Small Brave Moves are the Key to Life-Changing Leadership

In this episode of the Small Brave Moves podcast, we redefine what it means to be brave in leadership. Forget superheroes—true bravery is about the small, intentional moves we make every day. We discuss the concept of "Bravership," explore how to lead with authenticity, and introduce the nine key mindsets of brave leaders. Plus, learn how to create "Butterfly Moments" that drive profound change in your life and leadership.  

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Transcript

 If you're a mid level to C suite leader who wants to own your growth,  and figure out your next small brave move to achieve your leadership goals, you are in the right place. Welcome to the small brave moves podcast, a weekly deep dive on how to be braver in leadership and in life for exceptional results.

I'm your host, Nicole Bianchi. Best selling author, certified master executive coach, NSA certified speaking professional, chief bravery officer, and tough talk expert. If you're ready to become a better, braver, and more authentic leader, let's dive in.      Hi friends and brave leaders. Thank you so much for being here for the very first episode of the small brave moves podcast, where we explore the power of small, intentional actions and brave conversations. I'm your host, Nicole Bianchi, chief bravery officer and tough talk expert. Whether you're a seasoned leader or just starting your leadership journey. 

This podcast is for you today. We're introducing the concept of small brave moves and how little acts of bravery are the key to life changing leadership. So grab your coffee, sit back and let's get started.  

When we think of bravery, what comes to mind?  Maybe it's the images of superheroes with capes or individuals in the military firefighters, police officers, or doctors performing heroic feats in times of crisis. Well, these generalized beliefs about bravery. What I call bravery isms. Really set unrealistic expectations for most of us as leaders. We're not putting our lives on the line every day, nor are we superheroes. 

So what kind of bravery is there for the rest of us? Well, Tim Denning, a writer for CNBC and business insider puts it perfectly. When we think of bravery, we often think of heroism first. And it's this grandiose idea of made for people who frankly are not normal. Like the rest of us, it's unlikely that you will do some brave act that miraculously gets filmed for TV and get shared by millions of people on social media. 

And that's okay. Bravery. Isn't something you do once in a lifetime. It's something you have to practice all of the time.  

In my work with clients. If I were to boil down the challenges, they face into one common element, it would be bravery or lack thereof. Leadership development has traditionally focused on acquiring tools. How to give feedback, how to tell a story or deliver a presentation. And these are important, but they're not enough. The framework or tool is useless. 

If you're, aren't able to execute it from a place of bravery and authenticity, to be more effective leaders, we need to shift from passive approaches to leading with intentionality and becoming a braver version of ourselves.  McKinsey and company defines leadership as a set of behaviors, leaders, exercise to influence organizational members. To achieve higher alignment. Better execution and continuous renewal. So by definition, bravery is a skill and leadership is an action. Without that skill, it can be difficult to take action.  Brave leadership involves being true to yourself and others while engaging honestly, and transparently with your environment. It's about leading from the inside out. Showing up in a way you can be proud of and embracing both internal authenticity and external challenges. 

Bravery plus leadership or what I call braver ship creates a competitive advantage and it takes small brave moves to get there. Every goal you have every milestone you want to surpass just requires a series of small brave moves to get there. And if you want to learn more about what it takes to live a life of small brave moves, that's bravery with a small B, then you are in the right place. This podcast is designed to teach you the mindsets habits and behaviors that empower you to be your best and bravest self. We all have a choice. 

We can just lead. Or we can lead as our bravest and most authentic selves. And on this podcast, we will explore how to build the skill of bravery. How to be bold with your boss, peers and employees, how to practice and encourage open communication. And build a network that supports brave choices.  

Brave leadership is about creating an embracing butterfly moments. Butterfly moments occur when we fill that flatter in our hearts, that exhilarating sense of change that propels us. And our teams towards new Heights. These moments are opportunities to be fully present, to inspire. And to drive forward with hope and bravery, and I invite you to create and recognize your own butterfly moments that got you to where you are now. And consider how you can make these transformative moments, a daily occurrence. Whether it's through a brave conversation, a strategic pivot, or a pause to reflect and connect. 

Let's commit to creating these instances of profound change. So I've developed a framework for brave leadership, which involves really embodying the nine mindsets habits of behaviors, of brave leaders, which are number one lead as your authentic self. Number two, how to talk straight. Number three, the art of failing slips, trips and falls. Number four. Lean on your circle. Number five, be there for others. 

Number six, be intentional. Number seven relentless curiosity. Number eight, embrace uncertainty and number nine. Be hope driven.  For now I encourage you to ask yourself what is the next small, brave move I can make to be better braver. And more authentic in life and in leadership. If you could choose just one of the nine to start working on, which would it be?  The one I'm giving extra focus right now is the art of failing slips, trips and falls. So I'm launching a new podcast, a new certification. A new keynote. Will I slip? 

Yes. Maybe even trip a few times, but the goal is not to fall completely.  To be kind and to be gentle with myself, giving myself permission to experiment and try new things so many times I want it to be, oh, so perfect. And I have to remind myself, Nicole progress over perfection. And celebrate the trying of new things versus sitting in fear. 

Right?  Well, how about a high five for that? Bravery is an acquired behavior and it just takes practice. And we don't have to go at it alone. So let's figure it out together. We'll be diving deep into all of these topics in future episodes. So if any of this resonated with you, and if you want to join me on the journey of brave leadership, I hope to see you next week. Bye for now. 

Thank you for joining me for this episode of the small brave moves podcast. If you're wanting to take this work even deeper, I'm here to help from engaging and inspirational keynote speeches to transformational coaching and workshops for leaders and teams. Page turning books, online courses, and enlightening leadership development retreats.

There are so many ways that we can work together to take your leadership to the next level. For more information, check out the show notes and let's do this together. One small, brave move at a time. See you next week.