The Cowardly Lion in The Wizard of Oz wanted courage. But he discovered on his journey to Oz that courage isn’t a gift you can receive—it’s a way you act! The Cowardly Lion started to ACT courageously. It was in that process he found the courage that he was hoping to have all along.

Here’s the truth: “Courage RARELY Roars”‍

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The best way to gain courage is to act courageously in the small things. You’ll soon discover, just like the lion, you’ve had courage inside of you all along. It’s exactly the same with your friends.  

In the book Learning Leadership by Kouzes and Posner, it’s stated that “Courage is more prevalent than you think. It’s something every person has, and it manifests itself daily.” What does this mean?

1. Courage is there when you persist under challenging and high-pressure situations.
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2. Courage is not about being fearless, it’s about CONTROLLING your fear.
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3. Courage is making a decision to ACT a certain way.
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4. Courage is present when you take a stand and speak up.
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5. Courage is about taking risks—and pursuing your dreams.

 
When you get out of your comfort zone and when you step up to be a better leader, that has courage spelled all over it!!! So tell yourself and your scared friend the same thing: Pick one small thing that you can do, then CHOOSE to ACT COURAGEOUSLY in that situation.

When you keep doing that over and over… you win!

Dr. Rob

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