How Bold Are You?

[image error]I was talking earlier today to a colleague of mine, Steve Waterhouse and we were talking about why some people are more successful in their careers than others.

Steve is a consultant and speaker and he has spoken all over the world. He is an author and is admired by his peers. Many years ago he was working with a public seminar company, enjoyed what he did and was paid well because he was really good at what he did.

However, at one point, Steve decided to go out on his own and he has never looked back. He catapualted his career, is having the time of his life  (you can tell when you talk with him) and he has done very well for himself on all fronts.

Why do some people move ahead and reach higher pinnacles of success (however they define success) than others. Here's what Steve said, almost in passing, when we were talking:

"I'm a pretty big risk taker."

You probably have heard the saying "Fortune favors the bold!"

How bold are you? Not how bold do you think you are, but how bold are you really? 

Here is an aspect of being bold you might not have thought about: some people think of doing something. Then they think some more. They pore over the information they have and consider all the details. Then they think some more. They go back over what they have thought to see if they have missed anything. Then they think some more.

In the process, they lose momentum and pretty soon they lose their boldness.

When you get an idea at work or in some area of your life, how quickly do you take some kind of action to move yourself closer to making the idea a reality? 

Or do you talk yourself out of your idea because you are not ready yet, the timing isn't right or the stars are not aligned yet?

To get ahead at work or in any area of life takes action. Sure, it takes thought as well. No argument there. But thinking too much is over-thinking. That's like pouring water on your fire.

Even bold people can put out their fire if they overthink things. But what bold people do is they get a goal in mind, get adequate information, and then they make a move. 

How do you need to be more bold? Do you need to speak up in meetings more often? Do you need to ask for a raise or for a promotion? Do you need to sell your project to a reluctant manager? Do you need to go back to your manager because he or she hasn't made a decision on your project yet and he or she has had ample time to make that decision.

Being bold is relative. I'm not asking you to be as bold as Steve and do what Steve did in starting his own consulting firm. That was Steve, you are you. What is bold for you? What can you do to be a little more bold than you have been.

Fortune favors the bold. 

People love to talk about why they aren't getting ahead. It's the economy, it's politics at work, it's not being in the right place at the right time. It's thier boss or their team members. It's that they don't have the right degree. It's anything but this: "I'm not bold enough. I play it safe."

I've never had anyone tell me that.

Be bold. Whatever that means for you, be that. You can't single handedly change the economy and you can't escape politics at work. But you can be bolder. 

You don't have to be foolish and you don't have to act with thinking; but to get ahead requires some amount of boldness. Go ahead, you have it in you. You really do.

Alan Allard, Consultant, Leadership Coach, Speaker

http://www.alanallard.com