Thinking about courage
My eleven-year-old daughter made me think about courage.
We had just practised a song, recorded it, and sent the recording with her application to the city theatre to apply for a role in a musical. Regardless of whether she even gets an audition, it felt like an incredibly courageous thing to do.
I think there is something deeply similar in us - more than just our height at the moment. To me, it feels like a shame to let possibilities fail simply because one did not try. In fact, in my personal philosophy, it is often a greater shame to leave things undone than to fail.
That is my mindset both in my work and outside it. I experiment. I try things. I wrote a fantasy novel or actually two, Wave Protocol Book 1 and Book 2 to be a series. I released music on Spotify. I have done other things that might sound a little crazy to some.
Does all this require courage, or is it simply curiosity that pushes one to try despite the fact that the ego may get bruised every now and then? Is it dangerous? You tell me.
What does courage (and creativity) have to do with Quality?
Courage has a great deal to do with Quality. I would even claim that without courage, quality cannot truly exist or at the very least, it will begin to deteriorate.
The amount of courage required naturally depends on the level of psychological safety in an organisation. But imagine a workplace where no one dares to say that a machine might burst into flames if tested, or that a wheel could come off a vehicle if someone were to drive it. Often, it is not that dramatic or visible. Sometimes it is much quieter. Someone might get scared and need a year or two to recover. During that time, they may lack the confidence to speak up when something critical goes wrong.
Quality does not fail first in processes or metrics. It fails quietly, in the moment when someone decides not to speak.
Both small and large acts of courage are the true building blocks of Quality.
ps: I am a fan of my daughter and she sounds so fantastic when singing Zombie.
Your piece on courage struck a chord with me because it reminded me of the day I finally quit my corporate job to pursue my passion for photography. I had been working long hours, feeling trapped in a role that never sparked joy, but the fear of financial instability and disappointing my family kept me stuck. One evening, after reading a quote about bravery, I sat down with my savings, drafted a simple plan, and called my boss to hand in my notice https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poker_probability The moment I said “I’m leaving,” my heart pounded like never before, yet an unexpected calm washed over me. The weeks that followed were a mix of exhilarating shoots, awkward client meetings, and sleepless nights, but…