How Leaders Inspire Boldness
Everyone squanders their potential when opportunities scare them.
Boldness looks uncertainty in the eye. Confidence tries stuff and starts over after failure. Courage runs toward opportunity when fear turns from obstacles.
Timid leaders:
Anxious leaders feel relieved when they avoid risk.
Timid leaders let bullies thrive, gossip fester, and frustration grow. Bold leaders tackle issues, inspire trust, and ignite improvement.
Excuses sound reasonable to anxious people. Confident leaders challenge themselves and others.
Boldness for the timid:
#1. Provide a reason to be bold.
The fearful are bold about avoiding risk. But that wastes courage. Turn people toward something outside themselves that’s worthy of courage. Is the advancement of team members a noble goal for you?
Help others do things worthy of their energy.
#2. Describe the path forward.
Use language that makes sense to the nervous. When you’re timid, flashy language offends you.
Bravado doesn’t impress anxiety. Plan for things that could go wrong. What will we do if …? Plans bolster security. Systems provide certainty.
Define details. When you’re nervous, details matter. What will you do to move forward? Be specific. Don’t mock incremental steps. The timid feel their way forward like a person in the dark. Action answers anxiety.
#3. Be a comrade.
Boldness doesn’t require confidence as much as it needs a partner.
It’s tragic to go through life alone. Adam Grant said, “No one succeeds alone, gains freedom alone, or finds joy alone.”
The greatest factor in boldness is a sage who believes you can.
Fear is the context of boldness. Tap the potential of the timid by providing direction, clarity, and support.
How can leaders bolster boldness in the timid?
Podcast: Be Bold and Get What You Want (Kellog Insight)
I think boldness comes from deeply held beliefs and the courage to act and speak up. A bold person operates at a 10 on the conviction scale, unwavering in their core beliefs and values. In contrast, a timid person feels uncertain or lukewarm. To build boldness, they must reflect, test their ideas, strengthen their convictions, and develop the courage to express them when needed.
Thanks, Paul. People should think and talk more about beliefs. Actions make the most sense when they express our deeply held beliefs. I wonder if we end up drained and self-deceived when we don’t put our beliefs into practice.
It’s Christmas. Give yourself the gift of doing something new and believing you can.
You caught me at the first line Dan:
“Everyone squanders their potential when opportunities scare them.”
This described my overall MO early in my career. It was stepping out in faith through the scary, intimidating, and overwhelming that allowed me to grow. It turns out I would have had those same feelings whatever I did. It’s a lie to believe those feelings won’t come.
I am reminded of someone who assumed he had to invest x amount of time for a promotion. To understand what success looks like we went over the desired characteristics the role requires. The immediate growth was evident as he tried new ideas.
Thanks, Ryan. You remind me of something that Tom Peters says, “Try stuff.” All we need is a reasonable level of confidence that we won’t do harm. I often advise leaders who are struggling to find clarity to go with their highest point of clarity. People with perfect clarity need to rethink. They’ve missed something. I respect you making your comment personal.