12 Rules of Courage

12 Rules of Courage

I think we have Courage and Leadership problems. I recently read an article?called Demystifying Courageous Leadership ?where it talks about how we live in an era of distortion, not disruption or transformation but distortion. Look at how we had and are reacting and leading through the past few years. We saw and are seeing the best and worst of leadership. We lead today in a world where there is much uncertainty, no reliable blueprint and unrecognisable landscape. Great leadership truly stands out when the seas are rough.

Within this landscape and uncertainty there is one thing that stands out in which we need more now today than ever in our leaders - Courage. Courageous leaders are ultimately the ones who can lead through this landscape and uncertainty with adaptability, empathy and resilience as well as motivate their people around a shared purpose, inspire their customers, and bring their companies to new levels of success. Businesses and leaders who lead without courage visibly suffer.

Our work, numerous studies and research as well as findings across the globe have shown the best companies are the ones who have found the courage to make bold moves that transform their businesses. In turn they have stayed courageous especially in the face of complicated circumstances. Leading with courage through today's distorted playing field creates sustainable value and outcomes across all areas of your organisation.

Here are my 12 Rules of Courage plus find out more today about our Leadership Workshops, Coaching and Programs and how we can help you build great leaders and leadership as well as my keynotes on courage and leadership .

1.????Speak the truth, no matter how difficult it may be.

It can be so hard to say what needs to be said. But when you have the guts to say it, you'll often make a big difference.

2.???Know your values - and stick to them.

Knowing what makes you 'you'; what you value and believe in, and holding to them in the face of opposition takes real courage. Great change is made when people stick to their guns.

3.???Be unapologetically you.

It takes guts to be yourself and love who you are. Staying true to yourself will help you navigate even the toughest situations while staying confident.

4.???Never let fear stop you from achieving your goals.

It’s okay to be scared, but you can’t let fear get in the way of achieving your dreams. Acknowledge the fear, then continue and show the fear who’s boss!

"Courage is the most important of all the virtues, because without courage you can't practice any other virtue consistently. You can practice any virtue erratically, but nothing consistently without courage."

Maya Angelou

5.???Be brave enough to stop and listen.

We don’t always know the answers, and that can be hard to admit. Make sure to stop and really hear what others have to say - you never know what you’ll learn.

6.???Never accept defeat.

The only time you ever really fail is when you let defeat win. You’ll have setbacks, everyone does - but you have to keep going.

7.????Do what scares you.

We often learn the most valuable lessons from doing things that scare us. They show us that we?can?do what we thought was impossible and that we’ll come out the other side.

Grab your tickets to the?BEST & MOST INSPIRATIONAL EVENTS ?this year and focus on your courage and those of your teams!

8.???Learn to silence your inner critic.

We all have that little voice in our head telling us negative things; that we can't do something or that we’ll fail. Tell that voice that it doesn’t know what it’s talking about, and squash the ANTs with positive thoughts.

9.???Love yourself because of your flaws, not in spite of them.

We may not like every part of ourselves, but we have to learn to love the things we perceive as flaws. Embrace your flaws; they’re part of what makes you YOU - and you’re amazing just the way you are.

10. Be the bigger person in all interactions.

Sometimes people are going to say or do nasty things to us, and while retaliating might feel good in the moment all it does is create further problems. Stop, take a deep breath, and respond in a calm and thoughtful way instead.

11.?Be open to new ideas, thoughts and experiences.

If you stay stuck in your own little box and never take on new experiences, you’re only hurting yourself. To grow and excel, you need to accept new ideas and ways of thinking to change your outlook.

12.?Don't be afraid to fail.

Everyone encounters failure throughout their life. The important thing is that you don’t let it stop you; look for the lessons you can learn from what’s happened. That way you can do better next time.

Courage is not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it.

Nelson Mandela

Feel free to share any other rules like the ones above. I love hearing from you!

By Sonia McDonald

Founder of Leadership HQ and McDonald Inc. leadership coach, mum, entrepreneur, CEO and author.?

Sonia McDonald is changing the face of leadership across the globe. She believes we should lead with kindness and courage, from the heart, and is known for her mantra ‘Just Lead’. She leads by example in all these areas and through her transformational coaching, leadership training programs and cultural transformation for organisations and encourages others to do the same. Sonia has helped thousands of people on their leadership journey to become the best version of themselves and in turn, inspire and bring out the best in others.

Sonia is a founder and CEO of?McDonald Inc .,?LeadershipHQ ?and?Global Outstanding Leadership Awards ?and?Courage Conference . For more than 25 years, Sonia has been on the front lines of leadership and she is beyond committed to her mission around building a world of great leaders.

She has held leadership positions worldwide and through experience, research and study come to realise what it takes to be a truly great leader. She has been recognised by Richtopia as One of the Top 250 Influential Women across the Globe and Top 100 Australian Entrepreneurs.

Sonia has an ability to speak bravely and authentically about her own development as a leader, personal and career challenges in a way which resonates with her audience. She is a leading coach, an award-winning published author of newly released First Comes Courage, Leadership Attitude and Just Rock It! and has become an in-demand keynote speaker on leadership, kindness and courage.

Sonia has become recognised for her commentary around the topic of leadership, kindness, empathy and courage as well as building outstanding leadership across the Globe.