BLOGNAME: LOUDER THAN WORDS

An informal, stream-of-consciousness reflection on business ideas, events and issues in modern business, modern life and with some specifics to the web-software industry by Paul Tomori, Internet Entrepreneur

Being Bold By Paul Tomori Tuesday, July 06, 2010 at 14:33:09 (EDT) When I was a child, I remember a friend's mother scolding him with the finger-wagging sentiment: "don't be bold!". She was Australian, so maybe it was a cultural thing or maybe it was an attempt to wrestle the assertiveness from the cheeky boy... a somewhat rewarding short-term achievement, but a potentially long-term disaster for him. You see, it occurred to me recently, that the connotation of being naughty when one is being bold is an awful misalignment. Yes, if you are pushing your way to the front of the line, it could be said you are being "bold", but I would say it's definitely more rude than bold. Boldness, if equated on some level with being "assertive" is an attribute to aspire to. A while back I wrote about how a decision could/should be made. The decisiveness required to actually say "let's do it" or "you have won the contract - make it happen" is a state of mind that manages a certain amount of boldness. You basically are saying "I have confidence in my ability to contemplate the ramifications and possibilities at stake, and I elect to take action". Damn the torpedos. If something goes wrong along the way, we'll fix it. Such must have been the mindset of the bold explorers who first set foot here. Such must be the mindset of a business leader who signs off on a vision to introduce a "bold" new product. I bring this up, because it seems that some important people in my life are endlessly at a crossroads of indecision. Perhaps their mothers told them "don't be bold". I need a reminder myself sometimes as I can look back on some matters that have lingered in limbo for too long. My advice to them (and to myself) is. Be bold. Be bold as brass. Think through all the angles. Consult a few experts. Have confidence in yourself. Make the decision. Move forward. The downside is that something will go wrong, but you can fix almost anything that goes wrong. The upside is that you may find yourself on a higher plateau. Go for it. Return To Blog Index