The Courage to Lead

During the recent observance of President’s Day, I was reminded of the courage shown by both Lincoln and Washington, two of our country’s greatest leaders. Each of our first two presidents had to take a stand, face opposition and negotiate compromise in order to move the country forward. As leaders, we meet daily challenges and if we are completely honest, face fear.

What is courage?

Courage is not the absence of fear. Courage is doing what you fear to do, in spite of the fear. If we are totally honest with each other, as leaders we often find ourselves making decisions that we think are right, but that we are not completely comfortable with. As leaders, we sometimes experience push-back, criticism, grumbling, and a less than favorable marketplace response to our decisions.

For daily courage, being well-read, having experience, being “prayed-up” and being on a team whose members are supportive of each other, helps our level of confidence.

One other thing that has helped me with my fears is reading a chapter from the book of Proverbs daily. Proverbs, which has 31 chapters, is known as the book of wisdom. I don’t think it is coincidental that the number of chapters matches the number of days in most months. The insights I gain give me food for thought and often the courage I need to lead.