12 Ways to Express Remarkable Boldness
Don’t admire babies in adult bodies who get what they want by throwing their weight around. You might look at them and wish you had more boldness. Don’t.
Juvenile leaders boldly demand that others serve them, but draw back when it’s time to extend service to others.
Leadership requires boldness, even though it has a dark side.
12 expressions of remarkable boldness:
Boldly:
- Give and serve. Servants achieve the deepest results. Be more bold about your giving than your getting.
- Point out things that aren’t working. Every problem you tiptoe around caps your organization. Successful leaders say what everyone knows, but is afraid to name.
- Plan. Boldness without planning is foolish.
- Prepare.
- Execute. Everything worth doing is worth doing boldly.
- Call people to engage in meaningful service.
- Eliminate teammates who persistently drain colleagues and teams, even if they deliver results.
- Expect others to step up until they prove they won’t.
- Express your heart.
- Listen to frustrations, yours and theirs.
- Follow curiosity.
- Show compassion.
Bonus: Boldly follow curiosity.
Roots:
Love drives boldness. Where there is no love, fear rules, and fear rules out boldness.
Love for others drives bold service. Love for self drives us to boldly draw lines, when others take advantage or abuse.
Lopsided love drives lopsided boldness. Love for self without corresponding love for others results in abusive boldness.
Excuses:
Boldness isn’t an excuse for:
- Poor planning.
- Lack of preparation.
- Abuse and rudeness.
- Backstabbing.
- Indulgence.
- Manipulation.
- Bowling over people.
Where can you be bold today?
Adam Grant has actually done lots of research in actual practical power of giving (but with purpose and precision, though not expecting reciprocation to yourself). I highly recommend checking out his book, “Give and Take”.
I love the unexpected energy giving provides. It’s like an emotional caffeine kick.
Thanks James. I haven’t read Adam’s book yet. It’s getting good reviews. I’m going to have to get it. Cheers
The best advice I received in high school was from my music teacher… “If you are going to miss it… Miss it LOUD!”
Thanks Cat. SOUNDS GREAT!
“Don’t stand in front of the bulls they will run you over”! We just need to deviate our paths so the Bulls go their way, and we continue on our way, for never the two shall meet.
Thanks Tim. I’m not sure where you are coming from on your comment. I’m a little jet lagged!
Dan,
The Bulls throw their weight around, as Leaders we need to deviate from the weight throwers and create an alternate path with the expressions you listed.
Thanks for clarification! 🙂
Boldness is not being kowtowed by those who lead with fear and attack you when you are leading positively.
Thanks Michael. You point out a part of the dark side of boldness. It definitely has an ugly side. There is some unintentional ugliness in boldness as well. I’m afraid that my boldness has bowled people over, shut down conversations, and resulted in disengagement from others. Useful boldness draws people in; un-useful drives them away.
I love the “babies in adult bodies” comment. It captures the persona of those who behave that way. Boldness and a penchant for service–together–sounds like a great combination, and a difficult balancing act.
Thanks Donna. You understand where I’m coming from. Bold leaders get further than passive. But, there is a selfish boldness that I find not useful, even repugnant.
I think it is a balancing act. For those of us with more aggressive personalities, focusing our boldness on thinks like curiosity, service, and eliminate the bad in our organizations feels like healthy boldness.
Awesome article once again. I don’t have my own company yet, (it’s in the works), but I can apply this wealth of knowledge as a high school teacher. Being bold about what is passionate to them, loving others without expectations, and serving is what I preach to my students. I’m going to print this and paste pieces to my room & the teachers’lounge. Thanks!!!
Thanks Erica. It’s a pleasure to be of service.
When I wrote this morning’s article, I pictured boldness in a negative way — those overly aggressive, selfish people. I’m glad positive boldness seems useful to you. My best to you and your students.
Dear Dan,
“Where there is no love, fear rules” is a powerful statement and actually true. Where fear rules, people are impotent and incapable. They use fear to substantiate their weaknesses. And they become manipulators. They infect the surroundings and people. Boldness is courageous act. You have rightly mentioned – Express your heart and show compassion. Leaders do that. They do not show boldness that come out of their ego. They show boldness that come out of their humility.
I believe in showing courage to speak my heart. I do not appear somebody else. I try to appear myself. I go with my flow what I think is right. I also think that boldness is not about showing that you have power, it is about appearing powerless even if you have it. Boldness out of right intention is real boldness.
Thanks Dr. Gupta. I find your comment helpful on several layers.
When you wrote about boldness that comes out of ego, I thought about the type of boldness that puts others down while lifting me up.
It also takes courage to be seen if you are in a judgmental context.
The idea of being boldly powerless is fascinating. It reminds me that giving power to others usually means we lose power. Or, as you say, we appear powerless. We don’t want the appearance of powerlessness to be hypocritical. But, I think I get the idea. There may be times when we have given power to someone and we have to take it back.
Boldness comes through various stages some times with fear, sometimes out of love and some times out of failure. Nevertheless, a leader should be bold enough to face any circumstances for his honest stand at any cost. An honest and bold step will always lead to success. Many times fear of failure bring the boldness, if a leader knows, any how he is going to lose than boldness prevails and he tries to exert himself. boldness shall not lead to rash and foolishness, it should be full of reason , logic and rational.
Thank Rajesh. I’m glad you expanded the forces at work behind boldness. Great addition to the conversation. The value of fear is often neglected. I find it a very useful motivator.
Your idea that bold steps always leads to success is overly optimistic. Boldness leads to failure. Bold moves in any context are risky.
Love this post Dan – thank you!
Diana
makes sense now.. i suaully try to keep things to myself… its time to GET BOLD and move on 😉