Todd Henry on Forming the Habit of Bravery and Developing Courageous Leadership
Jan 22, 2024
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Todd Henry, founder of Accidental Creative, discusses the distinctions between bravery and heroism, the importance of claiming agency, and the application of the brave habit to daily work and team dynamics. He shares personal insights on redefining his business and highlights the need for an optimistic vision. Learn how to cultivate bravery as a daily habit and lead boldly into the future.
The brave habit is a method outlined in the book, consisting of five steps: block, review, agency, vision, and express, which encourages readers to cultivate an optimistic vision for a better possible future and take small, consistent actions to develop bravery.
Understanding one's proficiency, relationships, and platform is crucial in claiming agency and amplifying the impact of bravery in personal and professional settings.
By embracing discomfort, taking proactive actions, and following the five steps of the brave habit, listeners can cultivate bravery in their daily lives.
Deep dives
The Power of Bravery and the Brave Habit
The podcast episode discusses the importance of bravery and introduces the concept of the brave habit. The host shares a personal story of facing a health issue as a teenager and how it taught him to value the importance of moments and the urgency of life. The brave habit is a method outlined in the book, consisting of five steps: block, review, agency, vision, and express. The book encourages readers to cultivate an optimistic vision for a better possible future and to take small, consistent actions to develop bravery. It emphasizes the significance of bravery in leadership and provides examples of how to exhibit brave leadership in personal and professional settings.
Developing Agency and an Optimistic Vision
The podcast explores the concept of agency and its role in developing bravery. It highlights the importance of understanding one's proficiency, relationships, and platform in order to claim agency and amplify the impact of bravery. Additionally, the podcast emphasizes the need for an optimistic vision, which involves having a clear vision of a better possible future and believing in one's capacity to bring it about. It discusses the role of vision in guiding actions and decisions, especially in uncertain times. The episode encourages listeners to develop specific, actionable intentions to align with their vision and foster brave habits.
Applying the Brave Habit in Everyday Life
The podcast episode delves into how to apply the brave habit in everyday life. It explains the five steps of the habit: block, review, agency, vision, and express. The host uses examples to illustrate how these steps can be applied in various contexts, such as personal relationships, organizational leadership, and individual work. The episode highlights the importance of preparedness and proactive decision-making when it comes to acting bravely. It encourages listeners to embrace discomfort and take small, consistent actions to cultivate bravery in their daily lives.
Reflecting on Personal Growth and Perspective
The podcast episode opens with a personal story of the host's health issue as a teenager. The story serves as a reflection on the importance of embracing challenging moments and appreciating the preciousness of life. It emphasizes the need to rise to the occasion and work towards one's goals, even in the face of uncertainty and adversity. The episode explores the personal growth and perspective that can be gained from facing challenging situations and how those experiences can shape one's approach to bravery and leadership. Overall, it encourages listeners to value each moment and approach life with a sense of urgency and purpose.
The Relationship Between Bravery and Leadership
The podcast episode examines the relationship between bravery and leadership. It explains that everyone has the capacity to exhibit leadership in their lives, regardless of their formal position. The episode emphasizes the importance of authentic leadership and encourages listeners to prioritize integrity and accountability in their actions. It discusses how bravery can manifest in various leadership contexts, such as leading oneself, leading a team, and leading an organization. The episode provides practical strategies and examples for developing brave leadership habits, including open communication, resource allocation, and conflict resolution.
This week I’m excited to welcome Todd Henry back to the show for a really encouraging and informative conversation about his new book, The Brave Habit: A Guide To Courageous Leadership. Todd has been a guest on the show many times lending his wisdom and insights on everything from creativity to motivation.
Todd is the founder of Accidental Creative, a company that helps creative people and teams be prolific, brilliant and healthy. He regularly speaks and consults with companies about how to develop practices that lead to everyday brilliance. He is the author of six other books (The Accidental Creative, Die Empty,Louder Than Words,Herding Tigers,The Motivation Code, and Daily Creative), which have been translated into more than a dozen languages, and he speaks and consults across dozens of industries on creativity, leadership, and passion for work.
In this episode Todd breaks down the unique distinctions between bravery and heroism, the importance of claiming agency, and the application of the brave habit to daily work and team dynamics. Todd also shares personal insights, including his journey in redefining his 18-year-old business, and highlighting the need for an optimistic vision in uncertain times. We discuss how to cultivate bravery as a daily habit and the process of leading yourself and others boldly into the future.
