Olympic Courage

The Olympics offer such a great glimpse into the courage it takes to succeed. Every few years we have an opportunity to see talent, training and perseverance at work on our television screens. As I watched the games yesterday NBC offered a reflective piece on the 1980 hockey team.l That team stunned the world (and maybe themselves) by beating the Soviets and then going on to win the Olympic Gold.

That team was full of leaders who mustered their talent and tenacity and placed both in the hands of Herb Brooks, their coach. In his hands he molded then motivated their ability into one of the best sports stories in the history of the U.S.

That story reminded me how important it is for leaders to push through the barriers that place limits their teams. To push people out of their comfort zone to achieve more than the obvious. The times we are operating in call for leaders to demonstrate the courage to push past obstacles with firmness and to boldly seize opportunities.

Competence, Confidence and Courage

Well another Super Bowl is in the record books and it was even an exciting game. In fact for the first time in many years the game was better than the commercials. As I watched the New Orleans Saints come from behind to win the game and after listening to Drew Brees comments following the game I realized that there is a component to courage that I had not been considering as I talked about The Character of Leadership with audiences last week.

In the Character of Leadership model we say that a courageous leader "boldly seizes opportunities and firmly deals with challenges." This is true but what allows a leader to demonstrate that courage is competence and confidence? When he was interviewed after the game Drew Brees stated that what allowed them to win was that they never quit believing in themselves as a team. To demonstrate the courage to win against an opponent as great as the Indianapolis Colts required the competence to perform and the confidence in the team to overcome the challenges.

Drew Brees, the coach and the entire team showed the courage to win by being competent and confident. Well done!

The Character and Leadership of Avatar

I love a good movie and Avatar is going to be one of my favorites. The characters are enchanting and engaging and the visual effects are stunning to say the least. The best part of the story however is that there is nothing new in the story.

Throughout human history this story has been lived and told by countless people who possessed something that another group of people wanted. Whether it is the European invasion of North and South America, or the colonization of Asia the struggle between those that have and those that want, is a timeless tale.

As I watched and enjoyed the story and the effects I reflected on how well Avatar demonstrates the elements of the Character of Leadership model. The belief systems (Faith) of the invaders and the Na'vi could not have been clearer and more different. The sense of right and wrong (Justice) was clear on both sides and the Wisdom and Courage to defend the respective positions was stunningly clear. Of course the highlight of the movie is when Jakes sense of Justice crystallizes into a mission to save (Hope) the people he was sent to betray.

The Character of Leadership is an ancient model we have adapted to a quantum age just as James Cameron has adapted an ageless tale of conquest into a great science fiction move.