Courageous Leadership: The Vital Ingredient for Navigating Change and Driving Growth

Sara, the Underdog

One of my favorite underdog stories is the one of Sara Blakely and her company, Spanx. You have listened to her many interviews, you've seen her products and stores in many geographical areas, and heard her story in the context of great entrepreneurs. But it's really important to know that she was and still is the woman next door.

When Sara began her business, she had never taken a business class and had never worked in fashion or retail. She had been selling fax machines door to door for several years and had a small amount of savings. Then one day, when deciding what to wear to a party, she was trying to avoid any lines from panties or shapers showing through her white pants. So she cut the feet out of her pantyhose, attended the event, and realized that she felt great wearing the adjusted undergarment.

When she had the idea of creating hosiery that was cut off beyond the legs, she got crazy looks and unanswered calls when reaching out for help. After several conversations, and realizing that the hosiery industry was shaped and run predominantly by men, she felt that her perspective may have been more reasonable than initially thought. She trusted her own perspective, which is an obstacle in itself for many of us. She kept moving forward, patented her idea, and had women give their input on the feel, size, and shape of her Spanx line.

When people say they had to hustle, it could mean that they had to reach out to people and get feedback for their product. That may sound simple, but by putting yourself out there and getting criticism on what you believe is something special, regardless of whether you receive a positive or negative response, you learn something. It was a male-dominated industry that women tolerated, and Sara had a lot of courage to build what she thought made sense, despite what the industry around her was saying.

The perseverance and courage of Sara Blakely are what turned this unknown entrepreneur into a true entrepreneurial role model.

The Value of Being Courageous

As I poke holes in my actions and words I remind myself that my daughters are hearing me tell them to treat everyone well, and watching how I treat others.

I encourage others to treat their spouses/partners respectfully, as my circle of folks watches how I am with my wife.

I tell others to employ people who are great for the job and have a diversity of mindset and experience, and people watch me on how we employ folks in my organizations.

Courage is in the daily decisions and ability to be better, and it does impact the people around you. It really does.

Real leadership takes courage and it also is realizing your impact will not be fully realized while you are alive.

Invest Into Yourself By Slowing Down

I recently took a trip to Charleston with my family and stayed off LinkedIn for a week. I deleted my app, I didn’t open my laptop, and I told the family I would be more present. What was the result?

I read more.

I conversed more.

I had more time to just be.

I realized I check the LinkedIn app more than any person should do in a day (by deleting it I realized how many times I default to it.)

I felt some relief (it was feeling like work to post and interact before I left for the family trip.)

Invest in yourself today by finding a moment to slow down and be present.