"Promise me you’ll always remember: You’re braver than you believe, and stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think. -Christopher Robin to Pooh" A classic sentiment from A.A. Milne’s most beloved characters…And not irrelevant at all in our modern, stressful world. Courage is something we all possess and must tap into at intervals of change and challenge. Most often, however it is needed when we are experiencing moments of fear. In the workplace, fear can arise when we must confront a coworker, handle an important project we don’t feel qualified for, or ask a boss for a pay raise. Whatever your level of fear around the topic, courage is the antidote. Growing your "courage factor" is like expanding anything else about yourself…it takes the ability and willingness to be conscious and to practice. Like muscles needing to be worked to strengthen, so too does our courage factor need to be exercised. If you desire a promotion or secretly wish you could be an inspiring leader to others, but feel inadequate then perhaps fear is the culprit. The realization that one can overcome that fear and build their courage is liberating in and of itself. By focusing on developing your courage through practice and determination, one can dramatically change their reaction to fearful situations and gain confidence and resolve as a result. Many public figures whom we admire admit to living in fear at various times in their lives, yet we see them as larger than life and immune to "negative" traits like fear and insecurity. However, they have risen above their fears through courage and honed their speaking skills, leadership abilities or remarkable talents to become the admired people they are today.
We have to believe that the result is greater than the fear. And we have to practice in incremental ways, what we fear most in order to progress toward our goals. A determined, conscious effort with courage will ultimately bring you closer to your goals.
To learn more about Courage and Management and learn strategies for practicing skills, please see
Managing from the Inside Out by Jim Hornickel.
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