The great American poet Dr. Maya Angelou once said that “Courage is the most important of all the virtues because, without courage, you can’t practice any other virtue consistently.” I think a lot about virtues. I based my entire company on a set of Core Values that I expect us all to follow, and I agree with Angelou: our Core Values are worthless unless we have the courage to enact them. We must show courage as we make the right decisions for our lives and our businesses.
Courage at the Core
Of course, some of our Core Values are easier to follow than others. When the folks at Total Life Changes let everyone know “Having fun we get more work done,” we do it with a smile. Who doesn’t want to have fun? Having that concept incorporated into our company belief system reminds us to make sure we enjoy our time at work—even when it’s challenging—and not take ourselves too seriously.
We say “Our standard is giving more than expected.” We love making people happy. In fact, or business is built around making people feel better. It’s pretty fun to surprise customers or Life Changers by giving them something they didn’t know was coming. Going the extra mile takes a little more work—it’s a mile, after all—but the payoff is always worth it.
Similarly, it isn’t too scary to claim that “Passion is our fuel.” It’s always important to follow what’s important to you. We love our work at TLC, and we let that motivate us. As my friend John Licari says, the people around TLC have a passion for helping people deep inside their bones that pushes them even when times are challenging. That drive is a tremendous motivator. It’s not too scary to follow your passion.
Courage as a Challenge
But I am thinking about Dr. Angelou’s words as I consider some of our other Core Values. It takes courage to follow through with the idea that “We don’t just do what’s easy, we do what’s right.” That means taking responsibility for being the best version of ourselves. That means identifying mistakes and doing what it takes to make things better. That’s a lesson I learned from Granny. She always knew when I was misbehaving, and she expected me to be honest about it and to get back on the right track ASAP.
I was lucky that Granny always gave me the room to fix my mistakes. That takes courage, too, because when someone does us wrong, it’s easy to just toss them out of our lives. Sometimes, doing what’s right means giving a person the chance to make up for their mistakes. A chance for someone to be better. To re-earn our trust.
That brings me to another one of our Core Values: “We love each other period.” That means everyone. I think of it this way. Love may be a two-way street, but we only ever drive ourselves. Love should go both ways, but we’re responsible for always making sure we’re moving in the right direction.
Moving Forward with Courage
Dr. Angelou also said that without courage, “we can’t be kind, true, merciful, generous, or honest.” I challenge everyone to have the courage it takes to show kindness where it’s not expected, mercy where it’s most needed, and the honesty it takes to truly connect with people on a human level. Make your way through the world bravely, honestly, and with love.
That’s a roadmap for success in business and in life.
Jack Fallon
