If there was one word which summarised last week, it would be courage.
I saw it first in a team that was prepared to admit to a colleague they were wrong, but that they wanted to make things better.
The second and third teams were facing presenting fears, with one person being brave enough to talk about a taboo subject. You could hear a pin drop as he spoke, and then the applause from his colleagues at the end...magic.
Then finally, there was my courageous podcast guest. A social media influencer. He pushes his comfort zone daily and risks ridicule with his videos. With over 1 million followers, and a stammer he experiences negativity, but he carries on because he knows he's helping others.
He's inspired my daughter to be less afraid of what people think about you, which has enabled her to go into restaurants, order food and study during her free periods at college, on her own.
We can take something as simple as being able to pick up the phone, place an order for food, or foster relationships for granted, can't we?
But what I took away from all my interactions last week, was a reminder that we mustn't let our fears about what people think of us, get in the way of progress or leading our very best work-life.
The picture is of Theodore Roosevelt's Daring Greatly:
'It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena...'
Search for 'Optimising Your Brilliance' to hear my latest podcast episode or see below.
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Mar 16, 2026
