B Y C H R I S T I N E R I O R D A N

EXTRAORDINARYDARE TO BE

Embracing your inherent “extraordinary”nature can be difficult.

If it wasn’t, there would be no conversationsaround the questioning of confidence andesteem, and there would be no short supplyof brazen and bold individuals who arefearless and ready to do something that’soutside of the realm of ordinary. The act ofembracing “extraordinary,” daring oneself tobe something or do something outside ofone’s comfort zone can be revolutionary, it

can be remarkable.

Consider what the word extraordinarymeans: special, exceptional, and unique –andthat’s just to name a few. That’s a word that’s

often applied to heroes, leaders, gamechangers, entertainers, and political greats.For more than two decades, I’ve conductedresearch on leaders, and about 8 years ago Ifound that these leaders and heroes all havefive ordinary things in common: passion,

integrity, courage, resilience, and confidence.

These five traits can be practicedindependently, but as a collection, these

items fuel success. Passion is instrumental forwork and life. Integrity is essential for trust in

personal and professional relationships;courage is necessary for overcoming

obstacles; and resilience is the buoyancy,allowing you to bounce back when knockeddown. Finally, confidence, the most fortifiedattribute, is precious and important for

acceleration and sustainability.

Passion

Passion is an attribute that’s fastened to the toolbelt of an extraordinary person. The drive, theinterest, and stimulation are essential whenbuilding toward something great. When that

interest and investment is to be directed towardwork, success becomes inevitable.

After all, truly extraordinary people arepassionate about their work. It’s that zeal and

enthusiasm that inspires and motivatescolleagues to perform better, to move beyond

what’s expected.

While some cynics roll their eyes at thecommitment of extraordinary individuals,others will be marked by their nature anddedication. By constantly demonstratingpassion through positive behavior, they

attract others, pulling them into the belief ofwinning character and charm.

A friend of mine once shared a story about acamp counselor she had during his youth, anolder man who met each person with an

identical refrain each morning: “Good morning!It’s a great day to be alive!” Year after year, theman met grumpy demeanor with a smile, andhis obvious passion was something to emulate,something to make any business a success.

Any company that exceeds when it comes tocustomer service obviously possess passion.Not only this, but these companies recognizethat passion is imprinted onto customers aftercustomer expectations are met. Also, a wisebusiness will seek out customers who are

unsatisfied.

They’ll work to exceed expectations, turningthe disgruntled into loyal fans. Fundamentallypassionate businesses understand that mindscan be changed through demonstrations ofpassion because customers tend to gravitatetoward those who practice the art of passion.

Courage

Courage isn’t easily won, it’s something thatone has to fight for; it means coming face­to­face with things that are frightening, things

that are outside of normality –and choosing tosay yes. It’s easy to feign bravery, but just aseasily, we can curl into the fetal position likethe cowardly lion from the Wizard of Oz.

However, there are instances when our goalsare tested, when people need us the most, andthat’s when we demonstrate unknown strength.Like the cowardly lion, we tend to find that we

had the courage all along when standingagainst all odds, proving to be extraordinary.

Extraordinary people are stimulated by thenotion of risk­taking, they’re drawn to the idea

of stepping out and being bold. Even shypeople can be extraordinary, finding the

courage to step up in front of thousands. Themost unlikely people choose to be NBA players,astronauts, television producers, and CEOs. Thedecision to take risks and make bold choices is

often rewarded.

In the face of overwhelming odds, companieshave remained successful. Starbucks, forinstance, has done this. One of my favorite

books happens to be “Onward: How StarbucksFought for its Life without Losing its Soul.” It

tells the story of the company’s executives, andtheir journey toward continued success despitethe threat of risk, public failure, and personalfailure after experiencing a 42 percent stockdrop following the onset of the recession.

Rather than give up, Schultz, the chairman,returned as the CEO; he closed stores across theU.S. for 3 ½ hours to retrain baristas; he invitedpeople to email him directly, and immediately

received 5,000 emails, and he launched Starbucks’first national advertising campaign. He raisedwages and offered healthcare to employees, hecompensated loyal customers with rewards cards;and he did it although no one thought it could be

done.

He warmly laughed in the face of naysayers,because courage had won. Having faith in one’s

own intuition is more important than presiding fearor doubt. Fear and anxiety are normal in

challenging situations, but Nelson Mandela said itbest, when he stated, “courage is not the absence

of fear, but the triumph over it.”

Resilience

Want a challenge in steadfastness? Try beingresilient.

Naysayers may have frequently told you that theodds are against you or that your plans will nevercome to fruition. They’ve likely told you to play itsafe and to steer clear of certain risk. However,extraordinary people understand how to ignorethese voices and how to proclaim self­assignedsuccess. While resilient individuals sometimes

suffer disappointments, they rebound. They don’twallow in said failure, they pull themselves up bytheir bootstraps and return to the battle with

raised fists.

All­time winning NFL coach Don Shula is a terrificexample of resilience. He coached pro football for30+ years and holds the record for most career

wins. To date, he's the only coach to have teams insix SuperBowls. Shula instituted a “24­hour rule,” apolicy of looking forward instead of retreating from

a loss.

He, his coaching staff, and his players were onlygranted 24 hours to wallow following a defeat oreven to celebrate a victory. Shula instructed hiscamp to feel their emotions of failure or successduring those 24 hours. After 24 hours, they had tofocus on preparing for their upcoming challenge.

Extraordinary people are equipped to endure"downs," managing to remain optimistic in the faceof adversity. If they fail or they're wrong, they keep

their resolve and they correct. The goal is torecapture lost dreams and inflate those dreams

following a failure. The realities of success are ever­changing, and being persistent and courage is theonly way to assure that those dreams are realized.

The ability to turn tragedy, heartbreak, or setbacksinto a launching pad for success speaks to

resilience and courage, but also accomplishmentand fearlessness.

Integrity

Integrity is yet another attribute of extraordinaryindividuals. Integrity­abiding individuals prove theycan be trusted because their inner values neverwaver, demonstrating that they’re exemplarybecause of their unshakable ethics and honesty.Some go above and beyond to display their

commitment to integrity, even when it’s contrary totheir own self­interest.

For instance, Andy Roddick, the No. 1 seed at theRome Masters in 2008, identified an inbound markon the clay made by the ball he’d hit. This led to hisvictory being overturned. Roddick’s ethics were sothoroughgoing that he was willing to risk a loss inorder to do the right thing. The beyond­the­call­of­

duty honesty made him recognizable as anupstanding individual. Often, individuals with

integrity bring that trait to the workplace, making ita richer and more dependable workplace for

everyone.

Extraordinary people ultimately win by making theright and, sometimes, difficult decisions. They winbecause integrity Is the backbone of character and

strength.

Confidence

Courage, passion, ethics, and resilience areinarguably components of confidence. While someare born with these comprising attributes, manyothers need the direction and encouragement ofour teachers, our parents and our friends, who

instill confidence.

Improvisational comedy functions on a theorycalled “Yes, and,” where members of a troupe buildoff of one another when they’re on the stage. Theyhave to embrace and escalate zany and uncannyideas. If they were to say “no,” the action and thelaughs would stop, so they accept every challenge

with a smile and a “Yes, and.”

For most adults, the inclination to say no isingrained, particularly when opportunities presentthemselves, likely because new opportunitiesrequire more energy and more work. Yet, anextraordinary person welcomes all new

opportunities, due chiefly to the fact that they havethe confidence to say yes. They understand that

confidence begets productivity, and theyunderstand that each idea they bring to the tablecould be elevated and built upon with “Yes, and.”

Businesses and business schools around the nationhave sought out improv troupe to learn the powerof “Yes, and.” It should be understood that if youchampion a culture where people are encouragedto develop ideas, people will come to you to youwith ideas. They’ll have the confidence to bringideas to you, and you, in turn, will feel confident

about sharing your own ideas.

Please keep the following words in mind:When you instill confidence, you get it back in return.

So, today, I dare you to be extraordinary.I dare you to exhibit the PASSION you have for your career,

your life.I dare you to call upon your personal INTEGRITY to do the

right thing.I dare you to find the COURAGE to overcome obstacles

I dare you to be RESILIENT and bounce back from mistakesor disappointments.

And I dare you to acknowledge the CONFIDENCE you haveand find a way to instill confidence in someone else.

Just today. Just for today, be extraordinary.Tomorrow, you can go back to being ordinary.

But I don’t think you will.

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