How will you grow and develop yourself this year? What quality or characteristic of personal leadership development will you focus on? 

I suggest you begin with the fertile ground of Virtue. As for me, I begin with Courage.  Courage begins things: it is a precursor for Faith, Love, Change, Persistence, Authenticity, Trust, Service and every other value.

“Courage is not simply one of the virtues, but the form of every virtue at the testing point.” — C.S. Lewis

In other words, one is virtuous only when virtue has a cost – a price we are fearful to pay. In order to address my fears virtuously, I must seek courage daily. To help me, my core value and daily affirmation is:

I have the Courage to take action on the things that are most important to me now.

Without courage I do not get started on what is important; I do not take right action; I live in fear of the consequences of virtue. Every day I face decisions that begin, interrupt or sustain my courage-life pattern. Courage is my cupid’s arrow for everything I really want to have, to do, to create, or to become, no matter how mundane or how wonderful the rewards. So in 2010, I must continue to develop and sustain my courage. What about you? What quality or virtue do you most want to develop this year?

Please, feel free to offer your response in the comments section to this blog. As an additional step, just ask and I will be glad to serve as your accountability partner.

Have a virtuous remainder of the year.