout law, Ranger Creed, and my personal values.  Here is the code for you to read in toto:

I will always strive to be COURAGEOUS; to take one step forward as I confront my fears.

I will work to be HUMBLE; to recognize the limits of my intellect, my understanding, and my power.

I will learn to SACRIFICE by giving a little of my time, my talent, and my treasure to those in need.

I will be a person of INTEGRITY; every decision I make and every action I take will be MORAL, LEGAL, and ETHICAL.

I will be kind and COMPASSIONATE to at least one person every single day and expect nothing in return.

I will never give up on matters that are important to me, my family, my country, or my faith. I will PERSERVERE.

Whatever job I am given, whatever DUTY I am bound by, I will do it to the best of my ability.

I will use my unique talents to inspire others and give them HOPE, that tomorrow will be a better day.

I will use HUMOR to comfort others, and never be afraid to laugh at myself.

 No matter how great or small the offense against me, I will try to FORGIVE. I will be the victor, not the victim.

Ten Awesome Points! After reading the book which expanded on each aspect of the code, I realize we all at some points in life were taught or introduced to some form of a code.  For me, several codes and oaths with each building on the next level. The relevance’s of which depended on station in life and of course, all codes have their place as well.  Whether it was The Ten Commandments, The Scout Oath and Law, OATH of the Military, Oath of office etc. they all express some simple condensed version for something better.  If nothing else, oaths and codes help you in the development of your values.

“A hero is an ordinary individual who finds the strength to persevere and endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles.” – Christopher Reeves

This post originally appeared on my blog, here

It is with great sadness that I report that Jonathan Rector will be stepping down as the artist on the Hero Code story-line, The Menace of the Mannequin.

Jonathan did fantastic work on the first issue of the series, and really helped make the Kickstarter a success, and give the book a look which brought the world to life.

Hopefully I will get the opportunity to work with Jonathan again in the future.

Agustin Calcagno will be stepping in to start work on issue two, more news to follow on this.

Agustin has just finished working on the prologue issue to the Hero Code mini-series, The Theatre of War, and so is a good fit to the Hero Code universe.

I hope to have some pages and updates to share with you soon, in the meantime here is a sneak at the cover for that Theatre of War prologue issue;

Hero Code, Theatre of War prologue issue. Art by Agustin Calcagno