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Courage is fear holding on a minute longer. — General George S. Patton

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I’m on another General Patton kick.

Maybe it’s because I hear my dad’s voice quoting him. “Americans love a winner and will not tolerate a loser!” Or maybe it’s because I get sick and tired of leaders who are cowards and only stand up for what gets them more followers on Twitter. Or maybe it’s because I need my own kick in the pants to be a bit more daring, bold, and courageous. It’s not really that I agree with everything General George S. Patton said or did. What I admire is his legacy.

LEGACY OF A LEADER Patton was true to his convictions. He had courage, and he inspired greatness in his soldiers. Patton left men stronger and better because they served under him-even those who gave their life for him and their country. Isn’t that what we as leaders aspire to? My last run-in with an actual Patton soldier was in the first row of a Southwest Flight. This guy was old, hard of hearing, stinky, and flirting with me like I was Audrey Hepburn.

So I decided to take charge and get a little ROI out of this situation. I asked if he had served in the war. He lit up and grew two inches taller before my very eyes. “Yes, ma’am, U.S. Third Army.” So then of course I lit up and straightened my spine as well. “Then you served under General Patton.” He grinned ear to ear, and I began to drill the man with questions about what it was like to be under Patton’s leadership. The man said he had only seen him twice, but he described every second of each event. The pride and admiration this man had was oozing out of him 50 years later only confirming my theory of the effect a great leader can have on their people.

FEAR IS PART OF THE PROCESS

Are you displaying and encouraging courage in others? Courage is not fearlessness. Courage is actually about being quite clear on what you fear and pressing through it to the other side. That is what people do when they do the right thing. They look at all the reasons they could take the easy way out and they choose to face their fear and do the right thing. I think John Wayne had it right when he said, “Courage is being scared to death and saddling up anyway.” To show courage you must be in tune with your core values, understand your own fears and desires, committed to your integrity, and tenacious in your ability to live it all in the face of opposition. Without self-awareness and a keen understanding of our fears and desires, we will likely give in to our narcissism and self-delusion. The worst and saddest part is we are blind to our fears. We actually believe we fear nothing so we operate as if we are fearless… and yet it is that very thing that drives us and keeps us from achieving true meaningful success. For example, a CEO who is clueless to his underlying fear of rejection will dominate and rule others from a place of arrogance and self-protection believing that everyone is an idiot except a few “yes” peeps and everyone else needs fixing. In reality, they are creating the reality they are trying to hide from – because of this foolish behavior of not trusting anyone and hiding, the result is no one trusts, respects, or admires this type of person ever. They simply give them lip service to their face so they get what they want and “tolerate” them.

COURAGEOUS LEADERSHIP

Courage is not something you do. It comes from who you are. It’s not risk taking. It’s not strategic decision making. Courage is doing the right thing especially when it makes you vulnerable to attack, disapproval, and public misunderstanding. Courage is when you are at war and have to get out of the foxhole first and lead your troops. Courage is about leading the vision when the rest of the world wants to watch CNN for hints on their next move. Courage is about daily choices. Courage is about admitting you’re wrong, taking responsibility, and owning the fallout of your choices. Courage is about following your heart, analyzing facts, and believing that your integrity is what matters in the end. Courage is becoming a lost art in leadership. I see good leaders firsthand forget what they fear, react from that fear, and then cover up their actions so they don’t have to face their fear and that is being a coward. You are more than that! You have what it takes to lead well – so lead on my friends. Do the right thing with your kids, have the courage to tell them NO because it is the right thing for them. Do the right thing with your team, have the courage to tell them you screwed up, your commitment to get help, and your action plan for the future. Do the right thing for yourself and be the person you know inside you are. Face your fears we all have them and walk through your fear, not around it. You do realize that you will always feel fear before you do something great and life-changing? Here is a dose of courage – now go give your greatness to the world. I would love your comments on courage…

Your Coach,

Shandel

MVP Award — Successful People Living with Intention: Mike Bosma, CEO

On one of my many plane trips, I had the honor and privilege of meeting Mike Bosma. You will hear the story below. But I wish you could understand the magic of the moment when, on final approach, Mike had clarity on his crossroad, with his vision burning inside him: Does he do the safe thing and move across the country to become a partner at a prestigious firm, or does he risk it all and follow his entrepreneurial dream? A month later I got the call: The Bosma Group was birthed. Since that time, Mike has not only had rapid success and multiple accolades , he has created a culture to sustain that growth and to grow fast. How? He gets it that it is the people who make a great company. The investment in his leadership and his employees has given him the honor of being a finalist for the second consecutive year in the Best Places to Work Award. Read more about The Bosma Group at: www.thebosmagroup.com So congratulations to The Bosma Group. I present a man I am so proud of and excited for you to get to know: Mike Bosma!

Here’s Mike…… Being selected for the Grant Thornton Partner Development Program was quite an honor. The firm had experienced explosive growth ($500 million to $1 billion in sales in three years). A two-year program was designed to train a next generation of partners. I had just completed the November 2006 sess ion and was on a flight from Chicago to Reno, when I met Shandel.

That meeting changed my life. Shandel’s Socratic approach helped me appreciate that while I was with a great firm, my vision for creating a world-class accounting firm that enables emerging, closely held businesses access to the technical resources are usually normally only available to Fortune 1,000 companies was worth pursuing. She encouraged me to share my vision with those that I respected.

Accordingly, I met With Kelsey Hernandez and Lisa Carlon. Lisa headed up the International Tax practice in GT’s Reno office. While Lisa agreed with the business model, the uncertainties of a new venture, and a recent job change precluded her from joining forces. Kelsey, though, embraced my vision wholeheartedly. The validation helped assuage my fears and self doubts. I took the week off between Christmas and New Year’s to prayerfully consider my decision. I had already penciled out the financial forecasts’ and business model. I became energized at the idea of how God might allow me to finally combine my professional and spiritual life.

I gave notice on January 2, 2007. My wife, Lori, had started a bookkeeping service five years before. I arranged for the purchase of her partner’s interest, then purchased a local CPA’s practice and staff. Then I hired Shandel to help with culture issues. I recognized that with the convergence of three different cultures, we were at risk of having a culture clash. We took Shandel’s recommended DISC profiles. We learned about different communication styles and started to embrace the differences. Shandel helped us create a culture of open communication, trust and transparency.

We have just finished our third busy season. Employee satisfaction and morale is high, turnover is low. For the second consecutive year we have been selected as finalists in the Best Places to Work Award. This has increased our visibility in the community and has assisted in recruiting as well. The business model is working; in January of this year Lisa Carlon re-entered public accounting, and joined the firm! Our firm is one of the fastest growing CPA firms in Northern Nevada, and with 15 professionals in the top quartile of CPA firms as well. As a result, the prospects for the future are very bright, in no small part as a result of Shandel’s coaching.

-Mike Bosma @ The Bosma Group

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