COURAGE

INFLUENTIAL LEADERSHIP DIMENSIONS

Courage is what we can all tap into when things feel uncertain, tense or scary. And let's face it, if you're playing big enough then there are going to be many moments when you're going to need your courage.

Extraordinary leaders are not immune to fear. And when you want to make an impact or leave a legacy, courage is your companion.

Read on to learn more about developing this Leadership Dimension

What is Courage when it comes to Influential Leadership?

This Leadership Dimension affects how big you play. The bigger you play, the greater the impact you can have in the world. None of us can control the risk that comes with bold, ambitious goals, but you can control how much courage you bring to your plans and aspirations. The more courage you bring, the bigger the sense of achievement, and the less failure you fear. When you play with courage and conviction in yourself, you inspire others to step up and believe in themselves too.

The Courage Checklist

You set goals that even you think you might not achieve. Big goals that stretch, perhaps even scare you.
Your share your goals and aspirations with others, even if you're unsure about the results you'll get.
You're not afraid to fail or make mistakes, even when that failure might be public. You value the learning.
You're happy to share unfinished, even messy work, because you value progress over perfection.
You regularly feel a sense of achievement because this comes when you tap into your courage.
You're comfortable asking for help, it's not a sign of weakness to you. You value progress and results.
You're always learning and growing. Pushing the limits of your comfort zone and you're doing this at a pace which feels right to you and brings you fulfilment.
You understand what you need when you're using courage and support yourself with the right people/resources to set yourself up for success.

How does Courage influence my Leadership?

Courage is often the missing piece in leadership.

It's easy to get comfortable, setting yourself goals you know you can achieve. Taking on projects that fit with your skills set. Sharing the ideas that you know will be accepted. And that just keeps your potential firmly under wraps.

Courage supports you when you're playing on the edge. Stretching yourself into uncharted territory, handling matters that are unfamiliar or ambiguous. And when you're using a good dose of courage in your leadership you're busy building your profile and making an impact - all without trying too.

You also inspire others to be courageous and they too have a bigger impact in their role.

The results become exponential.

Courage is the belief that you can figure it out and having the skills and resources to do just that. It's backing yourself.

And courage isn't always about action. Sometimes it's about inaction, pushing back. saying no. Standing up for what matters and what is right.

Most of us are playing smaller than we're capable of, because safety is a common, core need.

Yet when we consistently play small, hold back or set our sights too narrow dissatisfaction can set in. We can lose our spark, our confidence and of course the impact and influence we have in our roles.

Courage keeps things exciting, it keeps us learning and growing, moving forward in whatever direction is meaningful to us.

Now of course you don't want to use courage all the time in all areas of life - chances are you'll be emotionally drained and burn out, choosing where to use courage and how much you want to use is important for your wellbeing.

How can I develop my Courage?

A great place to start is to connect with what courage means to you. What does courage feel like? How do you know when you're using it?
Once you've connected to courage, ask yourself if or how you're using it in your role? Is there anywhere you are holding back or playing small?
Ask yourself what being courageous in your role would look like/feel like or be like?
Review when the last time was that you did something that scared you? Is that easy to remember? If not chances are you're playing it safe.
What big goal could you set yourself that would require you to tap into courage? What would you need to support yourself in achieving that?
What are you afraid of? Have you ever reflected on this? Where are the limits of your courage and if you can identify this what would it take to move the needle so you can play that little bit bigger?
We all have fears, some of these are invisible to us. For example, fearing failure or that we're not good enough. They're legitimate fears that hold people back. Through coaching, you can unearth the hidden fears you've got and move beyond them, you can also tap deeper into courage.
Imagine what's possible for you if you used more courage in your leadership, life and career? What would that look like or be like?

If this tempts you come and explore coaching with me. Hit the button below, send me a message through the contact page and we can hop on a short call.