“The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.”
– Franklin D. Roosevelt
We live in an age when we allow ourselves to be ruled by our fears.
The more we have the more we curl in on ourselves to defend it, clinging
to our past achievements rather than reaching forward for more.
But nobody ever achieved great things through caution. It is boldness
of speech and action, the willingness to let go of our fears and step
bravely forward, which allows us to be the best that we can. Einstein
didn’t become the most famous scientist in the world by quietly
accepting what he had been told. Neither Bill Gates nor Steve Jobs
became global business leaders by timidly working in long established
fields.
If you want to achieve great things then you need to be bold.
Be Different
It’s easy to feel pressure to conform, to work in the same way as
others in your business, to take the same model as your competitors. But
all this will do is guarantee that you blend into the background.
Apple built their business on a guiding principle of simplicity. In
an ever more complex age they stood back and asked how they could take
that complexity out of their products. From the way they look to the way
they work you can see that principle at play in Apple devices, and it’s
part of how they’ve been so successful. Be bold enough to be different.
Be Challenging
It’s always tempting to be timid and not to challenge the attitudes
of others. Maybe it’s accepting your boss’s view even when you disagree
with her. Maybe it’s setting unambitious targets because you know that
your team can safely meet them. Maybe it’s giving your customers the
same product year after year because that’s what they’ve come to expect.
But challenging the status quo is a great way to create your own
space, to show the intelligence, insight and creativity that you’re
capable of. And it can lead to opportunities no one expected.
The success of organic farming is an example of this. Going against
perceptions that all customers cared about was identical fruit and
vegetables at dirt cheap prices, organic farming has turned into a
thriving business sector and in the process challenged the way that we
think about our food.
Or think of Bob Dylan going electric. It was a challenge to his
audience and to the traditions of folk music. It changed the face of
rock and roll and guaranteed his place as a cultural legend. Be bold enough to be challenging.
Be Yourself
At the heart of all of this is being yourself. If you can be the real, authentic you, if you can define achievement on your own terms,
then you will be more comfortable in your own skin, more effective in
your work and more compelling to others. Your energy will be unleashed
and your passion will show, bringing out the best both in you and in
others.
Russell Brand may not be everyone’s favorite comedian but his
willingness to intelligently discuss subjects he cares about has made
him a star. Richard Dawkins may seem abrasive but by standing by his
beliefs he has widened debates on science and religion, selling a
substantial number of books along the way.
Be bold enough to be you and the rest will follow.
Let Go of the Fear
Fear of loss, of challenge, of embarrassment is natural, but it will only hold you back.
Be bold. Be the best that you can.
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