The Hero's Journey Through Transformation

Every great story, from ancient myths to modern blockbusters, follows a universal pattern: the Hero's Journey. Coined by American author Joseph Campbell, this narrative framework, or "monomyth," isn't just for fictional characters. It's a powerful lens through which we can understand and navigate change and transformation in our own lives, both personally and professionally.

The Hero's Journey typically unfolds in three main stages:

• Departure: The hero leaves their ordinary world, often in response to a "call to adventure."

• Initiation: They face trials, gain knowledge, and undergo profound transformation.

• Return: The hero comes back to their ordinary world, bringing newfound wisdom or power to share.

Within these stages, there are 12 simplified steps, from the "Ordinary World" to the "Return with the Elixir." This framework helps us see how every challenge, every unexpected turn, and every moment of growth is part of a larger, meaningful journey.

From Krypton to Metropolis: Superman's Heroic Transformation

I’ll use the example of Superman because he is my five-year-old son’s favorite hero. His story is a classic example of the Hero's Journey, illustrating both an outer adventure and an inner struggle.

• Ordinary World: Clark Kent grows up in Smallville, seemingly ordinary, but knows he's different.

• Call to Adventure: He discovers his powers and feels a pull to help others.

• Refusal of the Call: He initially tries to hide his abilities, fearing alienation.

• Meeting the Mentor: His adoptive parents, particularly Jonathan Kent, instill values, and later, the AI version of his deceased father, Jor-El, guides him.

• Crossing the Threshold: Clark leaves Smallville and becomes Superman, embracing his heroic identity.

• Tests, Allies, and Enemies: He balances life as a reporter and hero, facing villains like Lex Luthor and gaining allies like Lois Lane.

• Ordeal: He faces major crises, often sacrificing his safety, and in some versions, even his life.

• Return with the Elixir: Superman brings hope, justice, and inspiration, embodying the ideal of what humanity can strive toward.

Superman's journey resonates because it mirrors our own search for identity, purpose, and the courage to act. In a recent interview with Simon Sinek, bestselling author Brad Meltzer reflects on why Superman’s story is so powerful - it’s because we can all relate to Clark Kent.  He is an ordinary human doing extraordinary things, always with the intent to do good for others.

Robert E. Quinn, professor emeritus at the University of Michigan - Stephen M. Ross School of Business and bestselling author of Deep Change, recognized my ability as an ordinary person to do the extraordinary in our recent E3: Engage and Empower with Empathy podcast interview, and I will be forever grateful for this gift.  He reminded me that you don't need a cape to be a hero or a changemaker. Every leader, every individual, can embark on their own hero's journey, guiding themselves and others through transformation, big or small.

My Hero's Journey: From Corporate Change Leader to Empathy Guide

There is a hero inside all of us

I led organizational change in my last corporate role. It was my ordinary world, but it felt like my calling, my purpose.  It was the universe telling me I needed to guide people through change, but little did I know that I would have to guide myself through transformation shortly thereafter.

Just two days after completing the change project, I got the unexpected call: my role was being eliminated. This was my call to adventure, one I didn't choose.

Initially, I entered a period of shock and grief. I mourned the loss of identity and stability. This was my refusal of the call, an emotional resistance to the unknown journey ahead. Yet, even in my grief, I couldn't stop thinking about the power of empathy in the workplace and how it was my internal compass when leading others through their own struggles.

My reflections on empathy became my inner mentor. Later, conversations with my former boss, dear friend, and now business partner Adine Stone, my father David A Galloway, and my dear colleague Hamid Ghanadan served as external mentors, guiding me with wisdom and clarity.

Driven by this emerging purpose, I launched a podcast on workplace empathy, interviewing individuals who practiced it in their daily work. This was my moment of crossing the threshold into a new, purpose-driven realm.

The next six months were a series of tests, allies, and enemies. I juggled job interviews, parenting pressures, and the emotional toll of rejections. My resilience was constantly tested. Allies like Adine, my interview guests, and my family offered crucial support. As my severance neared its end, I reached an inmost cave, a low point filled with fear for my family's security and future.

This became my ordeal, a true breaking point. I faced the hard truth: perhaps a new corporate role wasn't my path after all. My identity and survival felt on the line. But in reaching out to my mentors, I claimed my true calling: to help others navigate change through empathy. This was my reward, the "seizing of the sword,” shifting from seeking validation to living my purpose.

Adine and I immediately travelled the road back, bringing our idea to life. We created a change readiness diagnostic and designed Change Conversations, a leadership development workshop grounded in empathy. A few weeks ago, we ran our first session, ironically, at our former employer with the leadership team of one of my former change agents, Kathryn Bower DiTullio. Katie's unwavering dedication to building resilience in her team was motivating, and the energy in the room was palpable. Delivering that first workshop was my resurrection moment: it validated my journey, my message, and my new identity as an empathy-driven change consultant.

Now, I return with the elixir, not to a corporate job, but to the world of work with wisdom, tools, and a powerful message: empathy is essential to change, and leaders must learn how to practice it. At The Empathy Collective LLC, we are helping leaders discover and embrace their inner hero when navigating change.

You are the hero of your own story. Every time you share your message, support someone through change, or spark a conversation about empathy, you pass the torch to other heroes on their path. Change is hard, but it doesn't have to be debilitating - it can be a gift. What torch will you pass this summer, and will you dare to reveal your inner hero?