Are you an audacious leader?

I believe we are all capable of being extraordinary leaders in our careers, our families, and our lives. The path to fully stepping into our power can seem audacious to others and yet there is a sweet spot for everyone to land in, that not only shines with strength and courage but inspires genuine trust, loyalty, and love from others.

The term ‘audacity’ has become synonymous with rude, inappropriate, or pushing boundaries of acceptable behaviour. Yet, my own definition of an audacious leader is being extra daring and extra caring as a force for good – benefiting others as well as themselves.

The human spirit is inherently audacious. In fact, we would have never survived as species without those who dared to be audacious. Yet, in our modern world we have damped that spirit down out of fear of “being too much” “overdoing it” or “risking judgement”.

Today, we are entering an era where a new and timely form of leadership is quickly rising. The audacious leaders are here to make a difference, accomplish an impossible goal or simply go to sleep each night feeling they brought their greatest self forward in their life and work.

The Audacious Leadership defines a new path to cultivate the necessary ingredients of what it means to dare greatly, to care deeply and in the right context… to audaciously not care at all.

Here are my top 7 principles adapted from the Tibetan monks’ lessons that I use in my own Audacious Leadership model:

In writing my book, “The Audacity Spectrum”,?it has become perfectly clear to me that leadership is a path and it's not always as smooth as it appears to be on the outside.

All superheroes have origin stories. Yet, it would be quite audacious to compare ourselves with them.

My origin story has been inspired by my greatest teacher – my son Dan, who threw my highly organized world into complete turmoil and evolutionary upheaval. ?Dan could never hear the word “No” and I could never say anything but “Yes.” If you are a parent, you can only imagine what an extraordinarily stressful time of life this was.

Two of my greatest gifts have been my courage and my belief that anything is possible.

I knew there had to be a way to create flow and harmony with Dan. To take the most difficult situation I had ever known and alter it into something joyful and beautiful. I knew there was nothing for me to change about Dan. The difference that would make the difference was all to be found within myself.

Not only did I end up cracking the code and bringing us into a beautiful relational dance together, but these tools now serve as the foundation for others to become truly powerful leaders in the world of business, as well as in their lives and families.

And having just returned from a break in the serene Scottish Loch Goilhead, surrounded by friends, family and boats, I want to leave you reflecting on this classic fisherman story (shortened and adapted for you).?

“A banker complimented a fisherman on the quality of his fish and asked how long it took him to catch them.

"Not very long" answered the fisherman.

"Why didn't you stay out longer and catch more?" asked the banker. The fisherman explained that his small catch was sufficient to meet his needs and those of his family. The banker asked, "But what do you do with the rest of your time?

"I sleep late, fish a little, play with my children, and take a siesta with my wife. In the evenings I go into the village to see my friends, have a few drinks, play the guitar, and sing a few songs. I have a full life."

The banker interrupted, "I have a MBA from Harvard and I can help you exploit this situation for your massive gain. You should start by fishing longer every day. You can then sell the extra fish you catch. With the extra revenue, you can buy a bigger boat. With the extra money the larger boat will bring, you can buy a second one and a third and so on until you have an entire fleet of trawlers. Instead of selling your fish to a middleman, you can negotiate directly with the processing plants and maybe even open your own plant. You can then leave this little village and move to New York City! From there you can direct your huge enterprise."

"How long would that take?" asked the fisherman.

"Twenty, perhaps twenty-five years," replied the banker.

"And after that?"

"When your business gets really big, you can start selling stocks and make millions!"

"Millions? Really? And after that?"

"After that you'll be able to retire, live in a tiny village near the coast, sleep late, play with your children, catch a few fish, take a siesta with your wife, and spend your evenings drinking and playing the guitar with your friends!"

Live audaciously and fully until we meet again.