Are you letting fear hold you back from your goals? How can you muster the courage it takes to go after what you want?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In Wild Courage,<\/em> Jenny Wood explains that many people struggle in their lives and careers because they\u2019re afraid of taking the bold actions necessary to succeed. To become a success, Wood says to be courageous and act boldly\u2014be authentic, driven, curious, persuasive, and don\u2019t be afraid to lead others. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Continue reading for an overview of Wild Courage.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n In Wild Courage<\/em><\/a>,<\/em> Jenny Wood explains that many people struggle in their lives and careers because they fear being judged as strange, pushy, or self-centered rather than authentic, driven, or confident. However, Wood counters that the negative stigma around bold actions is unfounded\u2014people judge others who break conventions because they feel threatened by their courage, yet praise their boldness once they succeed. Therefore, to succeed in your professional and personal life, Wood says to be courageous and take bold actions despite your fear\u2014be authentic, advocate for yourself<\/a>, be driven, be curious, be persuasive, enforce your boundaries, act fast, and lead others. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Wood was formerly a Google executive and a Harvard Business School researcher. She also founded Own Your Career, one of the biggest career development programs in Google\u2019s history. Now, she focuses on her career as a writer and speaker who empowers people to develop the skills and courage to succeed in their careers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In our guide to Wild Courage<\/a><\/em>, we\u2019ll first explain why courage is crucial for taking bold action. Then, we\u2019ll discuss the actions Wood says are necessary for success in your personal and professional life, why they\u2019re important, and how to enact them. We\u2019ll also supplement Wood\u2019s advice with insights on authentic living<\/a> and professional success from authors such as Bren\u00e9 Brown, Stephen R. Covey (The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People<\/em><\/a>), and Patrick Lencioni (The Advantage<\/em><\/a>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n Wood argues that courage is crucial<\/a> because it counters fear, and fear, particularly the fear of others\u2019 judgement, is the biggest barrier to success. <\/strong>This fear stems from our evolutionary instinct to fit in and to pressure others to do so as well. In the early days of humanity, fitting in with the tribe ensured safety\u2014those who strayed were more vulnerable to predators. Therefore, survival demanded that we crave conformity and enforce it as the standard in our communities for everyone’s safety. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Today, however, fear doesn\u2019t serve the same function\u2014rather than helping us survive, it holds us back. Our fear of being negatively judged for breaking conventions prevents us from taking the actions we know are necessary to succeed.<\/strong> While following the crowd protects us from negative attention, it also prevents us from making an impact<\/a> and getting positive attention. The solution to this, Wood argues, is to practice courage\u2014courage is what gives us the strength to fight our fear of judgement and our instinct to conform.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In the following sections, we\u2019ll discuss eight actions Wood says we must take and the correlated stigmas we must overcome in order to succeed. <\/p>\n\n\n\n People are often pressured to fit certain standards to gain acceptance, and they fear being cast out and deemed \u201cstrange\u201d when they fail to do so. However, Wood explains that using courage to overcome this fear and be authentic\u2014even if people find you odd\u2014is the only way to get where you\u2019re destined to be in life.<\/strong> Being your true self<\/a> will repel the people and opportunities that aren\u2019t meant for you, helping you narrow down those that will allow you to thrive. Further, your greatest strengths that are most crucial to your success are the ones that are unique to you\u2014being your authentic self is how you embrace and utilize them. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Wood explains that practicing authenticity requires you to make yourself known and pursue what you want<\/strong>\u2014be vocal about your opinions, goals, desires, and talents. Volunteer for opportunities that will get you noticed. Get comfortable with breaking conventions when you think doing so will benefit your career or company. These things will be uncomfortable<\/a> at first because they\u2019ll put the spotlight on you; however, attracting attention is necessary to advance your career<\/a>\u2014leaders will notice your courage and unique talents, and you\u2019ll be the one who comes to mind when they\u2019re considering promotions and handing out opportunities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Finally, Wood offers a few warnings to heed to ensure that your authenticity is effective. First, before breaking conventions or bending rules, weigh the risks.<\/strong> If the only risk is embarrassment, go for it. However, if the consequence is more severe, like potentially getting fired from your company over something insignificant, consider otherwise. Further, think about how your behavior will impact others before acting\u2014for example, express your disagreement about something, but don\u2019t disparage someone in the process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Advocating for yourself is often seen as selfish and boastful<\/strong>\u2014we\u2019re told that being a good person requires us to put others before ourselves and be overly humble. When we break these norms, we\u2019re often made to feel embarrassed and anxious. On the contrary, Wood claims that you can still be a good person while advocating for yourself\u2014prioritizing your needs and well-being and unapologetically striving for your goals. Advocating for yourself and overcoming negative stigma is crucial to success because it ensures you\u2019re using your time and energy wisely, communicating effectively, and putting as much energy toward your own goals and needs as you are toward others\u2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Wood explains that one of the foundational steps to being your own advocate is<\/strong> overcoming the anxiety and embarrassment that can accompany it<\/strong>. We often experience these feelings because we\u2019re telling ourselves a dramatized story of what actually happened. For example, you\u2019re embarrassed because you think you asked an obvious question in a meeting\u2014in reality, the presenter was unclear and you probably clarified something others questioned as well. Focusing on these facts will help you take apart the mental narrative causing your stress.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Next, Wood recommends advocating for yourself by eliminating trivial tasks so you can dedicate more time to your goals.<\/strong> For example, identify unnecessary tasks at work that aren\u2019t part of your role, and ask your boss if you can drop them. Further, learn to say no when others ask you to do things that you don\u2019t have the bandwidth or desire to do. Finally, regularly check that your goals actually align with your current wants and needs\u2014not just what you think you should<\/em> do. Your wants might change, and that\u2019s OK\u2014don\u2019t waste time working toward something that no longer suits you just because you feel you should.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Wood says another way to advocate for yourself is to be assertive\u2014use clear and direct communication to tell people what you want.<\/strong> Don\u2019t soften or minimize your statements just because the discussion feels uncomfortable\u2014whether you need to present a problem, give feedback, or ask for a promotion, do it clearly and directly. Use as few words as possible to get to your point\u2014this will save time and avoid misunderstandings. Further, use direct communication to celebrate your achievements. For example, tell people what you\u2019re proud of and regularly fill your manager in on your accomplishments\u2014if you don\u2019t tell them, they won\u2019t know. This can be as simple as sending a progress email once a week.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Wood also warns against some common mistakes that can occur when being assertive. <\/strong>First, rather than believing there can only be one winner, try to find solutions where everyone benefits\u2014prioritize your own needs, but aim to help others along the way. Second, don\u2019t let your assertiveness turn into insensitivity\u2014make sure you\u2019re taking others into account before acting. Finally, rather than ignoring or downplaying your mistakes, be sure to acknowledge and learn from them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Society tells us not to be pushy and not to get too absorbed in our pursuits. However, Wood says that despite this stigma, to achieve success, you must be driven\u2014focus intensely on what you want and do what\u2019s necessary to seize important opportunities.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n First, prioritize making progress toward your goals, even if this makes you seem overzealous<\/strong>. To do this, Wood advises creating benchmarks and standards that are tailored toward your goals rather than strictly following the ones that match the status quo. For example, if you want to get a promotion, you may need to create benchmarks and personal expectations that boost your performance beyond the company standard. Further, avoid procrastination<\/a> and boost productivity by planning to accomplish tasks within 24 hours of receiving them\u2014this will ensure you\u2019re consistently making progress.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Further, Wood says that being driven also requires you to know how to motivate others<\/a><\/strong>. Achieving goals, especially in a corporate setting, usually requires teams to work toward a common objective. To motivate teams, Wood recommends holding meetings that engage employees and make them feel they have a stake in the company\u2019s success. Be sure to send a meeting agenda at least 24 hours in advance\u2014not only will this increase turnout, but it will also increase engagement by ensuring people are familiar with the subject matter and helping to redirect the meeting should things get off topic. Also, be willing to take feedback on the agenda, input during the meeting, and feedback after the meeting to further increase engagement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Finally, Wood warns not to let your driven nature slip into negative territory<\/strong>: Don\u2019t get sucked into perfectionism, set realistic standards, and be sure to set personal time aside to care for your well-being.<\/p>\n\n\n\n People often equate curiosity with nosiness; however, Wood recommends braving your fear of being judged as nosy. She explains that practicing<\/strong> curiosity is crucial to success<\/strong> for two reasons: It introduces us to new knowledge, opportunities, and people, and it helps us stand out\u2014asking questions shows engagement, and this is what bosses look for. <\/p>\n\n\n\n First, use your curiosity to help you make connections with new people.<\/strong> Making connections<\/a> is important because our network is often where we turn to get help or learn about new opportunities. However, many professionals struggle to make connections due to anxiety about how others perceive them. Wood says you can overcome this by focusing on the other person rather than yourself. Make it your objective to learn about them\u2014you can even do some research about them before your introduction and ask them about things you know they\u2019re interested in or that you have in common. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Wood also notes that asking simple questions during meetings is a great way to build connections.<\/strong> Asking seemingly obvious questions may seem silly, but there are probably others who were too nervous to ask the same question. Being the one to speak up will make people appreciate you and see you as an approachable person. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Further, if you find yourself envious of others, Wood says to turn your envy into curiosity about how they succeeded <\/strong>so you can achieve the same success. <\/strong>You can observe their techniques, habits, and methods of communication and test them out to see which ones work the best for you. Or, you can even ask the people you envy to mentor you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Finally, Wood warns of two specific situations where you should consider checking your curiosity to ensure it continues serving you: <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n We\u2019re often taught that trying to persuade other people to give us what we want is manipulative; however, Wood says that persuasion is natural and necessary to achieve your goals<\/a>.<\/strong> You often need to get others on board to help you succeed, whether that\u2019s convincing your manager to promote you or recruiting a colleague to teach you a new skill. The key to being persuasive and not manipulative is using empathy to tune into what others want and make sure they also benefit from helping you. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Wood suggests that influencing others<\/a> starts with understanding the politics of your organization. <\/strong>The person who\u2019s technically your superior isn\u2019t necessarily the person with the most power or influence over your future at the company; a co-worker from another department who\u2019s friends with the boss might have more leverage in getting you a promotion. You might have to play politics with that person rather than your direct manager. Understanding politics is also useful so you know how to get on people\u2019s good sides, what bothers them, and what you can do to help them\u2014doing nice things for other people is one of the best ways to get help from them in the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Wood also advises managing your relationships from all sides to maintain strong connections with potential allies. <\/strong>Rather than solely focusing on making nice with your direct superiors, try to improve relationships with those who work next to you, below you, far above you, and diagonally to you. Strive to have face-to-face conversations with your superior\u2019s superior and your superior\u2019s colleagues. To get your foot in the door, try getting a meeting by offering praise and requesting advice from them. Further, don\u2019t neglect the relationships with your colleagues and those working below you\u2014you never know who could one day end up in charge or who may have valuable skills you\u2019ll need down the road.<\/p>\n\n\n\n While persuasion is crucial, Wood offers some advice to ensure your persuasion doesn\u2019t backfire. <\/strong>First, acknowledge that managing relationships with others<\/a> sometimes means putting on a happy face even if you\u2019re not totally feeling it. Second, don\u2019t try to win people over by fawning\u2014this doesn\u2019t demand respect. Instead, interact with everyone as their equal, no matter their standing. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Wood explains that setting boundaries<\/a> is crucial for meeting your personal and professional goals<\/a>, even if people judge you as being harsh<\/strong>. This is because your boundaries protect your peace and priorities, helping you live a life you\u2019re proud of without regrets. But your boundaries are only beneficial if you enforce them. Enforcing your boundaries means drawing a line between what you are and aren\u2019t willing to accept, and taking action when this line is crossed. For example, if you prioritize family over work, tell your boss that asking you to cancel a family plan for a last-minute meeting is crossing a boundary. <\/p>\n\n\n\n First, Wood recommends getting comfortable enforcing your boundaries. <\/strong>Initially, enforcing boundaries\u2014like saying no<\/a> to a task someone asks you to do so you can focus on something more important\u2014might make you feel anxious or guilty. While this is normal, Wood suggests remembering the favor you\u2019re doing yourself\u2014you\u2019re putting your time and effort toward the things that are going to make the biggest positive difference for you. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Further, Wood advises setting boundaries around email to conserve your time<\/strong>\u2014spend less time reading emails and send fewer responses. To do this, Wood offers a four-step formula: First, filter emails to separate unimportant ones like promotions from important correspondence, and unsubscribe from useless email lists. Second, set aside a time-block for email and only respond during that period. Third, when taking time off, create an automatic response requesting that people indicate the importance of their email so you can read what\u2019s necessary when you return. Finally, consider whether a response is necessary\u2014if you\u2019re only responding because you feel <\/em>like you should, you probably don\u2019t need to.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Finally, Wood recommends reminding yourself to be respectful when enforcing boundaries.<\/strong> There\u2019s no need to be aggressive or dramatic. Simply inform people of your boundaries, and kindly detach from those who don\u2019t respect these limits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Many people fail to achieve their goals because they\u2019re afraid of taking risks and being called impulsive or reckless\u2014instead, they let overthinking delay action. But Wood says that being successful requires you to have the courage to act fast and be willing to take risks.<\/strong> If you wait for the perfect moment or to have 100% certainty in your plan before starting something, you\u2019ll never start. Further, risks are necessary for you to progress, and people are generally more regretful over the risks they didn\u2019t take than the unsuccessful ones that they did.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Wood says that to prioritize action, you should release your desire for perfection and embrace your mistakes<\/strong>. She explains that many people wait to take action until they feel their plan or skills are perfect. In reality, perfection doesn\u2019t exist\u2014so instead of waiting, identify first steps, get started, and iron out the rest as you go. It\u2019s also crucial to acknowledge that, as perfection doesn\u2019t exist, you\u2019ll naturally make mistakes\u2014instead of letting them scare you off, embrace and learn from them. When you make a mistake, recognize that it\u2019s normal, fix it, apologize where apologies are necessary, look for any positives the situation may offer, and lean on trusted colleagues to help you out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n To ensure you avoid taking unnecessary risks, Wood recommends spending the appropriate time making decisions. <\/strong>Pause to ensure you\u2019ve given yourself time to properly consider your options, and don\u2019t let pride drive you to quick and unnecessarily reckless action. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Wood also recommends being conscious about how you bring up risky topics.<\/strong> If you need to have a sensitive conversation, make sure it\u2019s the right time, place, and delivery so your message is relayed appropriately and received well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Wood explains that reaching a certain level of career success often puts you in a leadership position where you\u2019re managing others to some extent; therefore, understanding how to lead is crucial. However, many struggle in this position because they fear being called \u201cbossy,\u201d or they end up being overly controlling out of fear of their team underperforming. To be a courageous leader and avoid these pitfalls, Wood says you should enable and empower others to reach their potential. Success as a leader is defined by how successful you help others and your organization become<\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n First, rather than micromanaging, Wood suggests spending your time developing employees\u2019 skills so they can complete tasks on their own.<\/strong> Many leaders default to micromanaging because they want things to be done well, and they know how to do them best\u2014that\u2019s what got them where they are. However, this prevents leaders from focusing on higher-level priorities. To be a successful leader, focus on coaching your team<\/a> to become the best they can be rather than doing everything yourself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Second, Wood advises observing your team to understand everyone\u2019s roles and the different moving parts<\/strong>. This has two benefits. First, you\u2019ll better understand the work that goes into people\u2019s jobs so you can find ways to help make their lives easier\u2014for example, by connecting them to someone who can help or simplifying certain processes. Second, having a detailed understanding of the moving parts will help you solve problems by targeting the root of the issue and recruiting team members with the expertise to help solve it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Third, Wood says that being a good leader<\/a> requires you to give effective feedback<\/a>.<\/strong> To do so, Wood first recommends maintaining morale by offering five pieces of positive feedback for every piece of negative feedback. Further, when giving feedback on problematic behavior, be sure to mention the specific situation, objectively explain what the behavior was, seek to understand the person\u2019s intention and perspective of why it happened, and acknowledge their intention while explaining the consequences of the action. Then, brainstorm ways to improve together. This will make it easier for the person to understand what happened and how to fix it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Finally, Wood warns to avoid common traps that hinder positive leadership. <\/strong>First, don\u2019t put too much pressure on your employees. Make sure your expectations are realistic and healthy, and judge their effort based on the results they produce rather than how much effort it looks<\/em> like they’re exerting. Further, avoid toxic behaviors like creating unnecessary urgency or being indecisive or inconsistent. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Wood explains that achieving success requires you to overcome fear<\/a> and take bold action. In this exercise, we\u2019ll identify some areas where you can overcome your fear of being judged as \u201cweird\u201d so you can be authentic<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Are you letting fear hold you back from your goals? How can you muster the courage it takes to go after what you want? In Wild Courage, Jenny Wood explains that many people struggle in their lives and careers because they\u2019re afraid of taking the bold actions necessary to succeed. To become a success, Wood says to be courageous and act boldly\u2014be authentic, driven, curious, persuasive, and don\u2019t be afraid to lead others. Continue reading for an overview of Wild Courage.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":144957,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[40,29,42],"tags":[1819],"class_list":["post-144946","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-books","category-career","category-motivation","tag-wild-courage","","tg-column-two"],"yoast_head":"\nWild Courage <\/em>Book Overview<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The Importance of Courage<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Action 1: Be Authentic<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
How to Be Authentic<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Action 2: Be Your Own Advocate<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
How to Be Your Own Advocate<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Action 3: Be Driven<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
How to Be Driven<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Action 4: Be Curious<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
How to Encourage Curiosity<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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Action 5: Be Persuasive<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
How to Be Persuasive<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Action 6: Be Firm<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
How to Set and Enforce Boundaries<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Action 7: Be a Go-Getter<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
How to Prioritize Action<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Action 8: Be a Leader<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
How to Be an Empowering Leader<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Exercise: Make a Bold Action Plan for Authenticity<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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