BY JEFF HADEN
6. They're not afraid to show
genuine emotion.
Acting professionally is actually
fairly easy. (We all know a few robots.)
Acting professionally while also
remaining openly human takes courage. It's not easy to show sincere excitement,
sincere appreciation, and sincere disappointment--not just in others but also
in yourself. It takes real bravery to openly celebrate, openly empathize, and
openly worry.
Don't be afraid to strike a
balance between professionalism and humanity. That's what builds exceptional
relationships--both professional and personal.
7. They're not afraid to forgive... and forget.
When an employee makes a mistake--especially
a major mistake--it's easy to forever view that employee through the lens of
that mistake.
But one mistake, or one weakness,
or one failing is also just a part of the whole person.
It's easy to fire, to punish, to
resent; it's much harder to step back, set aside a mistake, and think about the
whole person. It takes courage to move past and forget mistakes and to treat an
employee, a colleague, or a friend as a whole person and not just a living
reminder of an error, no matter how grievous that mistake may have been.
Don't be afraid not just to
forgive... but also to forget.
8. They're not afraid to stay the course.
It's easy to have ideas, but it's
hard to stick with those ideas in the face of repeated failure.
And it's incredibly hard to stay
the course when everyone else feels you should give up.
Hesitation, uncertainty, and
failure causes people to quit. It takes courage to face the fear of the unknown
and the fear of failure.
Don't be afraid to trust your
judgment, your instincts, and your willingness to overcome every obstacle. You
can.
9. They're not afraid to earn the right to lead.
Every boss has a title, and in
theory that title confers the right to direct, to make decisions, to organize
and instruct and discipline.
The truly brave leader forgets
the title and leads by making people feel they work with, not for, that person.
Don't be afraid to stop falling
back on a title but instead working to earn respect; when you do, you earn the
permission to truly lead.
10. They're not afraid to succeed through others.
Great teams are made up of people
who know their roles, set aside personal goals, willingly help each other, and
value team success over everything else. Great business teams win because their
most talented members are willing to sacrifice to make others successful and
happy.
Don't be afraid to answer the
question, "Can you make the choice that your happiness will come from the
success of others?" with a resounding "Yes!"
The payoff is worth it.
11. They're not afraid to say, "I'm sorry."
We all make mistakes, and we all
have things we need to apologize for: Words, actions, omissions, failing to
step up, step in, show support.
It takes courage to say,
"I'm sorry." It takes even more courage not to add, "But I was
really mad, because..." or "But I did think you were..." or any
words that in any way places the smallest amount of blame back on the other
person.
Don't be afraid to say you're
sorry. You'll gain, not lose, respect--and in the process repair a relationship
that might have been damaged.
12. They're not afraid to take undeserved blame.
A customer is upset. A coworker
is frustrated. A supplier feels shortchanged. An investor is impatient.
Whatever the issue, the courageous
people step up and take the hit. They support others. They support their teams.
They willingly take responsibility and draw negative attention to themselves
because to do otherwise is not just de-motivating and demoralizing, it also
undermines other people's credibility and authority.
Don't be afraid to throw yourself
under the bus; and if that's too much to ask, at the very least never throw
other people under the bus.
Source: http://www.inc.com/jeff-haden/12-ways-genuinely-courageous-people-are-more-successful.html
