Leadership Quote - Winston Chruchill

Winston Churchill was a veritable fount of quotes and knowledge, and he was certainly the right man in the right place during World War II. Courage is the first quality because without it no growth can happen. Without the courage to take the step, there is no improvement. So yes, courage must come first, before any human endeavor.

A little background on the picture. This was the first time my oldest son and a family friend's daughter remember going to the beach (my oldest son had gone a couple times before when he was much younger, but he kept to a tide-pool and not the crashing waves of the ocean). They were both scared of the crashing waves, but eventually, together, they worked up the courage and ran into the water, splashing and playing in the surf. Which shares another lesson in courage. Courage can be easier to find in a group rather than alone. Find people to support you and help you and it will be easier to find the courage to move forward. 

In the case of leadership, this may be a little different. Courage sometimes needs to come from the leader, to show the team that they can do something. Then the courage comes from conviction and self-motives. Leadership can mean having the courage to do the right thing, to show the way, so that others will have the courage to follow. 

Courage, the first quality and so complicated. How will you show courage today?

Leadership Quote - Winston Churchill

Special Thanks to Erin Morey for the Image

I find this quote rather fitting considering the response from the election. People were shocked last Tuesday by the results, and judging from my Facebook feed, the shock has turned into anger for some of my friends. Rioting in protest of the results continues, and people are openly talking about how obstructionist the Republicans were for the last 8 years, and "don't expect us to be different because now your guy won."

At this point, I think everybody needs to do what Oprah Winfrey said: "Take a Deep Breath" from Entertainment Tonight

This is the world we live in today, and I hope people realize that 4 years of obstruction will only continue to anger the people who voted for a perceived "real change" in the first place. During the midterms, 34 seats in the US Senate will be contested, 26 held by Democrats and one Democrat claiming to be Independent (the famous / infamous Bernie Sanders).  Some of those seats are in Red or Red leaning states. I think the Democrats have a more difficult climb to retake the Senate than the Republicans do to keep it.

So instead of finding the difficulty, find the opportunity. I would encourage both sides to be better, open dialogues, and start working toward solutions to the problems of the country. If we don't I think a bigger divide will grow, increasing strife and generating real hate.

We were founded by men and women who left what they knew to avoid oppression and start fresh. It was an amazing opportunity, which everyone arriving knew would be difficult. And even though this quote comes centuries later, the American people can display this resolve again. Look for the opportunity in the difficulty. Solve problems, rather than obstruct. Start conversations with people who don't agree with you, not to prove them wrong but to first understand. When you understand, then perhaps you can help them understand you. Be the optimist.