In last week’s newsletter, Christine introduced you to Dan Price, a courageous CEO who is writing a new playbook for success. It had me thinking about moments of courage in my own life and career as well as moments of courage I have been a witness to in the people I coach and work with.

My number one strength is INPUT: that means I am forever collecting little bits of information around topics I find interesting. This includes anything related to communication and leadership, travel, and 80s Pop Culture (all are equally important areas of inquiry in my eyes.)

I am on the lookout at all times for expressions of great leadership and I tuck them away in a file folder in my mind to pull out and use at any given time when people need an instance of say exceptional leadership.

The make of an exceptional leader is courage. Work with me and you will eventually hear me say, “Leadership is about having the courage to do what everyone else wants to do but is too scared to act.”

Where have you shown courage in your personal and professional life, saying what needs to be said? 

When I think about courage I think of:

  • The leader who stood in front of a room and broke down crying after the death of an employee.

  • The young up-and-coming leader who asked senior leaders, “Are you serious about diversity or is it just a talking point?”

  • The 40-something woman who made a bold move to leave her secure job to seek something that would give her more purpose and found her powerful voice to NEGOTIATE her salary and benefits package at the new job (she got everything she asked for!).

  • A group of leaders who crashed and burned on an activity while 25 people watched them and they kept their sense of humor, never getting defensive or upset that people were watching them struggle. 

  • The young man who stood up in a room of nearly 100 leaders and said, “We are dancing around this issue. We need to be honest and get to work,” and it changed the entire day from one that was going nowhere to one where big ideas and commitments were made.

But my favorite story of courage is an unlikely scenario about a woman named Rhonda who longed for a sense of belonging. 

For ten years I hosted an annual girl’s night out event to raise money for scholarships, awarded to young women and men in our school district who were college-bound. Every year we found sponsors to host a school table so teachers could have a fun night out at no expense. In our third year, we had grown the event to the point that we needed a larger venue. That night we had nearly 300 women in the room. Early in the night, a woman approached me and introduced herself. She told me she was from one of the middle schools and was the librarian’s assistant. 

“I am the only one who came. No one else seemed interested. But I wanted to come and see what this was all about.” She said.

I introduced myself and she told me her name was Rhonda. She had a meek and mild demeanor. Her face and eyes were kind and I could see that her showing up alone that night was an act of courage. We chatted for a few minutes and I introduced her to a few other teachers at a nearby school in the district, hoping she would find a few new friends. Then I hugged her neck before leaving to get back to my duties as the emcee for the night. 

On this particular year we had a photo booth, a fun way to get a picture to remember the night. As the night drew to a close, I saw Rhonda again. She came up and grabbed me by the arm, tears in her eyes. 

“I want to tell you something. I really wanted to get in the photo booth, but I didn’t have anyone to do it with, so I was just standing there. A young girl came up to me and asked me my name. Then she said ‘do you want to get in the photo booth and let’s take a picture together?’” 

They did and after getting their picture taken, they talked some more. 

“I think I made a new friend tonight,” she told me. She handed me the picture and it was of her and my daughter Trinity. Now I was the one with tears in my eyes. If there is one thing that kid does well it is making people feel welcome and like they belong. It is in her DNA. 

“What a wonderful daughter you have,” she told me. 

That was our third year of the event. Rhonda came every single year after that, eight years total, and she made sure her table was FULL too. The last year of our event in 2019, she and her team from school signed up for our dance competition where they competed for a school grant. This night was a celebration of a decade of memories capped off with of dancing. Unlike that first year so many years ago, Rhonda was not alone. She was surrounded by friends she made at her school. Our event had given her the courage to build a community of women who were her friends. 

I watched her on the dance floor and she was happy. She found the courage to show up and do something she wanted to do, even if she had to start on her own, totally alone. But her act of courage created an opportunity to draw others in and over time she found her people.

I want to challenge you to ask where you can be more courageous in your life. Pause and self reflect on these questions.

  1. Where am I showing up FULLY in my life right now? 
  2. Where would I like to show up more?
  3. What is keeping me from this?

Now, close your eyes and imagine yourself fully showing up in the scenario you have named: 

How do you walk? 

How do you talk? 

What do you look like? 

How are people responding and reacting to you? 

What thoughts are going through your head?

Let’s move this idea to reality. Here’s the assignment.


  • Make a list of everything you will do to show up fully in the scenario you have chosen.

  • Put it on your calendar that you will have this done by a certain date.

  • Share it with ONE person you fully trust and has permission to hold you accountable. 

  • Give yourself a daily reminder that you are working on courage. I recommend sticky notes where you can write down inspirational quotes/sayings that will keep your courage assignment front and center.

You cannot be an exceptional leader without courage. Take the first step and watch as your transformation unfolds. 

Libby
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