By Brian Altman, Vice President of Leadership Development
Recently I had the privilege of taking my family to see Disney nature’s new documentary film African Cats. The movie chronicles a family of lions hunting, playing, loving, and protecting each member of the pride as they live on the formidable and unforgiving African grasslands. The film does an exceptional job of showing the “heart” of every member as the entire pride deals with day-to-day survival.
Drawing from the field of psychology, the word courage is often referred to as having the “heart of a lion.” This month, FreeLife University’s Breakthroughs in Leadership program kicked off a nine-city tour. This exclusive leadership training talks about how the “heart of a lion” Leader can ignite a movement where thousands of new Leaders courageously emerge from the field and take responsibility for their life and FreeLife Business.
In their 2004 book Character, Strengths and Virtues, Christopher Peterson and Martin Seligman explain how specific positive human traits are classified as necessary elements in motivating humanity. Courage is one of the first traits listed out of the key ones they’ve identified. Peterson and Seligman further explain how bravery, perseverance, honesty, and zest (passion) are four important components of courage. Let’s take a look at each component and its importance to our leadership:
- Bravery – This trait shows up in many forms: physical, moral, and psychological. Regardless of the form, bravery is defined as “the capacity to act despite our fear” or “to stand up for what is right.” As Leaders, we need to be brave so more voices are lifting up FreeLife’s mission of “service, abundance, and good health.”
- Perseverance – This is your ability to press on in your journey despite the ups and downs of the Business or the distractions of life. As a Leader, perseverance requires a burning desire to set and reach goals regardless of obstacles or discouragement.
- Honesty – Important in every area of life, this trait of courage is more than just telling the truth. It involves modeling integrity day in and day out. As Leaders, we must demonstrate integrity with strength and consistency to ignite a movement of developing other Leaders.
- Zest – Zest is also known as “passion”! A passionate Leader enlivens people and stirs the masses to ignite. Consistently using the products every day, being engaged in the Fundamentals, and being present at Corporate and field-led events are ways we feel alive and show our passion to our Teams.
Regardless of where you are in your FreeLife journey, igniting a movement within your Business starts and ends with leading your Team with the “heart of a lion.” So ask yourself:
- When my Team Members think of me, do they see a Leader with the “heart of a lion”?
- Am I brave enough to step out of my comfort zone and lead my Team?
- Do I exhibit perseverance when accomplishing my goals gets tough?
- Am I honest with myself in all areas of my life? Does my Team witness my integrity?
- Does my Team see a passionate Leader who is engaged in the Fundamentals and attending events?
Embracing courage as part of leadership is sometimes difficult and risky. Even though we take that first step to enable our Organizations to grow, there’s still no guarantee our Leaders will engage with us. Regardless, courage is a vital trait we must possess in order for our Teams to grow and develop the kind of Leaders who can ignite a movement. One of my favorite philosophers, John “The Duke” Wayne said, “Courage is when you’re scared to death, but you saddle up anyway.”
I look forward to seeing every “heart of a lion” Leader in Phoenix in a few months at our Breakthrough 2011! God bless.
