26 Courage powers innovation
Implementing innovations involves taking risks and that requires courage to face the possibility of failing and opposition from peers.
Fear is what stops you… Courage is what keeps you going. — Unknown
Courage is the internal fortitude to move forward when the path is uncertain and hazardous. Courage is what all great leaders have to help them be successful.
There are three attributes that I think all successful leaders have in common and you could call these the ABCs of innovative leaders.
A — Have a Positive Attitude.
It is really important that you have a positive attitude about what you are doing. This helps you identify what improvements can be made with the confidence to implement them.
“The greatest revolution of our generation is the discovery that human beings, by changing the inner attitudes of their minds, can change the outer aspects of their lives.” William James, in Lloyd Albert Johnson, comp., A Toolbox for Humanity: More Than 9000 Years of Thought (2003), 127.
“Attitude, to me, is more important than … the past, … than money, than circumstances, than failures, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness, or skill. It will make or break a company, a church, a home. The remarkable thing is we have a choice every day regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day.” Charles Swindoll, in Daniel H. Johnston, Lessons for Living (2001), 29.
Do you have a positive attitude about your abilities to make improvements in your workplace?
Why is your attitude not as positive as it could be?
Tips for keeping a positive attitude:
- Balance work and leisure.
- Smille, giggle — laugh, laugh, laugh.
- Try volunteering.
- Break major goals/problems into smaller ones.
- Take short time-outs during the day to energize.
- Feel good about how you look — Clean, neat, dressed for the situation.
- Find someone you trust, someone who will listen.
- Ask for help when needed and when appropriate.
- Spend time on a favourite activity or with a favourite person.
Unknown
. . . . .
Watch the following Ted Talk about the power of a positive attitude and why it works.
Shawn Achor: The happy secret to better work https://youtu.be/fLJsdqxnZb0
Having a positive attitude is also related to how happy you are. Click here to view 101 Ways to Feel Happy on a Daily Basis
B — Believe in Yourself.
Believing in your own abilities to succeed is crucial. You are your own worst critic so if you don’t believe in yourself, you will not be able to accomplish much.
He does not believe that does not live according to his belief. — Thomas Fuller, in H. L. Mencken, ed., A New Dictionary of Quotations (1942), 96.
Do you believe in yourself, that you can be an innovative leader in your workplace?
What is preventing you from believing more in yourself?
Just because you fail once, doesn’t mean you’re gonna fail at everything. Keep trying, hold on, and always, always, always, believe in yourself, because if you don’t, then who will? — Marilyn Monroe
C — Face Challenges with Courage
Courage follows the first two attributes and is required to push any innovation through to completion. It often requires the courage of a warrior to overcome setbacks and unexpected obstacles in implementations.
Whatever you do, you need courage. Whatever course you decide on, there is always someone to tell you that you are wrong. There are always difficulties arising that tempt you to believe that your critics are right. To map out a course of action and follow it to an end requires some of the same courage that a soldier needs. Peace has its victories, but it takes brave men and women to win them.
– Ralph Waldo Emerson, in Roy B. Zuck, The Speaker’s Quote Book(2009), 113.
Watch this video of some courageous people.
And another compilation of people that are awesome.
Watch the video below and look for the courage in this speaker. Is it the same kind of courage depicted in the video above?
Katie Makkai — Pretty https://youtu.be/M6wJl37N9C0
Do you have the courage required to implement innovations in your workplace?
What is keeping you from being the courageous innovative leader that you desire to be?
Read this short article by Diana Adams about 5 ways to build your courage.
http://www.bitrebels.com/lifestyle/creativity-takes-courage-5-ways-to-build-your-courage/
Could you use some or all of these ways to build up your courage?
Watch the next video and reflect on how you can develop your courage to make a difference.
Challenge:
Commit yourself to develop the three attributes of Attitude, Belief, and Courage in yourself so that you can be a more courageous innovative leader in your workplace. Identify two things that you will do over the next two weeks to accomplish this and describe them in your journal.
Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak; courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen. — Winston Churchill
Further Readings/Viewings
