Tag Archive for: courage

Leadership Behaviours

In my experience the greatest leaders – exemplify all of these behaviours…
Kindness – Patience – Meekness – Humility – Honesty – Forgiving – Commitment – Respectful – Selfless – Obedience – Purposeful.
These are the true qualities, virtues, characteristics and principles of servant or values-based leadership.
They are the very roots of civility, homes and organisations the world over.
There is something reassuring about standing for something and knowing what we stand for.
Those who commit to and pattern their lives on these principles, will always flourish.
What do you stand for?
They may sound old fashioned and to some, even namby pamby, but quite the opposite is true – these are virtues of courage and authority.
Practising them individually and collectively will be a powerful antidote to a multitude of ills & societal problems.
Why not perform a simple act of kindness today.
You won’t regret it; in fact, I believe you will make someone smile.

Are you tiptoeing through the tulips?

We need ๐›๐จ๐ฅ๐๐ง๐ž๐ฌ๐ฌ!
Over the last few days, I have heard several stories about individuals that have been bold and the consequences of their actions.
Those stories have inspired me to be bolder.
Frequently Iโ€™ve thought; โ€œI need to be bolder!โ€
๐ƒ๐จ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ ๐œ๐จ๐ง๐ฌ๐ข๐๐ž๐ซ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ฌ๐ž๐ฅ๐Ÿ ๐ญ๐จ ๐›๐ž ๐›๐จ๐ฅ๐?
๐๐จ๐ฅ๐ โ€“ โ€œnot hesitating or fearful in the face of actual or possible danger or rebuff; courageous and daring.โ€
Other words for boldness: fearless, adventurous, brave, valiant, intrepid, valorous, dauntless!
For the Star Trek fans out there, we donโ€™t need to โ€œboldly go where no man has gone before,โ€ we simply need to “๐›๐จ๐ฅ๐๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐ ๐จ!”
Hang on a minute however, I know a little about fear, and you probably do too.
Is it simply about laughing in the face of fear?
I believe that everybody has the ability to be bold, but many of us just have to dig deep to find it.

Tiptoes

Recently, whilst reading through a book on the life of M. Russell Ballard, I loved his words of encouragement, which were not to โ€œtiptoe through the tulipsโ€ but rather to be bold in our actions and conversations.
Are you tiptoeing through the tulips?
Far too often we hold back and play safe in life.
On the other hand, being bold, while both frightening and challenging at times, is essential to living a true and fulfilling life.
Boldness is about stepping up and stepping out onto our edge in lifeโ€”pushing the limits of what we think is possible or even appropriate.
I was reminded on Friday of one of my favourite little poems by the English poet, Christopher Logue.
Come to the edge.
We might fall.
Come to the edge.
It’s too high!
COME TO THE EDGE!
And they came,
and he pushed,
And they flew.
Iโ€™ve decided – It’s time to fly! (again)
What does being bold mean to you?

Do you accept mistakes?

๐ƒ๐จ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ ๐š๐œ๐œ๐ž๐ฉ๐ญ ๐ฆ๐ข๐ฌ๐ญ๐š๐ค๐ž๐ฌ?
We all make mistakes, its part of being human โ€“ they are a natural part of life.
There are however a lot of negative connotations around making mistakes, which can lead to each of us avoiding things that may stretch us.
Yet, getting it wrong is often the best way to learn.
Albert Einstein once said, “โ€œAnyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything new.โ€
In fact, giving ourselves permission to fail takes courage!
That may even feel scary too, because it may make us a little vulnerable.
Learning from mistakes can be challenging.
Yet, mistakes are actually very valuable, as long as you learn from them, grow from them, and improve yourself.
Indeed, mistakes are an opportunity to do better next time, and we should make the best out of every mistake we make.
Top Tips
– It is important to acknowledge your mistake and own it.
– Take a deep breath, admit the error, and make your apologies.
– Identify where you went wrong.
– Find the lessons so you can improve next time.
– Apply those lessons so you donโ€™t repeat the mistake.
– Consider sharing what you have learned with others
– Get ready for new mistakes!!
In summary – learning from mistakes is about understanding what you did wrong and making sure that you do not do it again.
What did you learn from your last mistake?

Courage

Courage is the great need of our time.

Courage requires consequence.

If there is no cost, no risk or consequence, then courage is easy – and empty. In fact, as consequence rises, so does the amount of courage needed to take a stand.

The wordย courageย is defined as โ€œmental or moral strength to โ€ฆย persevere, and withstand danger, fear, or difficulty.โ€

I believe it is in our very nature to admire those who stand against the odds and withstand danger – many great leaders come readily to mind. One who is currently rising on the world stage received a standing applause in the House of Commons this week.

However, simply stated, courage is meaningless without consequence.

Consequence

โ€œCourage is the form of every virtue at the testing point. Pilate was merciful until it became risky.โ€ CS Lewis.

Courage to accept the inescapable truth that greatness can never be achieved without adversity, a struggle that is prerequisite for growth.

Edmund Burke shared this.. “Adversity is a severe instructor, set over us by one who knows us better than we do ourselves, as He loves us better, too. He that wrestles with us strengthens our nerves and sharpens our skill. Our antagonist is our helper. This conflict with difficulty makes us acquainted with our object and compels us to consider it in all its relations. It will not suffer us to be superficial.”

A measure of our success in life will be determined by our response to adversity and the courage that you have as you wrestle with the problems, that will strengthen your nerves and sharpen your skill, just as Burke said.

Indeed, courage is the power to let go of the familiar and face up to the unknown.

We are faced every day with situations that require courage and strength.

What courageous actions will you take today?

Speak up

“Do any of you attend church?” asked my English teacher in my first year at high school.
In a packed classroom of my new peers (around 30 others), from somewhere came the courage to timidly raise my hand.
Looking around, I was only one in the room with my hand up! The teacher looked at me and said “Great! You can be our religious correspondent this year.”
Speaking up isn’t easy.
Somehow, that day as a 12 year old, I choose to raise my hand. Subsequently, I was given the opportunity on many occasions to stand and speak on any religious matter that arose in our English classroom discussions. In those moments I was able to articulate what I knew and believed.
And so it is in life, we need to stand and to speak up!

Speak Up!

Have you been scared to death to raise your voice in a difficult situation, or to face a courageous conversation?
It is not easy to stand up and speak up for truth – especially when it isn’t popular.
I recall another experience from many years ago when I was faced with a challenging work situation that had troubled me for far too long. It was also having an impact upon my team. Speaking truth to power is never easy, especially when the outcome may be a career change.
When the moment arrived for me to speak up, I sat in my seat thinking very carefully about what I’d say. Somehow I managed to articulate my position forcefully and clearly, yet thoughtfully and with respect. Even though I thought I was the lone voice in that meeting, it turned out I was not alone.
In our homes, our families, our communities and the organisations we choose to work for, frequently we know what the right thing to do is, yet, we may have trouble doing it.
Challenges, trials and opportunities will arise – they always do.
Remember who you are and who your best self is. Your words can have the power to influence for good.
James E. Faust said – “Honesty is more than not lying. It is truth telling, truth speaking, truth living, and truth loving.”
How will you react when an opportunity arises for you to raise your hand or stand and speak up?

Lessons in Leadership

Being appointed to lead an organisation brings with it a host of feelings – ranging from excitement, to sheer terror!

I recall one appointment manyย years ago and during the first few days thinking to myself “Have they got the right person here? – just what can I do?!” Several weeks into the new role, as I was considering the future of the organisation, a rather unusual image of conflict and war kept coming into my mind. I scoured the internet for as close an image to what I had in my mindโ€™s eye and eventually settled on this picture “The Periscope in the Trenches”.

I have reflected upon this image on many occasions and time and time again it has taught me so many insightful lessons. There will be yet more said on the start and end of the Great War.ย  Conflict is a daily occurrence in the world, whether it be Israel, Syria, Iraq, Lebanon, Ukraine or elsewhere – it is inescapable.

This image however of conflict and its application in the leadership world is a powerful one – let me explain.

  1. Periscopes

    What do these simple and yet powerful tools actually do? “A periscopeย is an instrument for observation over, around or through an object, obstacle or condition that prevents direct line-of-sight observation from an observer’s current position. In its simplest form, it consists of an outer case with mirrors at each end set parallel to each other at a 45-degree angle. This form of periscope, with the addition of two simple lenses, served for observation purposes in the trenches during World War 1″ (Wikipedia). From a position of safety, in this image, the periscope allows the soldier to see things at a different height level or in other words raises the vision of the soldier to view the atrocities of the battlefield above him. Over the years, I’ve discovered many tools to use as periscopes, to lift, inspire and raise the vision of others. Invitation #1, consider, or discuss with colleagues, what is the instrument or tool that will raise your organisation’s vision?

  2. Check in Often

    In order to assure his own and his company’s safety, the soldier had to regularly observe through his periscope the conditions that were prevailing above on no man’s land. In essence, frequently checking in on the activities on the battlefield enabled him to call for the correct actions to pursue. And so, it is as we establish the vision for any organisation, we must frequently check in on the condition of our people, their skills, abilities and needs, establishing changes in tactics and employing the right tools to ensure success. Invitation #2, when did you last check in on your people’s skills and abilities – are your key talent in the correct role?

  3. Courage

    I’ve often thought about the courage of these men who fought so valiantly, who gave their today’s that we could have our tomorrows. There is at least one moment of truth in everyone’s life; an instance, a tipping point in time where strength of character should be shown, or a stand against the odds is required. For thousands of young men, that moment over 100 years ago, began with the sound of a whistle and the command to go over the top. We need to be prepared to step up on to the firing line or step forward. Courage comes in different forms, physical and moral. Where physical courage often prompts others to follow and take action, moral courage can be very isolating. When a person stands on principle, speaks truth to power or tells peers what they are doing is wrong, others may sometimes fall away. Moral courage frequently puts people in a lonely place; however, to increase our vision, strength of character is often required by anyone to display moral courage in all of their actions. Invitation #3 – consider the courageous decisions you have made recently, have you faced up to doing the right thing?

  4. Keep it Simpleย 

    During the 2012 Olympics in London, two of my children and I visited the Science Museum on Exhibition Road in London. Whilst there, I was able to see close up, a periscope similar to the one on the image displayed here. As I looked at the construction of the periscope, it was a fairly crude and rudimentary instrument, much larger than I thought, made from wood, with mirrors used at the correct angles to provide a simple and yet extremely effective tool. I’ll repeat that phrase again, “Simple and yet extremely effective tool”. In order to increase our vision, don’t over complicate processes and procedures – keep it simple…..All of the time! Invitation #4 – What processes and practices currently in place, need to be simplified?

  5. Perspective

    Two soldiers are shown in this image and I’d like to think that they took it in turn to view the battlefield above them, and then discuss each other’s perspectives on the course of action to pursue. Likewise, it is with us in the organisations we serve as we consider how to increase our vision. Trying to increase vision in isolation is difficult and challenging – sharing insights, observing conditions, getting feedback from trusted colleagues is critical to success. Invitation #5 ask yourself what more can I do, to ensure that other leaders understand my perspectives?

These are only some of the lessons I’ve learned about increasing vision from this WW1 image.

What are yours?