Daily Leadership Tip #33

"Courage over comfort. There is nothing comfortable about being courageous. Everyone wants to be brave, but no one wants to be vulnerable." Dr Brene Brown

The root of the word courage is cor—the Latin word for heart says Brene. She goes on to say that in its earliest form the word courage had a very different definition than it does today. Courage originally meant “To speak one’s mind by telling all one’s heart.”

Over time, this definition has changed, and, today, courage is more synonymous with being heroic. Heroics are important and we certainly need heroes, but I think we’ve lost touch with the idea that speaking honestly and openly about who we are, about what we’re feeling, and about our experiences (good and bad) is the definition of courage.

Heroics are often about putting our life on the line. Ordinary courage is about putting our vulnerability on the line. In today’s world, that’s pretty extraordinary.

Great insight from Brene for leaders of all kinds.