Courage in business

It does not take courage to start a business, but it requires enormous courage to persist and see it through when nothing seems to be working the way it had been planned.

Standing on the dais and giving an acceptance speech may require nerves, but it does not require courage. Having failed in spite of one’s hard work, having lost the money others contributed, having taken time to look in the mirror and answer tough questions, and then starting afresh requires enormous courage.

When you do begin to achieve success and scale your enterprise beyond your ability to manage its entirety, you require abundant courage to entrust part of the execution to another, and to stay close to them and support them when you know that at some point they, too, may fail.

Knowing when to look at the demands of your business and the needs of your family, and making the right choice requires courage.

Recognizing the day that age does not afford you the energy you need to run your business, and choosing the person to run it on in the best interests of your customers and investors, requires courage. And the wisdom that comes from having made courageous decisions before that time.

Written by Michael

Michael Douglas has held senior positions in sales, marketing and general management since 1980, and spent 20 years at Sun Microsystems, most recently as VP, Global Marketing. His experience includes start-ups, mid-market and enterprises. He's currently VP Enterprise Go-to-Market for NVIDIA.

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