“Courage is the most important of all the virtues because without courage, you can’t practice any other virtue consistently.”
–Maya Angelo
This is the time of year when I go back
through my journal from the prior year. I love to do this because I can
see where I succeeded, and I can also see where l need growth. This
helps me to set goals for next year in these five areas of life: primary
love relationships, my chosen vocation, freedom of time and money,
spiritual and physical health.
Setting goals for growth and change takes courage. The more I thought
about this, the more I realized that leaders need courage for many
things. If you think you’re off the hook as a leader, remember that
leadership is influence. If you have ever made your child stand up
straight, brush their teeth or tie their shoes–you’re a leader. The
most introverted person influences more than 10,000 people in their
lifetime.
Without courage, it’s difficult to have tough conversations. Without
courage, how do we stand up for our convictions? Moving out of our
comfort zone to try something new takes courage. It takes tremendous
bravery to be a loving and caring Mom and Dad. Try taking the cell phone
from a teenager! To stand up once more after failing requires boldness.
It takes courage to think differently so we can grow and change. We
need to be brave to lead.
Like any other aspect of our character, courage is an inner game. It’s a choice, isn’t it? That’s how we develop courage, is by choosing bravery in the face of fear or discomfort. We become bolder every time that we work through our difficulties rather than dance around them. Every time we try something new, we develop more courage. Boldly venturing out of our comfort zone makes us braver. Looking at our inadequacies or flaws and making committed goals to improve them develops courage.
Some thoughts for you this week. When was the last time you tried something new? When was the last time you felt uncomfortable? When was the last time you looked in the mirror and decided to make a change? I’m not asking these questions so that you can beat yourself up. I hope they are thought provoking and provide a starting place for you if you need one. I set one goal last year and was a complete success…the first month:) Time to reset that one again.
“It takes courage to give yourself a break and realize
you don’t have to be perfect.”
Dennis McDonald
If it’s been a long time since you’ve taken a shot at any of the questions above, you may not be saying “yes to you. You may not be saying “yes” to living your bravest, inspired life, and the world needs you to do that!
Bravely typed,
Jan
Jan McDonald
The John Maxwell Team
For more leadership tips, like my facebook page @janmariemcdonald
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