8 Ways to Overcome Fear and Find Courage
By Dan Rockwell
Gutless leaders aren’t leaders. Separated from courage the other components of leadership like decision making, problem solving, and vision casting are meaningless drivel.
Cowardly Leaders:
- Closes their ears to criticism.
- Attack critics.
- Use anger to fuel action.
- Make excuses.
- Refuse to change their minds.
- Change their mind too quickly.
- Defend poor choices.
- Play office politics.
- Pass the buck.
- Lie.
- Don’t trust others.
- Undermine the success of others.
- Talk too much so others can’t talk.
- Correct more than complement.
Courageous leaders:
Courageous leaders speak the brutal facts with kindness. Frequently, anger or fear gives fearful leaders the “courage” to speak the brutal facts. On the down side, anger and fear make them seem belligerent and unapproachable.
Courageous leaders lift others; fearful leaders put others down. One reason leaders withhold honor is they fear high performers. They fear being overshadowed.
Courageous leaders dare to surround themselves with highly talented people. Fearful leaders are more confident around incompetence.
8 Ways to find your courage:
- Share your fears with trusted friends. Secretly harboring fear gives power to fear.
- Give yourself to a noble purpose or challenging vision.
- Find a boss who stands behind you.
- Make a wise decision that makes someone unhappy and see if the world comes to an end.
- Think of what you can do. Stop whining about what you can’t do.
- Take small steps forward rather than giant leaps.
- Focus on your strengths more than your weaknesses.
- Know and accept yourself. It’s incredibly easy to define ourselves by the work we do. That creates fear. Take a deep breath and get in touch with your own values and passions and then pursue them.
What turns leaders into cowards?
How can leaders develop courage?
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