LEADERS HAVE TWO TYPES
OF COURAGE
IN LEADERSHIP, THE MOST COMMON QUALITY IS THAT OF VISION. LEADERS HAVE A CLEAR VISION OF WHERE THEY WANT TO TAKE THEIR ORGANIZATIONS. LEADERS ALSO HAVE A CLEAR VISION OF WHERE THEY WANT TO BE SOMETIMES IN THE FUTURE IN THEIR PERSONAL LIVES.
THE SECOND MOST COMMON QUALITY OF LEADERS IS THAT OF COURAGE. LEADERS HAVE THE COURAGE TO DO WHATEVER IS NECESSARY TO FULLFILL THEIR VISION. THEY LEAD FROM THE FRONT AND DARE TO GO FORWARD.
THERE ARE TWO TYPES OF COURAGE THAT YOU NEED:
FIRST, YOU NEED THE COURAGE TO LAUNCH, TO TAKE ACTION, TO TAKE A LEAP OF FAITH. YOU NEED THE COURAGE TO GO "ALL IN" WITHOUT ANY GUARANTEE OF SUCCESS AND WITH A HIGH POSIBILITY OF FAILURE, AT LEAST IN THE SHORT TERM. THE MAJOR FAILING THAT HOLDS MOST PEOPLE BACK IS THAT IN SPITEOF ALL THEIR BEST INTENTIONS, THEY DON'T HAVE THE COURAGE TO TAKE THE FIRST STEP.
THE SECOND TYPE OF COURAGE THAT YOU NEED IS CALLED "COURAGEOUS PATIENCE". THIS IS THE ABILITY TO HANG IN THERE AND CONTINUE WORKING AND FIGHTING AFTER YOU HAVE GONE ALL IN AND BEFORE YOU HAVE YET SEEN ANY RESULTS OR REWARDS. MANY PEOPLE CAN MUSTER UP THE COURAGE TO TAKE ACTION TOWARD QUICKLY GOAL, BUT WHEN THEY SEE NO IMMEDIATE RESULT THEY QUICKLY LOSE HEART AND PULL BACK TO SAFETY AND SECURITY. THEY DON'T HAVE STAYING POWER.
DEAL WITH THE FEAR DIRECTLY
THE ONLY WAY TO DEAL WITH A FEAR IS A ADDRESS IS HEAD-ON. REMIND YOURSELF THAT "DENIAL" IS NOT A RIVER IN EGYPT. THED NATURAL TENDENCY OF MANY PEOPLE IS TO DENY THAY THEY HAVE A PROBLEM CAUSED BY FEAR OF SOME KIND. THEY'RE AFRAID OF CONFRONTING IT. IN TURN, IT BECOMES A MAJOR SOURCE OF STRESS, UNHAPPINESS, AND PSYCHOSOMATIC ILLNESS.
BE WILLING TO DEAL WITH THE SITUATION OR PERSON DIRECTLY. AS SHAKESPEARE SAID, "TAKE ARMS AGAINST A SEA OF TROUBLES, AND IN SO DOING, END THEM.
THE COMPANION OF FEAR IS WORRY. LIKE TWIN SISTERS, FEAR AND WORRY GO AROUND TOGETHER. MARK TWAIN ONCE WROTE, I HAVE WORRIED ABOUT A LOT OF THINGS IN LIFE, AND MOST OF THEM NEVER HAPPENED".
IT HAS BEEN ESTIMATED THAT 99 PERCENT OF THE THINGS THAT YOU WORRY ABOUT NEVER HAPPEN. AND MOST OF THE THINGS THAT DO HAPPEN, HAPPEN SO QUICKLY THAT YOU DIDN'T HAVE TIME TO WORRY ABOUT THEM IN THE FIRST PLACE.
THE DISASTER REPORT
WHENEVER YOU ARE WORRIED ABOUT SOMETHING, FILL OUT A "DISASTER REPORT" ON THE SITUATION. THIS WILL DESTROY YOUR FEAR AND WORRY ALMOST INSTANTLY. THIS IS OFTEN CALLED THE "WORRY BUSTER". THE DISASTER REPORT HAS FOUR PARTS:
* FIRST, DEFINE THE WORRY SITUATION CLEARLY. WHAT EXACTLY ARE YOU WORRIEAD ABOUT? VERY OFTEN, WHEN YOU TAKE THE TIME TO BE COMPLETELY CLEAR ABOUT THE WORRY SITUATION, A WAY TO RESOLVE THE SITUATION BECOME IMMEDIATELY EVIDENT.
* SECOND, IDENTIFY THE WORST POSSIBLE THING THAT COULD POSSIBLY HAPPEN IF THIS WORRY SITUATION WERE TO TAKE PLACE. WOULD YOU LOSE YOUR JOB? WOULD YOU LOSE YOUR RELATIONSHIP? WOULD YOU LOSE YOUR MONEY? WHAT IS THE WORST THING THAT COULD POSSIBLY HAPPEN? BE CLEAR ABOUT THIS. IN MANY CASES, YOU WILL SEE THAT SHOULD THE WORST OCCUR, IT WOULD NOT RUIN YOU. IT MIGHT BE INCONVENIENT OR UNCOMFORTABLE, BUT YOU WOULD EVENTUALLY RECOVER. YOU WILL FIND THAT IT'S PROBABLY NOT WORTH ALL THE WORRY THAT YOU ARE DEVOTING TO IT.
* THIRD, RESOLVE TO ACCEPT THE WORST POSSIBLE OUTCOME, SHOULD IT OCCUR. SAY TO YOURSELF, "WELL, IF THAT HAPPENS, IT WON'T KILL ME. I WILL FIND A WAY TO GET ALONG". MOST OF THE STRESS OF WORRY COMES FROM DENIAL, FROM NOT BEING WILLING TO FACE THE WORST POSSIBLE THING THAT COULD HAPPEN. BUT ONCE YOU HAVE RESOLVED TO ACCEPT THE WORST (SHOULD IT OCCUR) ALL THE WORRY AND STRESS SEEM TO DISSAPPEAR.
* FOURTH, BEGIN IMMEDIATELY TO IMPROVE ON THE WORST. TAKE EVER STEP THAT YOU POSSBLY CAN TO MAKE SURE THAT THE WORST POSSIBLE OUTCOME DOES NOT OCCUR. TAKE ACTION IMMEDIATELY. DO SOMETHING. GET ON WITH IT. ACT QUICKLY. GET SO BUSY MAKING SURE THAT THE WORST THING DOES NOT HAPPEN THAT YOU HAVE NO TIME TO WORRY.
THE REAL ANTIDOTE
IN THE FINAL ANALYSIS, THE ONLY REAL CURE FOR FEAR OR WORRY IS DISCIPLINED, PURPOSEFUL ACTION IN THE DIRECTION OF YOUR GOALS. GET SO BUSY WORKING ON YOUR GOALS OR THE SOLUTIONS TO YOUR PROBLEMS THAT YOU HAVE NO TIME TO BE AFRAID OR TO WORRY ABOUT ANYTHING.
WHEN YOU PRACTIVE THE SELF-DISCIPLINE OF COURAGE AND FORCE YOURSELF TO FACE ANY FEAR-INDUCING SITUATION IN YOUR LIFE, YOUR SELF-ESTEEM GOES UP, YOUR SELF-RESPECT INCREASES, AND YOUR SENSE OF PERSONAL PRIDE GROWS. YOU EVENTUALLY REACH THE POINT IN LIFE WHERE YOU ARE NOT AFRAID OF ANYTHING.
ONCE YOU HAVE DEVELOPED THE COURAGE TO STEP OUT IN FAITH, YOU MUST THEN DEVELOP THE SELF-DISCIPLINE OF PERSISTENCE, WHICH WE WILL TALK ABOUT IN THE NEXT CHAPTER.
