St Augustine of Hippo was famous for saying that “hope has two beautiful daughters, anger and courage.” This quote challenges the powerlessness of wishful thinking in the face of trial. Hope in its authentic form involves a willingness to confront uncomfortable situations and finding the strength to act when it matters. No matter what anybody tells you, it takes courage to lead. Different people want to lead for different reasons. Whatever it is that is propelling your desire for a stake in leadership cannot be effectively achieved without a measure of some dose of courage.
Courage is an amplifier! It magnifies your actions more than what you are capable of doing ordinarily. When you have it, you will overcome obstacles. When you don’t have it, life will be drudgery. Courage helps you to act with swiftness, while you unleash terror against every opposing force that is out to trap you. To state it even more clearly, courage in itself is not the absence of fear as some people conceive it, but acting with audacity even in the presence of your fear.
I have worked with countless individuals who desire the title and position of leadership, but are too timid to be counted for something that isn’t popular. They don’t want to go beyond their comfort zone. They will rather coast than launch forward into an unfamiliar terrain. In life, I have consistently reaffirmed to my wife over and over again that I do not like to pursue every matter. I have learned to pick my battles. Every battle of life is not deserving of our attention, but those battles we are sure would be won if pursued. When I pick any battle to fight, it is most certain that at the end, that battle will be won. In life, I do not like to flow with the multitude. I like to be different. To be distinct in attitude, disposition, and carriage. That’s why I think Mahatma Gandhi stated that, “It’s easy to stand in the crowd, but it takes courage to stand alone.” Leadership is standing for something with strong conviction. Are you willing to stand alone? That is what it means sometimes to be called a leader!
On the other hand, Aristotle, one of the founding fathers of Western philosophy, stated that “courage is the first virtue that makes other virtues possible.” What a profound statement that is! Maya Angelou shared a similar sentiment when she wrote, “Without courage, we cannot practice any other virtue with consistency. We can’t be kind, true, merciful, generous, or honest.” This foundational and structural view on courage by Aristotle and Maya is so critical that life as we know it may not be easy to live without courageous practices every day of our lives when we stand in our calling as community leaders.
Courage in its truest and purest sense reminds me of the story of a young Nigerian-American, Damola Adamolekun, who is the CEO of Red Lobster at just 36 years old. In May 2024, the restaurant chain went through bankruptcy and had to close many locations because it had over $1 billion in debt. By September 2024, the company came out of bankruptcy and had a fresh start, new ownership, and his leadership.
Despite the enormity of the challenge, Damola wasn’t afraid. He brought the same energy that helped him lead P.F. Chang’s. At Red Lobster, he is doing everything he can to make the brand shine again. Damola is focusing on better food, friendlier service, and brighter restaurants. Damola started his career as an intern at Goldman Sachs in 2008. He studied economics at Brown University and later attended Harvard Business School.
Damola said, “There are people who are born and raised to do this, and they’re taught at a young age. I didn’t come from that world. I was teaching myself in high school and college… You have to become the person you need to be.” It takes courage for you to become what you need to be!
The story of Damola is an inspiration for those who dare to lead in difficult times. Failure should not stop you from becoming what you truly are capable of becoming. Failure is only an event, and it is not final! You should never allow failure to define who you are as a person. When you fail, pick up your broken pieces and try again! Every success story always has a ton of efforts that never succeeded or saw the light of day. When you fail, learn from it and fail forward instead. “Failures are part of life. If you don’t fail, you don’t learn. If you don’t learn, you’ll never change” – Morgan Freeman. Having laid some foundation of how courage is needed to lead, I want to challenge you on how to walk yourself through the path of finding that courage to lead.
How Do You Find the Courage to Lead?
Have a predetermined destination
The first thing you need to lead with courage is to find your bearings. Understand what is at stake. Know where you are going and prepare your mind for the journey. Ralph Waldo Emerson remarked, “The world makes way for the man who knows where he is going.” People will not respect you if you don’t have a destination. You must identify and recognize your set path in life and walk down its aisle.
Get started on the journey
People and circumstances will be so loud to distract you. Some days are not even going to go as planned. Some days are going to feel like hell. But you’ve got to keep going, because that’s the only way things get better. Keep at it! Find a way even when people do not give you the right of way. Get started and keep pushing! At the end, it shall speak!
Lead with Clarity
You are not cut out for everything! You are unique, different, and distinct! The sooner you realize that, the better for you. William James hinted, “The art of being wise is knowing what to overlook.” To be a jack of all trades, master of none, is to live in paranoia! Be selective in what you pursue as your calling or vocation. Don’t walk on another man’s path; be content in what you have been called to do in life. Each of us is called to fulfill a different mission in this world. Step out with pride and focus on your calling. When you understand this, you will no longer be depressed because of another man’s progress. “Do not follow where the path may lead. Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.” Ralph Waldo Emerson. Be authentic in your pursuit of your dream and goals. Be original and not a photocopy. Let the greatness in you surge forth with precision and unmistakable clarity.
Be Consistent
In life, it’s good to be talented, but to succeed, you need more than your talent. You need to maintain regular daily habits of success to have a chance. Anything you consistently do for 40 straight days unbroken will automatically turn into a habit. Try it and thank me later. Aristotle profoundly expressed it this way that “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.”
Celebrate Your Wins Every Step of the Way
Every milestone achievement is worth celebrating, no matter how little it may seem. Be grateful for life and for the abundance of peace you enjoy daily. Train yourself to be grateful for the small wins, and the big wins will soon begin to show up. Don’t despise the days of little beginning. Ingratitude will sabotage all your years of hard work and effort.
Next time you see a hardworking leader, don’t be quick to bash them. I want you to know that leadership is not always as easy as many people think it is. There are difficult moments and days in the life of a typical leader. It is not all bed of roses for them. The path may be lonely and less travelled a times. That’s why I believe that leadership is hard and it takes courage to be one in the truest sense of it.
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