Courage is a word that I’ve heard so often on social media lately.
From Brene Brown to Mel Robbins and many in between, there are quotes aplenty that are motivating you to have courage in how you act.
Mel Robbins’ The 5 Second Rule: Transform your life, work and confidence with everyday courage says that
“You are one decision away from a completely different life”.
Brene Brown has many quotes on courage, but my all-time favourite would have to be:
“Being ourselves means sometimes having to find the courage to stand alone”.
But what does Courage really mean?
The English dictionary describes courage as the ability to do something that frightens one; bravery.
It made me consider the courageous steps that I have taken for personal development that have helped me get to where I am today:
1. Following up with people who have the wrong perception of me
There have been many courageous steps I have taken throughout my career and life to clarify where someone may have the wrong perception of me.
From simple days where I was quiet because I was tired and people had thought I was grumpy, to other more complicated issues where I have had to talk to numerous people to help them understand more about who I am and how I operate and my longer term intent.
For me, confronting the issues has taken an enormous amount of courage. Wondering how they would respond to my questions, asking them their side of the story so that I could listen and understand their perspective. Courage to remain calm and reasonable, and also courage to speak from the heart as to who I am and how I operate.
2. Saying what I believe and not just saying what others want to hear
When I finally got the courage to do this, it changed a couple of things for me.
Firstly, it made me comfortable that I had put forward my view and had others hear it, and had no regrets walking out of meetings or discussions on ways to progress.
Secondly, it allowed me to discover that my opinion mattered and it gave me the confidence to continue putting my opinion forward or acting in a manner that I knew was the correct way forward
3. Asking for, and listening to honest feedback
It can be tough to hear where you may need to change the way you do things, but I find if I don’t ask for honest feedback then how will I truly know where others may see gaps or fault in what I’m doing?
This has been in my view the most courageous step in my personal development in the past.
Courage to possibly hear what I didn’t really want to hear, and then the courage to understand the feedback and nous to know what needs to be done in the future to remedy the situation.
4. Ask for someone else’s opinion on how they would approach a situation
Over the last couple of years I have formed many strong business relationships, and in doing so have found myself looking to them for their earnest opinion on how they would approach a situation.
When I have been working through a resolution to a problem, getting a few honest opinions on how they would approach a situation means that I could get a “removed” opinion from someone who may not be as emotionally involved, or someone who has more experience in dealing with similar situations.
It has helped me develop an approach to the issue that is not only measured, but thorough as there have been points that I had not thought about when considering the approach.
5. Trust those who have earned it!
How do you associate courage with trust, you might ask?
For me, it has been about the courage to question those people that I have dealt with that have not earned my trust or betrayed it in the past.
Having the courage to question their motives and whether they have the right intent.
It has also been having the courage to raise concerns about their approach or how they have contributed to the problem I was dealing with.
If you need help with developing courage to help with your personal development, my 1:1 course “Courageous – Climbing Your Career Ladder” can help you get from where you are to where you want to be.
This program was written for EVERY WOMAN who ever felt they’ve been overlooked, treated badly in the workplace or simply hasn’t been able to achieve the positions they want in their career.
Let me help you discover the personal freedom that comes with learning how to improve your circumstance.
Book in for a FREE 30 minute Discovery Session HERE to find out how I can help you.
I’m Jo Martin, The Glamazon Advocate. I help women in male dominated industries understand their value so that they can stride confidently through whatever life throws at them to achieve their career goals.
