If you are going to do something, there’s no point in going partway. Go all in and be bold. If you want to take your career to the next level, or improve the performance of your team, enter action with boldness. Come up with game-changing ideas that can genuinely move the needle and make a difference. Playing it safe is tedious and often yields the same old boring results that leave team members unengaged, uninspired, and looking for more. To make an impact, be bold.
Not everyone wants to be bold
One of the best pieces of advice I received from a previous senior leader of mine was that I should always be looking for ways to eliminate my job. Now he wasn’t advocating that I try to enter the unemployment line. What he was suggesting is that I look to introduce new ways to accomplish results, so that things never go stale. Come up with goals to inspire team members to break free of complacency. There will be pockets of resistance – people too scared to risk any semblance of stability. You can try to influence them and run into resistance. Not everyone will want to be bold. I have run into some people who suffer from analysis paralysis, afraid to decide or want to discuss improvement opportunities for months on end. Sometimes, you need to move past them or work around them to make progress.
Try and fail
Doing something half-assed never usually leads to outstanding results. One foot in the door and one foot out often leads to indecisiveness and frustration for anyone else with you on the journey. As leaders, your team members are looking to you for confidence and bold decision-making that makes each better than the last. You’re not always going to win. Sometimes you will try something bold and fail. But if you learn from it, occasionally fantastic opportunities can come your way that you never thought possible.
I once applied to speak at a conference, putting hours of work into my proposal. Instead of just doing the bare minimum, I included a full copy of the slides I would share. I was so confident that I would be selected to speak. Instead, it didn’t work out. I failed to get chosen as other people made more sense to include. Unsure of where to go next, I was admittedly disappointed at being rejected. But because I was bold and provided way more than others, someone who viewed my work reached out and provided me with another opportunity to contribute. From there, I was able to regularly write, contribute, and speak to a different audience opening even more opportunities for me personally and professionally. Not only did my bold effort pay off, but it also helped me find my authentic voice too.
Final Thoughts
The best projects and opportunities that I’ve experienced in my career have happened because I was bold enough to push for them. Sometimes, what I wanted to go after took longer than I initially thought, but the result was so game-changing that I can’t help but be happy. Other times, my boldness has led to opportunities to chase my dreams in other areas I didn’t think I was ready for, but given a chance, I welcomed them. Be yourself, make decisions, and choose your path. If you are going to do anything, go all in and be bold.
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