7 Ways to Find Graceful Boldness
Boldness takes you further than reluctance. But, boldness is dangerous.
Lack of boldness is bedfellow to inaction. But, boldness is an ugly beast when taken too far.
The sins of inaction destroy more than failure.
It takes character and skill to act boldly with grace.
Bad boldness:
- Uses anger and fear as energy.
- Reacts “against” more than pushes “forward.”
- Is loud in private and quiet in public.
- Bowls people over, unnecessarily.
- Is arrogant, rude, and ill mannered.
- Acts like an angry child when it doesn’t get it’s way.
- Takes revenge and holds grudges.
Anything worth doing requires boldness.
Graceful boldness enables leaders to:
- Face uncertainty with grace, confidence, and realistic optimism.
- Keep trying when progress is slow.
- Serve when underappreciated. Rise above self-pity.
- Rethink.
- Say, “I don’t know.”
- Accept correction with gratitude.
- Change course.
- Try again after failure.
- Take action when failure matters.
- Express what’s in your heart.
Leadership requires boldness.
7 Ways to find graceful boldness:
- Keep doing stuff until you find what you really love, then keep doing what you love.
- Humility is the heart of healthy boldness. Put others at the center, not yourself. The greatest freedom is seeking another’s highest good.
- “You develop courage by doing courageous things, small things, but things that cost you some exertion– mental and, I suppose, spiritual exertion.” Maya Angelou
- Cultivate friends who bolster your boldness. Invite people into your life who see your frailties and believe in your potential.
- Embrace restlessness and discontent with a “make it better,” not a, “make it perfect,” approach. Perfectionism is fear in disguise.
- Treat people with kindness, generosity, and high expectations.
- Forgive offenses quickly. But, hold people accountable.
Your blog is one of the very few I anxiously wait to get and can’t wait to read. Excellent posts!! Keep up the outstanding work
Thanks John. You are very kind. It’s a pleasure to serve.
Great “Monday starters” your Ten Qualities provide a great checklist regarding our own actions/motives…
Thanks Ken. Here’s to a gracefully bold week!
joining the chorus of praise, I really think you nailed here! “Humility and confidence” is a quality of love and service. Frankly I believe we must never stop learning and pursuing this posture. It could be lost in a few small moves of pride and/or fear. Pride telling me “I need not” Fear whispering “I dare not” Looking forward with others in this great adventure! God Bless!
Thanks Pastorstarbucks. Love the handle. The connection between humility and confidence as they connect with love and service is surprising to me. Glad you brought it up.
We might think that being served is the path to leadership…but we would be wrong.
Whew trouble with new format!!! Takes me to this screen then black menu page lays over it!!! Bummer!!
Anyways for me got to keep it simple.
To get myself to act, all I have to do is create a more compelling story to DO something than the story I am telling myself not to.
I can spend all kinds of time doing all sorts of other stuff or simplify to the most actionable action. Then just do that.
Pavlov might have thought it was chicken in front of his dogs that got the drool!!! Then he may have thought it was beef if he tried that. If he got too caught up in what type of food he would have been chasing his tail all day long. It was food, any food in front if the dogs.
It is a compelling story to DO I tell myself that is the game changer. It is more compelling than the case I make in my head not to act.
Always boils down to that so why not just always cut right to that?
Good stuff Dan have a good one!! Hope I figure out why that menu pops up blocking the page, man that is annoying!!
SP
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Thanks Scott. Appreciate the feedback on the site. We are still working on it. Have a great week.
Love this post, and love the new format! 🙂 Have a great Monday!
Thanks Jeanine. Best wishes.
Top of the morning Dan;
I could’nt agree more with your statements, “It takes character and skill to act boldly with grace”, and, “Anything worth doing requires boldness”. Call it boldness, or self-confidence, these two statements are so true. However boldness and self-confidence is often perceived as arrogance if not tempered with humility. Under (10 qualities of graceful boldness), I find number #8 to be revealing where the individuals committment is concerned, (Try again after failure). More often than not, many will give up the good fight at this point. Not because their actions or philosophies are wrong, but due to authority figures, (decsion makers) just don’t get it. Leaders who are committed to continual self improvement do not allow these minor setbacks to draw them off course. They do not allow pride and ego to tarnish their message. For those who have vision to improve processes, or iniciate changes in protoca,l it is imperative that you do not let emotions cloud that vision, but simply remain committed to what is worthy and what is right. There are many who hold lower level positions in organizations who need nothing more than an opportunity to refuel and energise upper management. “LEAD UP”. Set the example, be the kind of leader your leader needs to be. Change rarely happens over night, it starts small, as it grows it picks up momentum. This is why it is so critical to stay the course. If I don’t, who will? And if no one does how do we expect positive change to ever occur? “Someone has to get the ball rolling”. The time is now, let’s start a Leadership Revolution…
Cheers
Steven
PS – I am presently reading one of John Maxwell s books.
“My excitement and anticapation is growing as I look forward to your work-shop”!!!
Thanks SGT. You remind me of the power of leaders to stifle progress.
We may not understand all the issues that impact decisions but lack of information is also a leadership issue. If we expect people to act we must share everything we can, align everyone with our current focus, and support them as they act.
Misalignment is an important issue that frustrates and causes us to waste our time.
Your comment got me thinking.
Dan your responce to my comment has my wheels turning as well. Have you set a date yet regarding the workshop?
no date…too much going on these days.
Grace and boldness sound contradictory but I do not believe that to be the case. Graceful boldness arises out of character and a desire to see improvement.
Thanks McSteve. Glad you see the tension. I think without both we either get harsh or weak.
Awesome article a always Dan and I LOVE your new blog look. Thanks for all you do and write for us to share!
Thanks for the good word Laurie. We’re still working on the website.
I like putting “boldness” into the framework of “grace.” Especially as I consider “grace” for my one word this year 🙂 Thinking about boldness this way seems to put it in the service of grace, giving focus on others and a higher purpose rather than boldness for ones self and ones own agenda. Yep, I like that.
Katie, I thought the same thing. O that our political leadership could get a handle on this and put others first!
Thanks Katie. Glad you are on the one word journey… grace is a great word. My word, if you didn’t know, is health. Not just physical but relational.
Boldness in the context of service makes all the difference.
WOW! What a great Monday starter, thank you for sharing.
Thanks Anita. Have a great week.
Thank you, Dan. I needed these words of encouragement this morning.
Thanks Steven. Encouragement is such a wonderful thing both in the giving and receiving. Cheers
Your #4 in finding graceful boldness struck a mutuality/reciprocity chord for me. “Cultivate friends who bolster your boldness. Invite people into your life who see your frailties and believe in your potential.” If you seek out others who have untapped potential in spite of frailties, you will grow so much from that…that level of openness and transparency can be refreshing.
Sooo Dan, shift happens…you have shifted to a new format, I can adapt…and I do think it more readable with a titch more scrolling required. Wondered if you were testing the bounds of 300 word limits, but you still have that consistency! 😉
Thanks Doc. Glad you see the connection between frailty and potential. I think real relationships include both. Just focusing on potential without seeing frailties seems shallow to me.
I’m totally committed to 300 words or less. I think the new slogan is “empowering leaders 300 words at a time” The web developer is still working on things.
You are my friend an amazing writer! What insight again today. Love the new site.
Thanks Nancy. Don’t get too connected to the site, yet. We are still working on it.
Thanks for the good word.
A very interesting & convincing post! All you said is fine and agreeable yet boldness with grace even doesn’t work!! I have experienced the sins of inaction and its ill-effects.
A very difficult task to make others [superiors] act with no communication or any response whatsoever. You are at their mercy! This happens in a private firm grown big with inadequate systems and a weak HR.
Positiveness and continuing good work can help in finding good solution within or outside.
Thanks Dr. Asher. Glad you brought up the problem of lousy leaders. It’s amazing how much lousy leaders have to do harm. Cheers
In reference to boldness, there’s one term to know and recall: EXCELSIOR! It speaks to our personal and professional travels…forward, upward, and to our successful and “faithful” achievement of our dreams. EXCELSIOR proves boldness that life responds when we ask, risk and live. The secret of getting ahead is to get started. And, a most wonder-full joy in life is to begin…and to begin boldly. EXCELSIOR! (H.W. Longfellow)
I also appreciate your work. We need more work on character formation. Encouraging to hear that it will help us when we submit to it.
What I would like to say about boldness is that it is risky, even when it is healthy and appropriate. People chose to be mediocre because it buys comfort. People refuse to be stellarly ethical because they don’t want persecution. Women choose to act stupid and shy because it is safer.
Those of us who have chosen the road less traveled are often a good deal beaten up along the way. Not sure which side of the Y I would recommend.
This is full of beauty and grace, thank you.
I am thankful that early in my career I was taught that it is better to say “I don’t know” rather than possibly providing the wrong answer. Not only can this help with gracefulness but it also doesn’t lead to further issues if you would have been wrong.
Hi, do you mind if I re-blog this post? Thanks.
Please use a portion of it and point back to the original. Thanks! And enjoy.