LEARN
Something Worth SharingThe Bravest Face I was brought up to believe that when (not if!) I fell, I must get up quickly, dust myself off and put ‘a brave face on’. This served me well on many occasions as an ice skater that would take quite a few tumbles - but once it literally masked a fall that resulted in a broken arm. While a positive response can act like a ‘fake it until you make it’ to get through to a better place, sometimes we’re masking something more significant and pushing it down the line to a point in the future where we will have to deal with what’s at the heart. I do think that many of us have had this school of thought, certainly as children. However, the ‘brave face’ can be challenging as we go into adult-life and particularly for those of us that have leadership and parenting responsibilities, for example. We increasingly become aware of people looking to us to gauge how we respond and therefore how they believe they must respond. These brave faces are masks we wear. I am yet to meet someone - regardless of how senior-a-role they have - that doesn’t wear the mask associated with putting a brave face on. I’ve been honoured over the years to see what truly lies behind many of these masks. I’ve come to realise - and hence it being this week’s learn - that putting a brave face on isn’t really the brave thing to do; being willing to show your true self is the bravest thing. As a leader, to show humility, to own mistakes and failures, be willing to show care and compassion, and being able to laugh at yourself are all brave behaviours. Rather than PUT a brave face on, try BEING a brave person and showing your TRUE face.
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