Courage means to keep working in a
relationship, to continue seeking solutions to difficult problems, and to stay
focused in stressful periods. – Denis Waitley
One summer
morning, as the story goes, Ray Blankenship was preparing his breakfast on what
he thought would be a normal morning. Except there was nothing routine or
normal about the events about to unfold. On this morning, he gazed out the
window, and saw a small girl being swept along in the rain-flooded drainage
ditch beside his Andover, Ohio, home.
Blankenship
knew that farther downstream, the ditch disappeared with a roar underneath a
road and then emptied into the main culvert. Ray dashed out the door and raced
along the ditch, trying to get ahead of the foundering child. Then he hurled
himself into the deep, churning water. Blankenship surfaced and was able to
grab the child's arm. They tumbled end over end. Within about three feet of the
yawning culvert, Ray's free hand felt something--possibly a rock-- protruding
from one bank. He clung desperately, but the tremendous force of the water
tried to tear him and the child away. "If I can just hang on until help
comes," he thought. He did better than that. By the time fire-department
rescuers arrived, Blankenship had pulled the girl to safety. Both were treated
for shock.
On April 12,
1989, Ray Blankenship was awarded the Coast Guard's Silver Lifesaving Medal.
The award is fitting, for this selfless person was at even greater risk to
himself than most people knew. Ray Blankenship can't swim.
The courage
of Ray Blankenship is certainly admirable. What he did speaks volumes about the
human spirit and rising to the challenges in spite of the circumstances. As a
leader you may not be forced to face life-threatening situations such as Ray,
but it can be challenging nonetheless.
As if you
need to be reminded, I will say if for the record; not everything about
leadership is glamourous. Courage is the virtue to embrace when times are tough
and you need strength to lead effectively. Hang around in leadership long
enough and you will soon realize that were it not for uncommon courage in
difficult times, you would not be where you are today. Finding the courage to
lead is imperative to your leadership. Here are five reasons why.
You need courage to voice your
convictions
People tend
to gravitate to leaders who project confidence. You will be hard pressed to
find a leader weak on convictions and short on courage who is making a
difference. Courage empowers you to step up, speak up, and lead with clarity.
You need courage to face your fears
As leaders
we all face fears and times of uncertainty. It comes with the territory. But
courage empowers you to see through the fear and see the rewards that await on
the other side of it. Despite the fact that Ray Blankenship could not swim, he
did not allow the fear of the water to stop him from saving the girls life.
When you set your fears aside and lead with courage the sky is the limit as to
what you can achieve.
You need courage to dream bigger
dreams
Speaking of
what you can achieve—what are the dreams and aspirations that motivate you?
Perhaps it is to write a book, travel the world, become a noted speaker, or be
an entrepreneur, etc. Too often all people see are the challenges and obstacles
that stand in the way. You need courage to embrace those dreams and goals. They
are not impossible, but are only possible when you summon the courage you need
to take the first steps.
You need courage to ask for help
A casual
study of any successful leader will turn up this common conclusion- they did
not do it alone. A common mistake many novice leaders make is the belief that
they can. But if you want to be successful as a leader you will need courage to
recognize your own strengths and weaknesses and how to surround yourself with
people who can help you in those areas.
You need courage to stand alone
John Maxwell
was right when he said, “It’s lonely at the top so you’d better know why you
are there.” There will be times as a leader you will have to stand alone. Not
because it is your preference but because not everyone will, or can, take the
journey with you. It may be because they have not bought into the vision or do
not share your convictions. You will need courage to do the right thing even if
it means standing alone.
Nelson
Mandela said, “I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the
triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who
conquers that fear.” Dare to face your fears. Dare to face the headwinds of
adversity. Because when you are empowered with courage, you will rise to a new
level of leadership that others only dream about.
©2016 Doug
Dickerson
