Your courage might be hungry (here's how to feed it)

THE ART & SCIENCE OF LEADING SELF
The Power of Nourishing Courage

My friend, a single verse from Calle 13's song, "Me Vieron Cruzar," stopped me in my tracks recently. Residente, the lyricist of the group, says, "Si mi valor tiene estómago vacío" - "If my courage has an empty stomach."

This metaphor reveals something profound about courage that many leaders overlook: Courage isn't just a trait you have or don't have. It's a capacity that needs constant nourishment.

Think about that for a moment.

What happens when you skip meals? Your energy drops. Your focus wavers. Your capacity diminishes. The same happens with courage. When it runs on empty, your ability to face challenges, speak up, or take necessary risks diminishes.

But here's the crucial insight: Just as you wouldn't expect your body to perform without proper nutrition, you can't expect your courage to show up consistently if you haven't fed it.

What feeds courage? 🥘

3 essential nutrients fuel your courage:

1. Beliefs: Your beliefs about yourself and what's possible act as the foundation of courage. When you believe in your capacity to handle challenges, you're more likely to step forward into uncertainty. Limiting beliefs, on the other hand, starve your courage before it can even arise. See The Path to Unbounded to see the relationship between your beliefs and your courage.

2. Values: Your core values provide the "why" behind courageous action. They're like essential vitamins for courage - without them, you might still act, but your courage lacks sustenance and staying power. When your actions align with your values, courage flows more naturally.
   

3. Support Systems: Both personal and professional support networks provide crucial sustenance for courage. Think of them as the environmental nutrients that help courage flourish. A supportive mentor who believes in you, a friend who reminds you of your strength, or colleagues who have your back - these relationships nourish your courage in ways that solitary effort cannot.

From Knowledge to Nourishment 🛤️

My friend, knowing what feeds your courage creates a window of opportunity. How you step through that window - that's where real transformation begins.

Think about beliefs first. What stories do you tell yourself about what you can and cannot do? Those stories either nourish or starve your courage.

When a past client told me "I’m not ready to delegate that initiative," we explored where that belief came from.

It wasn't about readiness at all - it was an old story about trust that had been depleting their courage for years. Examining your beliefs isn't comfortable. It is, however, essential nourishment for courage.

Values work the same way.

They're not just nice ideas on a wall - they're daily sustenance for courageous action.

When you're crystal clear about what matters most to you, decisions that require courage become clearer too. Not easier, but clearer. For instance, if authenticity is a core value, speaking up about ethical concerns shifts from "Should I?" to "How will I?"

Your values don't just guide your courage - they fuel it.

Your support systems need equally intentional cultivation.

This isn't about having the largest network - it's about building relationships that truly nourish your courage. Think about who celebrates your wins, challenges your growth, and stands with you through uncertainty. These connections, both personal and professional, are like regular meals for your courage.

But here's the key: you have to be willing to be vulnerable enough to let these relationships truly sustain you.

Small Acts, Big Impact 💪🏽

Another powerful way to nourish your courage is through small acts of courage.

Many leaders wait for "big moments" to practice courage, like major career transitions or high-stakes presentations. But this is like trying to run a marathon without training. Honestly, it's a recipe for depletion.

Instead, think about courage like building muscle.

You wouldn't start with the heaviest weights in the gym.

You build strength gradually, consistently, intentionally. Each small act of courage - speaking up in a meeting when you disagree, having that difficult conversation you've been avoiding, admitting when you don't know something - these are your daily workouts for courage.These moments might seem insignificant, but they're actually crucial nourishment.

Every time you choose to act despite discomfort, you're feeding your capacity for larger acts of courage.

You're telling yourself a new story about what's possible.

FROM INSIGHT TO ACTION
Your Courage Nutrition Check ✅

Here's a simple reflection exercise to help you assess how you're feeding your courage:

At the end of each day this week, ask yourself: "How did I nourish my courage today?" Below are some questions you might explore to further ground your response.

• Did I challenge a limiting belief?

• Did I make a choice aligned with my values?

• Did I lean on or strengthen my support system?

• Did I take a small step that required courage?

Notice which areas consistently get attention and which might be running on empty. This awareness alone will help you begin to develop more intentional practices for nourishing your courage.

DEEPENING YOUR KNOWLEDGE
Resources for You

🧠 Want to understand how beliefs shape courage? Brené Brown provides research-backed insights into how your beliefs influence your ability to get back up after setbacks. (Link)

🤝 Looking for a 3-step framework to help you live in alignment with your values? (Link)

💝 Ready to clarify and live your values? Here’s a structured approach to identifying and living your core values. (Link)

🎤 Want to hear the song that inspired this topic? You can listen and follow the lyrics (in Spanish) here. If you don’t speak Spanish, drop the lyrics in ChatGPT so you can follow the bigger meaning behind the song. (Link)

EXCELLENCE UNBOUNDED
How I Can Help You

🚀 Leadership Solutions as Unique as Your Organization

Leadership challenges are never the same for two organizations, so why should leadership programs be? My bespoke leadership programs are designed to empower organizations by cultivating leaders who thrive in today’s complex and unpredictable world.

With a modular design, each program is tailored to address your organization’s unique challenges and goals - whether it’s navigating uncertainty, building resilient teams, driving innovative solutions, enhancing emotional intelligence or deepening cross-cultural competencies.

Let’s partner to create a path to leadership excellence, together.

🎤 Speaking Engagements: My mom can attest to the fact that I LOVE to talk. 😂 Now, I put that talent to work delivering talks on Mindset, Courage, Resilience, & Innovation.

A few past clients include KraftHeinz, Amazon Women @ Payments, PAHEi, & the Panamá Chapter of the International Coaching Federation (I delivered this talk in Spanish).

If you are interested in having me speak at your event, please fill out this form.

Until next Sunday,

Shawnette