The word “hero” often conjures up the image of someone in a spandex costume with a cape who swoops in to save the day. In the context of an IT project, it may be someone who is called in to assist or take over the reins due to resource restrictions or some other purpose.
All is well and good if the person turns out to be a real deal and is able to guide the project back even though “all the roads that lead us there are winding, and all the lights that light the way are blinding” (thanks to Oasis).
But of course, there are also self-proclaimed “heroes” who somehow manage to blunder their way to a project conclusion and then spare no effort in trumpeting their “achievements” while all the other members in the project team know that little credit (if any) was due to the person. To use a football analogy, sometimes Manchester United can be playing so well that you can even put your grandma in the first team and they’ll still win the match comfortably. Sufferers of such “heroes” should take comfort that luck, smoke and mirrors can only carry the “hero” so far. The truth will reveal itself sooner rather than later.