Page 154 - Fearless Leadership

Changing Your Direction and Taking a Bold Stand 141

Your attention needs to shift from doing more to being more. The ques-
tion is not, “What do you need to do?” The question is, “Who do you need
to be in order to expand your personal context?”
Your behavior is the barometer that measures your personal context—
it tells you and others if you are playing small or playing big. Your behav-
ior defines your trajectory, for better or for worse. How you behave and
relate to people and circumstances is something you can influence every
moment of every day. It is not one more thing to do; it is something to be
and express in your actions.
The task that lies before you is to change direction: stop moving away
from what you want to avoid and move toward what you need to confront
in order to create the future you want. Stop holding back, and stop com-
plaining about what’s not working, and take a bold stand. Do not be
deterred by not having all the answers. All bold stands begin with an
uncharted path and a willingness to be fearless and make course correc-
tions along the way.
Take all the energy you use to avoid, resist, and escape, and reroute it
into building a new way of working with people. When you get stuck, iden-
tify what you are avoiding and change your direction. By making this one
small adjustment in direction, you can transform anything.
This is the time to put your insights to rest and take action. Act with-
out hesitating—take a bold stand and build committed partnerships—and
trust yourself to recover when you make a mistake. Throw yourself into
learning how to be a fearless leader and you will experience the sheer
power that can come only from self-mastery.

LEADERSHIP EXPLORATION
Your stand defines the context or game. If you want to play big, you must
have a greater purpose and larger mission that inspires you and others. Ask
yourself the following questions, and ask a coworker to provide you with
his or her perceptions about your behavior:

1. Are You Willing to Take a Bold Stand?
• Are you playing a game that is big enough, or are you being
reasonable and holding yourself back?
• What stand do you already have that you are not expressing publicly?