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Newsletter>
The Indispensable Quality
January 5, 2006
Dare to go Forward:
Winston Churchill once said, "Courage is rightly considered
the foremost of the virtues because upon it, all others
depend." Courage is the chief distinguishing characteristic
of the true leader. It is almost always visible in the
leader's words and actions. It is absolutely indispensable
to success, happiness and the ability to motivate other
people to be the best they can be.
Follow through on Your Vision:
In a way, it is easy to develop a big vision for yourself
and for the person you want to be. It is easy to commit
yourself to living with complete integrity. But it requires
incredible courage to follow through on your vision and on
your commitments. You see, as soon as you set a high goal
or standard for yourself, you will run into all kinds of
difficulties and setbacks.
Refuse to Compromise:
You will be surrounded by temptations to compromise your
values and your vision. You will feel an almost
irresistible urge to "get along by going along." Your
desire to earn the respect and cooperation of others can
easily lead to the abandonment of your principles, and here
is where courage comes in.
Stick to Your Principles:
Courage combined with integrity is the foundation of
character. The first form of courage is your ability to
stick to your principles, to stand for what you believe in
and to refuse to budge unless you feel right about the
alternative. Courage is also the ability to step out in
faith, to launch out into the unknown and then to face the
inevitable doubt and uncertainty that accompany every new
venture.
Avoid the Comfort Zone:
Most people are seduced by the lure of the comfort zone.
This can be likened to going out of a warm house on a cold,
windy morning. The average person, when he feels the storm
swirling outside his comfort zone, rushes back inside where
it's nice and warm. But not the true leader. The true
leader has the courage to step away from the familiar and
comfortable and to face the unknown with no guarantees of
success. It is this ability to "boldly go where no man has
gone before" that distinguishes you as a leader from the
average person. This is the example that you must set if
you are to rise above the average. It is this example that
inspires and motivates other people to rise above their
previous levels of accomplishment as well.
The Attack of Alexander the Great:
Alexander the Great, the king of Macedonia, was one of the
most superb leaders of all time. He became king at the age
of 19, when his father, Philip II, was assassinated. In the
next 11 years, he conquered much of the known world,
leading his armies against numerically superior forces.
Lead the Action:
Yet, when he was at the height of his power, the master of
the known world, the greatest ruler in history to that
date, he would still draw his sword at the beginning of a
battle and lead his men forward into the conflict. He
insisted on leading by example. Alexander felt that he
could not ask his men to risk their lives unless he was
willing to demonstrate by his actions that he had complete
confidence in the outcome. The sight of Alexander charging
forward so excited and motivated his soldiers that no force
on earth could stand before them.
Action Exercises:
Here are two things you can do immediately to put these
ideas into action:
First, set big goals for yourself and force yourself out of
the comfort zone by acting boldly - even when there is no
guarantee of success. Go boldly where no one has ever gone
before.
Second, resolve to act quickly and decisively when you are
confronted with a difficult or dangerous situation. Dare to
go forward. Practice audacity in all things. Acting with
courage builds your courage and confidence higher and
higher.
 
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