The Level Up Leader Newsletter
Let’s talk about two movie franchises that accidentally revealed a leadership truth most people miss.
Marvel took its time.
DC tried to rush it.
One leaned into its identity.
The other chased someone else’s formula and lost its soul.
And if you’re not paying attention, you might be doing the same thing with your business.
The Marvel Method
Marvel didn’t open with Endgame.
They started small.
Iron Man.
A billionaire with a big personality, bigger flaws, and just enough heart to pull it off.
They let the story breathe.
They gave characters time to evolve.
They built tension. Layered it. Earned it.
Marvel had a tone—and they stuck with it.
They didn’t shift gears every time someone didn’t like it.
They stayed true to what they were building.
The DC Misfire
DC had good pieces.
They launched with Man of Steel. Darker, more serious.
It wasn’t bad. It just wasn’t Marvel—and that was the point.
But the studio got nervous.
“Make it funnier.”
“Be more like Marvel.”
“Add some jokes. Lighten it up.”
They didn’t double down on their identity. They abandoned it.
Then came the rewrites.
Then the replacement director.
Then the mixed-up tone and conflicting vision.
In trying to be something they weren’t, DC lost what made them interesting to begin with.
What This Has to Do With You
This kind of identity confusion happens in leadership too.
I’ve seen leaders change their messaging just because a competitor got louder.
I’ve seen teams abandon their strengths to chase someone else’s formula.
And I’ve seen founders bring in people to help them scale who didn’t understand what made the company work in the first place.
The result?
Everything feels off.
The brand loses consistency.
Team morale dips.
And the execution suffers.
Let’s Talk About Skills, Talents, and Staying in Your Lane
Sometimes this isn’t just about brand identity.
It’s about talents and instincts.
I’ve watched teams pivot away from what they’re great at because they got jealous or distracted.
They see someone else’s growth.
They see a viral launch or a flashy new offer.
And suddenly they think, “We should be doing that.”
But here’s the problem.
You can’t win at someone else’s game with tools that aren’t built for it.
Take Arby’s for example.
They’re known for roast beef. Sandwiches.
Then one day, they drop a deep-fried hamburger.
Why?
They don’t have grills.
They don’t have griddles.
They deep-fried it and called it innovation.
No one was asking Arby’s for burgers.
But they saw what was trending and tried to jump in.
And that’s exactly how companies lose their edge.
They abandon the thing that made them different to chase what made someone else successful.
Don’t do that.
Don’t trade your deep, natural strengths for shallow imitation.
Your team has gifts, instincts, and a rhythm that’s uniquely yours.
Build around that.
What to Do Instead
Slow down.
Find your voice.
Trust your instincts.
Build systems that match your team’s strengths.
Don’t copy someone else’s formula if it doesn’t fit the way you actually work.
Create space for your people to lead from who they are—not who you think they should be.
Honor your difference. That’s your advantage.
You’re Not Marvel. You’re Not DC. You’re You.
Marvel won by staying the course.
DC lost when they stopped trusting their own vision.
You don’t need to be louder.
You need to be clearer.
You don’t need to copy.
You need to create from who you really are.
Let’s Get Practical
- What part of your business feels off because you’re trying to be someone else?
- Where have you abandoned your strengths to chase someone else’s success?
- And what would change if you gave your team the freedom to build from what’s already working?
🎥 Want more? Watch the short version here:
https://youtube.com/shorts/e0lXiQW5b7o?si=ajfwZUeWCpGZSSj3
You don’t need a reboot.
You need a return to what’s real.
Michael
About Michael King
Michael King is an award-winning executive coach and the founder of Teams.Coach, Gawker Traffic, and CatalystCo. With two master’s degrees in Leadership and Executive Coaching from Bellevue University, he helps high-performing executives simplify complexity, optimize their leadership, and build teams that actually work.
A certified executive coach, Michael has spent years guiding Fortune 500 leaders, entrepreneurs, and teams through the real work of leadership—creating clarity, building systems, and driving results without the burnout.
When he’s not coaching, Michael is an accomplished singer/songwriter and music producer with over 100 published songs to his credit. He’s also a Ducati aficionado, a die-hard Apple fan, and probably has a Starbucks in his hand right now.
