"One man with courage makes a majority.”
-Andrew Jackson
Courage is present in every great leader. For a leader, courage involves more than single, isolated acts of bravery or fortitude. Rather, courage is the personal strength that enables a leader to handle fear, make difficult reliant. In other words, courage is the trait that empowers you to be yourself, follow your conscience (instincts), and pursue your vision. Keep in mind that as a leader, courage is not something you pursue; it’s something you embody.
“Courage is the first of human qualities because it is the quality which guarantees all other.”
-Winston Churchill
“Courage means experiencing your feat, labeling it for what it is, acknowledging that your afraid, and, if it’s important enough to you, pushing ahead in spite of your fear.”
-Vince Lombardi
Fear comes with the territory of leadership. It’s how you handle that fear that will impact on your ability to lead.
John Maxwell’s “four fundamental truths” from his book The 21 Indispensable Qualities of a Leader:
-The first truth involves the fact that every test you face as a leader begins with an inner battle.
-The second trust refers to the fact that courage entails taking a stand when appropriate.
-The third maxim attendant to courage is that courage tends to inspire commitment from others.
-The fourth truth involves the fact that fear can greatly limit a leader.
“The ultimate measure of a man is note where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands in moments of challenge and controversy.”
-Martin Luther King, Jr.
The best antidote for anxiety is work.
“The difficulties and struggles today are but the price we must pay for the accomplishments and victories of tomorrow.”
-Rev. William J. H. Boetcker
“Only those who risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go.”
-T. S. Eliot
Responsible leaders must have the courage to take risks.
“The only thing constant in life is change.”
-Francois de la Rochefoucould
Skillful leaders, on the other hand, have the courage and the candor to embrace chance as the opportunity for growth and improvement.
“You can’t escape the responsibility of tomorrow by evading it today.”
-Abraham Lincoln
Leadership not only involves a willingness to embrace responsibility, but also the courage to be answerable and accountable for your actions, obligations, and duties.
Excellence can be attained if you…
Care more than others think is wise.
Risk more than others think is safe.
Dream more than others think is practical.
Expect more than others think is possible.
Skillful leadership is a choice.
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