Do you want to be more assertive and forceful? Whatโs stopping you? To learn how to be courageous and brave in life, read the following article carefully.
Courage can be taught. Carefully craft and cultivate opportunities for people to discover courage on theirย own.
โI learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it.โ Nelson Mandela
About a year ago I was struggling to teach one of my business students how to promote herself at networking events. She was an excellent studentโโโsmart, conscientious, and deeply motivatedโโโand by the end of our sessions, I felt she had it down. And so you can imagine how shocking it was to me when I found out she never actually went to the events that we had prepared for. It was just too overwhelming to her, despite the fact that she knew exactly what to do and what to say.
And thatโs when it struck me. What I was teaching herโโโand what she actually needed were two completely different things. I was focusing on the tipsโโโthe scriptโโโthe how-tos. But thatโs not what she needed. You can pick that up pretty much anywhere. What sheย reallyย needed me to help her with was courage: the ability to take that leapโโโface down the fear she was feelingโโโand go off and networkโฆ even if it sent shivers down her spine. And on that front, I pretty much failed.
Ever since then, Iโve been focused on courage and working hard to integrate it into the training and mentoring work I do. And Iโd like to suggest you consider doing this as well.
How To Be Courageous
Here are a few tips to get you started:
Tip 1: Create A โForcing Mechanism.
People need a nudge to step outside their comfort zones so they can discover the courage that they had all along within themselves. Thatโs why I always build a โnudgeโ into any training or teaching I do. For example, in one course I teach, I require students to choose a situation outside their comfort zoneโโโlike networking, for exampleโโโand then go off and actually do itโโโthree times, in fact, during the semester.
Of course, I also set them up with a mentor and teach them some skills theyโll need to succeed, but the point I want to make is that the nudge is the first critical step, and without it, courage is a very unlike outcome.
Tip 2: Help People Find Their Own Path Towards Courage
Thereโs no generic path towards courage. Thatโs why I work hard on helping people develop this capability on their own termsโโโwhich means in their own way and often according to their own timeline.
Sometimes this means using particular strategies that work for themโโโbut which might not necessarily work for another person. For example, if a person fears networking, and especially doing so in a large, noisy room, they might choose to participate in smaller events, perhaps going along with a friend or colleague.
Or if they are terrified of feeling judged when participating in a meeting, they might arrange to sit in a place where they literally canโt see others, and can just focus on the person running the meeting. There is a myriad of ways people can equip themselves to confront the situations that frighten them the most.
Also Read: 8 Steps To Improving Your Self-Esteem
Tip 3: Build Reflection Into The Process
Courage needs to be nurtured. People canโt be kicked (or nudged) out of their proverbial nests, without an opportunity to reflect uponโโโand processโโโtheir experiences.
This can be done with a coach or a colleague or mentor or a group, with the goal of recognizingโโโand also celebratingโโโthe progress theyโve made towards achieving their goals.
Tip 4: Create A Safe Settingโฆ But Not Too Safe A Setting
You donโt want to throw people to the wolves immediately, without the capacity to have some degree of success. But you also donโt want to unnecessarily shield people from challenging situations either.
Thereโs a benefit in falling down and learning you can pull yourself back up, so as you work on fostering courage, offer people โstretchโ opportunities for trying out skills in challenging situations.
Also Read: How to Be More Charismatic: 3 Tips
They might indeed failโโโand thatโs OK, as long as you can help them build the resilience that comes from getting right back up and trying again.
In the end, courage is an โinside jobโ and a very personal journey. And you obviously canโt โteachโ people courage in the same way youโd teach math, statistics, or science. But what you can do is carefully craft and cultivate opportunities for people to discover courage on their own. And if my experience is any guide, I think youโll be pleased with the return on investment.
Written by: Andy Molinsky Originally appeared on: Medium Republished with permission
So, to sum it up, if you are wondering how to find courage in life, look inward, find your fears, and start right there with the help of the 4 above-mentioned points. Now as you have found the answer to the question of how to be more courageous in life, hopefully, you will share the above article on โ How To Be Courageousโ with anyone who you might find it valuable and helpful.
Leave a Reply