Every Wednesday I encourage people to do ONE thing to put the power of love to work in their organization, through my newsletter Amare Wave Wednesday. These consistent actions are collectively growing the wave and making people happier and businesses better.
What does it mean to have courage? I define courage as an inner strength that leads to saying what must be said, and doing what must be done, in spite of fear, risk, and uncertainty. Being courageous at work is an act of love that builds trust and respect.
In my book, The Amare Wave: Uplifting Business by Putting Love to Work, I encourage business leaders to lead with love, or “Amare,” to show up authentically, and act with integrity in everything they do. And that requires courage.
Courage is big in Amare organizations. For business leaders putting love to work, courage may be simply showing vulnerability, or admitting failure, or listening without judging.
Consider the following questions:
- What does courage look like in your business?
- What brings out your courage? Diminishes it?
- What one courageous act would you most like to do?
Courage requires trust in yourself, in a higher power, or in your cause, as you step through discomfort, uncertainty, and even terror sometimes. The more often you demonstrate courage, the more you will trust and become even more courageous.
Courage builds trust in others by demonstrating that you’ll do the right thing – even when it’s hard. Especially when it’s hard. And choosing to trust is an act of courage as well. When we trust others, we rest our well-being in their hands.
Trust is a critical component of love-centered Amare organizations. How can you be effective at getting people on board with your vision, with being fully committed to your greater purpose, with bringing in their best day after day, without trust? You can’t.
We respect courageous people – whether it is the courage of the entrepreneur or the social activist or the everyday hero. It is a trait that garners respect too, even among people who may not like the choices you make.
Being a courageous leader in business today isn’t always easy, but it is always worth it. Below I give you three ways you can start acting with more courage today inside your organization.
Three Amare Ways to Be a More Courageous Leader
1. Take small steps. Acts of courage don’t have to be dramatic or world-changing. It can be quite courageous to simply take a very small step into something that is scary or intimidating for you. Choose one area and do a small courageous act. Yes!
2. Encourage courage! Invite others to challenge themselves to be courageous where they choose – whether it’s public speaking, standing by their values, pitching new ideas, etc. Then ask how it went.
3. Share stories of courage. Make courage part of your culture by telling stories of when courage was demonstrated and how it changed the company. Start with one or two examples of your own! And be careful not to confuse courage with arrogance or machismo or pretension.
How will you act with courage today? I encourage you to pick one of the three ways above and make a commitment to yourself to try it today. If you’d like to share your results, I’d love to hear them. You can reach out to me at MosheEngelberg.com.
Today’s Amare Wave Wednesday Quote
“Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak;
courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen.”
―Winston Churchill
Originally published on MosheEngelberg.com
To receive the Amare Wave Wednesday newsletter in your inbox every Wednesday, click here to subscribe.
To learn more about the Amare Way movement and purchase the book, visit www.MosheEngelberg.com