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100% Accountability: A New Canvas on Which to Paint the Future 269

you must shoulder the burden alone. The victim mindset is not for you.
You have the power to transform how you relate to any challenge or cir-
cumstance. You have infinite capacity to invent and reinvent; with a new
canvas in front of you, you can create a masterpiece.

Hope Is Not a Strategy
The thesis of this chapter can be summed up in a Chinese proverb:
“Starving man wait long time for roast duck to fly into mouth.” Fearless
leaders do not wait for anything. They are the authors of the future, the
pioneers, and the risk takers who lead others in a purposeful march toward
greatness. They create a new leadership context for how people work
together. They build a culture of accountability where people are inspired
to grow and excel, and they stay the course.
This does not mean that as a fearless leader, you will have a life unen-
cumbered by challenges or breakdowns. There will always be difficulties
and complications in business and in life. The world will always test your
mettle through new battles, struggles, and obstacles. If your hope is for a
perfect world, you will live in a permanent state of dissatisfaction. The
world is not perfect and never will be. You have far too much talent, pas-
sion, and commitment to let your future ride on the mercurial wings of
hope—wishing that things or people were different.

Hope Is Not a Strategy
Stop wishing for others to change, and transform yourself.

You have a much greater purpose. You cannot afford to squander your
energy and vitality on things that are not worthy of you. I am asking you
to rise above your automatic behavior and stop wasting your time in the
futile effort of trying to change people and circumstances. I am not sug-
gesting that you settle for things as they are. You must never, never settle
for anything less than your highest ideals and convictions. I am asking you
to direct your full force of will on transforming yourself and engaging with
others in an extraordinary way.
Becoming resigned, getting stuck in victim mentality, and playing
small is natural and normal. This will happen over and over again. Learn