Feature -Strength and Courage

By Timothy A. Edward

Leading is an extremely responsible calling. From where do you get your strength and courage to lead? In our lives, we all have the honour and privilege of working with numerous leaders from diverse sectors. We have also seen how their leadership has played out in the life cycle of families, organisations, businesses, and associations.

Leaders influence the business or organisation to embrace a particular path of strategy, vision, and mission. If we truly understand the gravity of leadership, then we will realise we need strength and courage to lead.

Reflection and Gratitude

When we lead, sometimes we need to take time to pull back, reflect, and rejoice in how far we have come - and in all those who have supported, encouraged, and cheered us along the journey.

When we have a good understanding of who we are and to whom we belong, we approach leadership with reverence, humility, and simplicity. Leadership is not only commanding, demanding, and delegating. It is also about holding the ladder for others to climb higher, helping them discover their true identity, and unlocking the treasure they carry within themselves.

Learning from Leaders’ Stories

Look closely at leaders. They all have unique messages or stories to share. If we delve deep into those messages, we will find how they attuned themselves to hear from others, how they listened to advice, and how they seized their moment to climb the ladder of leadership. We see the challenges and trials they faced, and how they overcame every single one of them.

When we listen to these stories, we hear how they began something, developed it, and eventually ended that season to begin anew. Leaders are not afraid to pioneer, think differently, and ask questions that challenge accepted norms. They leave behind what they pioneered for others to manage and maintain, while they move into something new. They celebrate endings and prepare for new beginnings.

The Pioneering Spirit

Recently, I spoke with a very successful entrepreneur who freely shared his trade secrets. He encouraged and motivated others to enter his line of business. I asked him, “Aren’t you afraid that someday these people you are helping will overtake or even take over your business?” He smiled and said, “I will be happy to see them prosper. I will simply leave it for them to take over and start something new all over again.”

That is the pioneering spirit - the kind of leadership that has the strength to say: prosper, help others prosper, and never fear the unknown or the future. These leaders know how to break in, break through, and break out.

Facing Fear with Courage

Fear is often unrealistic, though sometimes it can be real. Yet fear cripples people from changing and, many times, from leading. Real leaders, however, have a way of dancing on their fears. They laugh at them, overpower them, and turn fear into joy.

Circles of Influence

Leaders are also very selective about their inner circles - the people with whom they spend time, because those people eventually influence them. They choose companions who bring joy, encouragement, and positivity. They avoid negative-minded people.

If we look at leaders who have made a shipwreck of themselves, we will see among the many mistakes they made, one strong probability is that they chose the wrong inner circle.

Passing on Leadership

Are we ready to move into our next level of leadership? Then let us make a habit of the principles mentioned here. Let them change the way we think and reshape our behaviour patterns.

Leadership can be learned, taught, role-modeled, and passed on to others. Share your leadership story. Ignite others with strength and courage. Let your journey inspire many to rise higher.

Leadership is not about holding power - it is about empowering others. It is not about avoiding fear - it is about transforming fear into courage. It is not about endings - it is about new beginnings.

So let us lead with strength, walk with courage, and ignite others with our stories. In doing so, we will leave behind not just organisations or achievements, but a legacy of strengthen and courage that multiplies across generations.