Making a change
requires a leap of faith. Taking that leap of faith is risky, and people will
only take active steps toward the unknown if they genuinely believe – and
perhaps more importantly, feel – that the risks of standing still are greater
than those of moving forward in a new direction.  Making a change takes lots of leaps of faith.

Leaders may
make bold and often unpopular decisions. Effective leaders require courage – to
stand up for what is right, for what they believe in, and to take the necessary
risks to be innovative and creative.

You can’t move
forward if you don’t grow and you can’t grow if you never leave your comfort
zone. When possible, challenge employees to grow. Help them prepare by
providing them a safe environment to learn from the mistakes that they are
bound to make.

Moving beyond
our comfort zones is how we can best learn and grow. The challenge is to resist
our normal human instinct to seek comfort rather that discomfort. The key is to
continually push beyond the comfort zone and drive continuous improvement to
develop and strengthen your Lean thinking.

It takes
courage to be a change agent, to rise up and lead the way when others are
filled with fear. It takes courage to walk in a different direction when others
walk along a contrasting path. Most important, it takes courage to drive
persistence to overcome resistance…to find comfort outside your comfort zone
when the promise of reward is ambiguous.

When things are
difficult, unknown, and perhaps unattainable we may turn the other direction.
We must find the inner strength to overcome these perceived barriers. History
has proven time after time that the power of a thought is the beginning for
actions that will alter the future positively. Understanding this, and having
the courage to keep going even in the face of all obstacles, allows us to
accomplish anything we want.

The courage of
true leadership is revealed while still standing in the midst of controversy
and challenging circumstances. It is relatively easy and requires little effort
to stay in your comfort zone or to do what is convenient. Courage is not
required to stay comfortable. Leaders need essential people skills to get
people to work together smoothly even if some compromise may be needed.
However, it also takes courage to make a stand on what you believe to be right.

Thank you, Dr.
King, for having the courage to make the world a better place.