Courage isn’t something you’re born with. It’s not a trait that gets sprinkled on you at birth or granted by a higher power. It’s a muscle, forged in the fires of life’s battles, tested in the moments when everything seems uncertain. Courage is what separates the professionals from the amateurs. It separates those that do and those that talk about it.
Amateurs live in fear. This fear is rooted in the fear of failure, the fear of judgment or the fear of rejection.
Ultimately, the fear is an excuse. Amateurs distract themself with busy work promising that tomorrow, next week or next year will be different.
Tomorrow will never arrive for the amateur.
The professional knows this. They understand that fear is the gateway to growth, that every decision to show up, despite the fear, is a step toward mastery. They don’t wait for courage to magically appear; they step into the fear, knowing that the action itself is what creates the courage.
There’s a moment for every amateur that turns them into the courageous professional they were designed to be. The fork in the road comes when they least expect it. It’s the point where the resistance is strongest, the noise loudest, and the world feels like it’s conspiring against you. This is the moment when courage isn’t optional—it’s essential.
The courage in hibernation will be called upon and taking the wrong turn at this moment will haunt the amateur for the rest of their life.
It’s easy to romanticize courage, to think of it as a grand gesture of heroism. But real courage isn’t in the movies. It’s in the quiet decisions. The moment when you wake up at 5:00 AM and push through fatigue. The moment when you speak up, even though it could harm your reputation or status. It is the moment you step into the unknown, even though the path ahead isn’t guaranteed, but your commitment is.
When we turn professional, we decide to stop living in fear. We decide that our calling is greater than our discomfort. We choose to step forward in faith, not in certainty, because we understand that courage isn’t the absence of fear—it’s the willingness to act in spite of it.
Courage is the daily act of confronting the things that we fear the most. It is standing in the face of doubt, and pushing through to the other side.
The amateur wants to be courageous…someday. The professional simply is.
Want to know more about Courageous Leadership?
Plug in to our Podcast wherever you listen to them at “Courageous Leadership with Travis Yates”
If you haven’t read the book that started this movement, you can get it here. If you can’t afford it, I’ll send it to you.
Encourage your agency or conference to host our training. It will throw gasoline on the match you have already lit.
Always remember, Lead On & Stay Courageous!
Dr. Travis Yates retired as a commander with a large municipal police department after 30 years of service. He is the author of “The Courageous Police Leader: A Survival Guide for Combating Cowards, Chaos & Lies.” His risk management and leadership seminars have been taught to thousands of professionals across the world. He is a graduate of the FBI National Academy with a Doctorate Degree in Strategic Leadership and the CEO of the Courageous Police Leadership Alliance.
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