Yesterday, I met with some of my friends and we talked a little about our top-three most important leadership qualities for a Stu. Gov. leader. My three were being self-less, being inclusive, and having courage. 

Courage is a new one for me, but it’s been an idea in my brain for a bit. I’m actually taking college classes right now (it’s kicking my butt, but I’m crossing my fingers to be done in December) and courage was presented in a book I had to read. A popular theorist on education is a guy from Brazil named Paulo Freire and he wrote letters about education all the time. One letter, in this book I had to read, was titled “the indispensable qualities of progressive teachers for their better performance.” Courage was one he listed. 

There are two main ideas I want to talk about. Usually, courage is needed because of fear, which is my first main idea. This dude Freire said, “Courage, as a virtue, is not something I can find outside myself. Because it comprises the conquering of my fears, it implies fear.”  Like our theme, Rising concedes that we’ve fallen; Courage concedes we have fear. Freire also said, “Before anything else, we begin to recognize that fear is a manifestation of our being alive. I do not need to hide my fears. But I must not allow my fears to immobilize me.” A dictionary definition says fear is “feeling of unrest before the notion of real or imaginary danger.” Fear is nothing to be ashamed of as it is a part of human nature and real or imaginary danger is omnipresent, but it can’t be paralyzing which is where courage is needed to be applied. 

So, we need courage to control and destroy our fears. The second main idea I’ve thought about since yesterday is that courage is a fruit of love and can be a very active, strong verb. We could put courage in front of any of these leadership qualities: we need courage to be kind, courage to be genuine, courage to be a friend first. And I think that demonstrates our love as a leader. 

I was scrolling on Instagram yesterday and it was like the social media robots were reading my brain and knew what I was thinking about because I saw this quote from Ralph Waldo Emerson. He said, “Whatever you do, you need courage. Whatever course you decide upon, there is always someone to tell you that you are wrong. There are always difficulties arising that tempt you to believe your critics are right. To map out a course of action and follow it to an end requires some of the same courage that a soldier needs.” 

Whatever you do needs courage. Yes, in front of the critics and in difficulties but I also like the emphasis to map out a course of action – to be more kind, to be a better friend, to stand up against racism – and follow it through to the end on a path of growth; that requires courage, too.

To end, here’s another Emerson quote. This one I looked up to remember but it’s a good feel good kind of quote about making the most of each day. He said, “Write it on your heart that every day is the best day in the year. He is rich who owns the day, and no one owns the day who allows it to be invaded with fret and anxiety. Finish every day and be done with it. You have done what you could. Some blunders and absurdities, no doubt crept in. Forget them as soon as you can, tomorrow is a new day; begin it well and serenely, with too high a spirit to be cumbered with your old nonsense. This new day is too dear, with its hopes and invitations, to waste a moment on the yesterdays.” So, may you have courage to do and be your best today and may you also have courage tomorrow, to do even better.