Why Daring Greatly is Better Than Being Bold
The ideas of "daring to dream," "being bold," and "having the courage to change" are repeated so often that they have become clichés. Yet, I believe there is something to those phrases—that they are more than just catchy slogans or motivational phrases. The vision of the future that they describe is important and necessary.
Daring greatly, as Brené Brown and Stephen Covey put it, is better than being bold.
I would argue that, as a leader, you have to be both in order to accomplish anything great.
You're going to have to be brave and daring in your job.
If you want to get ahead, you'll need to take risks that others won't. You'll need to step out of your comfort zone and do something bolder than anyone else would dare. But if this is true—and it is—why does daring greatly sound so much better than being bold?
The answer lies in how we define those two terms:
Daring greatly means taking action without being afraid of failure or embarrassment. It's about being vulnerable by putting yourself out there, no matter what the consequences may be (e.g., rejection).
Being bold is about talking big without actually doing anything significant (or even meaningfully) different from what everyone else does every day at work, school, home, etc.
We need to be daring in the workplace.
Daring is better than bold. It's a fact of life that we need to be daring in the workplace, and not just because it's a good thing for our careers but because it allows us to be happier and more productive as human beings.
Being daring means going for what you want without hesitation or fear of failure, and sometimes that means taking risks that others might consider too big or scary. When you're being daring in your job search, it puts you ahead of those who aren't willing or able to take such chances (or who are too afraid to do so).
We're all scared, and that's okay.
Daring greatly is not about being bold. It's about being vulnerable.
Being bold means that you're willing to take risks, but it doesn't mean that you're willing to share your feelings and thoughts with others around you. Being vulnerable means that you're willing to be honest with yourself, but also with others around you—even if those people are strangers or potential friends.
When we talk about being daring, we often think of someone who jumps out into traffic without looking both ways first (or maybe even at all) or someone who climbs Mount Everest without proper equipment or training. But daring greatly isn't just jumping into the unknown; it's also standing up for what matters most when no one else will listen—and sometimes even when they do listen but don't do anything about it because they don't think what matters is worth fighting for themselves!
Don't be afraid to gloat sometimes.
If you're going to put yourself out there, don't be afraid to gloat. I know it's not cool to brag about your accomplishments, and I know that no one likes a show-off (except maybe your mom), but sometimes it's okay to let your confidence shine through. Do this because:
You've earned it! You've worked hard and come up with something awesome. If people don't like it, that doesn't mean they're right—it just means their tastes differ from yours. Learn from them and move on with confidence!
You'll get more done if people see how great you are! It's true: when we see someone else doing something great or achieving success, we want what they have because then we'll be able to do even more amazing things ourselves, and who doesn't want that?
How a coach can help you balance being bold and daring as a leader.
Daring greatly takes practice, but you can get there by having a coach or counselor who'll push you to take leaps that are out of your comfort zone.
There's an emerging field of leadership coaching (or business coaching) that can help you take risks in your job without being scared of failing. A coach will help you assess where you are now and create goals based on where you want to be in the future. They'll provide support when your fears start getting in the way, and they'll hold you accountable when you make excuses or procrastinate. A typical coaching session with a leadership coach will include exercises designed to make you aware of your fears and how they're holding you back, and then try to take those fears and turn them into positive opportunities for growth and success. These exercises can be done in the context of your job, too. If you're afraid of speaking up at work, talking to a leadership coach can help you learn why you have this fear, and how to overcome it—how to let go of your fear and dare greatly instead.
Final thoughts on why daring greatly is better than being bold.
We all have the capacity to be daring. It's not a matter of being bold or timid; it's about courage, which we all have in different amounts. Sometimes we need to be brave and daring in our jobs, and other times we should just take a chance on something because it will make us happier. The most important thing is that we keep trying new things, and if they don't work out the way we expect them to, well, at least we'll know what not to do next time!
