W.I.N. Wednesday: Stiffening the spine of others.
"Courage is contagious. When a brave man takes a stand, the spines of others are often stiffened."
Billy Graham
In my Dare to Be Great leadership workshops I share the insights from two of my mentors Chip Huth and Jack Colwell that we are a culture big on Bravery, but lacking in Courage. They define the two this way:
- Bravery is to act for what is right, at risk to self, when members of one’s social group agree with the act.
- Courage is to act for what is right, at risk to self, when members of one’s social group do not agree with the act.
The “risk to self” when displaying courage is often not a physical risk. It is the risk of being shunned by your peers for speaking up. It is the risk of being ostracized by the group or being labeled as someone who is not a team player.
We all want to be liked and to fit in. The question is are you willing to go along just to get along or, do you have the courage to do what is right, even when it is not what is popular, expedient of easy.
In Dare to Be Great I also share Dr. Brene Brown’s three elements of integrity:
- Choosing courage over comfort.
- Choosing what’s right over what’s fun, fast or easy.
- Practicing your values, not just preaching your values.
You need to grow the courage to do what is right. Growing courage is a phrase I borrowed from my friend and mentor Roy Bethge who has an entire seminar he teaches through The Virtus Group called Growing Courage.
What’s Important Now? - Be courageous. Be a person of integrity. Model those behaviors for your children, your peers and those you lead. Take a stand and stiffen the spines of others.
Take care.
Brian Willis
www.lifesmostpowerfulquestion.com
Maximizing human potential through Life's Most Powerful Question - What's Important Now?
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