While engaging in a conversation with a colleague we explored whether the time is ever right to be courageous? Will you ever be well enough prepared to be courageous in your conversations, your decisions and your actions? It reminded me of the dilemma many face when starting a family – is it the right time to have children – do we have enough money saved, do we have a big enough house, are we ready emotionally, are we getting too old? Ultimately most of us who eventually made the decision to proceed would agree there is never a “right” time to have children. 
Leap in, allow yourself to BE vulnerable and most importantly relinquish the need for control. This is what gets in the way of most people wanting to action the value of courage. Leaders in particular can let ego, control and power get in their way – far easier to claim we are just not ready yet. In my experience you can never be ready. I facilitate workshops to guide people in being courageous – and naturally I need to role model what courage looks and sounds like.
I believe people too often claim the time is not right because they don’t feel ready to engage in the conversations or make the behavioural choices to demonstrate courage. This is an important distinction to make – differentiate right time from being ready! The reason I say this is that the time is very often right and the excuse is used because the leader or person does not feel ready. They do not feel like they will have control.
I can honestly say that I have never felt ready in the moment, to be courageous. My heart still pounds, I still question whether I should engage in the conversation or take the action – and it takes great discipline to stop myself from using the excuse of the time not being right. It has nothing to do with time and everything to do with the feeling of readiness.
Return to the metaphor of having children – and it is nothing to do with the time and everything to do with feeling ready – because we lose control, for many we relinquish power and our ego can certainly take a bashing. Exactly the same in business for leaders.
Recognise when you rely on the excuse of time, appreciate you might never feel ready and then challenge yourself to unleash the courage to do it and say it in the moment.
