A coward lives inside you and understanding that is the key to becoming courageous. At the core of every human being is a sense of self preservation, self protection and the longing to make those around you like you.
While we laugh at these traits if they come from your two year old, they manifest into cowardice in life and the workplace. Leaders that retain this natural, child like state have destroyed law enforcement inside and out and the only way we can reverse this troubling trend is to discuss it and refute it every chance we get.
The coward places reputation over character.
The coward hides failure by micromanagement.
The coward avoids risk and always plays it safe.
The coward blames and attacks.
The coward is about comfort at all costs.
We all have the coward in us but we also have courage. You have likely seen courageous leaders around you and you have also seen what can happen to them.
There is a price to pay for courage and the coward avoids that price at all costs.
The decision to ignore our cowardly instincts cannot be done lightly but I want to give you a reason to wake up every day and choose courage.
Courageous Leaders make a difference.
Courageous Leaders change lives and even generations.
Courageous Leaders leave a legacy.
The choice of courage comes down to a decision of instant gratitude versus a future of greatness that you will leave on this planet in those that you led.
That might sound a little hyperbole but let me prove it to you.
Think of someone in your past that left a life long impression on you…that made you better. Did that person (leader) live a life of comfort and were they always revered by those around them? Maybe you only knew of the good parts, the moments that history remembers but more than likely, their impact on your life had to do with courage and with courage, there is always a price to pay.
A Call To The Misfits and Rebels
In 1997, Apple launched a branding campaign called “Think Different.” Of course it was aimed at selling products but it also pushed for a cultural shift.
That shift was a call to COURAGE.
“Here’s to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers. The round pegs in the square holes. The ones who see things differently. They’re not fond of rules, and they have no respect for the status quo. You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them. About the only thing you can’t do is ignore them. Because they change things. They push the human race forward. And while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do.”
The choice is clear.
You can lead a life like most and let your natural tendency to take over or you can choose courage.
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.
100% correct.
Excellent read sir. To my mind Doctor, is the memory I recall during the 1960’s as a kid traveling with my family in San Francisco. It was an apron an bra burning event. From then on—these old eyes of mine (wisdom) witnessed white European men institutionally de-nutted put in the background, devalued including myself. As a longtime employee of several penal colonies men inside the walls as well as outside the walls were angry as all hell over failed this or that. OH GOD how it’s endless misery such human condition
Never once did I come to meet, ever see, hear of any brainiacs come join our microcosm of society within a society. Not once not ever. Then the women came, they just came into the department of corrections in droves due to equal opportunity laws favoring women. As the years went by memos from the Director of corrections a female ordered, any “any” black females will be given top priority to leadership positions. When that memo hit the information pipeline Blackman having any sense of honor and ethos became infuriated — Politics of the day.
Merit got nuked out the front gates. I grew up as a 1960s Cub Scout and Boy Scout, a merit system of ethics good citizenship.Work hard. Never starve.
Then, the military. During the early 1970’s manhood and leadership began its downturn
—I’m Out