Tuesday, July 8, 2008

LAW 28: ENTER ACTION WITH BOLDNESS

To be a successful and powerful leader, you must be assertive enough, that whatever you do would be undoubting and with conviction. You must not hesitate on what you do and what you say, because that ensures you are confident of your actions, and therefore the people will follow you. The boldness that you show makes you seem larger than life. Other than creating power for yourself, it strikes fear into your opponents, scared and wary of your next actions. Thus it makes you more powerful.

But you do not have to be a leader to exhibit this. It must first come naturally, from within us. All of us have our own weaknesses, and these limitations often restrict our actions, and hamper our self-esteem. But being bold has the effect of hiding these limitations.

Take, for example, the case of the modern-day prophets. These people usually use deception to grab attention, to lure people into what they utter out, or just to make other people believe that they are right. They make up cynical, but well thought-out apocalyptic stories of that may seem believable at first, but upon further thinking, is a total lie. But the mere fact that he made you believe his story is BOLDNESS in itself. The audacity of what he said hid the weak points in his story, thus making it seem more credible. The bolder the lie, the better the story seems.

Historically, boldness played a role in creating a Samson from a feeble man. The civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr. is a prime example of boldness in action. His campaigns against racial discrimination helped many black Americans to escape the shadow of racial abuse, and white Americans to support in his cause. His education of Gandhi and related Christian theology paved the way for his outcry for interracial equality. In his 1963 March on Washington, he led more than 200,000 supporters in his cause. His historic “I have a dream…” speech proved to be successful legislatively, because of the passing of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibited segregation in public accommodations, as well as discrimination in education and employment, and his subsequent awarding of the 1964 Nobel Peace Prize.

In addition, Napoleon Bonaparte saw boldness as a handy means to gain power, despite his small stature. In life and death struggles, which were often the case during his reign, he was somehow bold in his actions, and never afraid, in order to conquer his battles. Also, the seducer Casanova used boldness and confidence in getting women; not by romantic approaches or enchanting courtships, but by being able to give himself up for the woman, doing anything for her, or risking his own life.

In a relationship, you must be a true Casanova, who is sincere and bold in expressing his true feelings for your loved one. But what can boldness damage in a relationship?

-Janine Cindy M. Santiago

Hi18 -N

17 comments:

Jedd Emille Chua said...

For me, boldness depends on the situation.
-Boldness for reform, for instance, will be more beneficial to become firm to what to believe on. Boldness is assurance of the stance, without it, people will think that what is clinged on is pretty quite unsure or not worth believing.
-On the other hand, a situation such as love, boldness is risky. Boldness can be played around. For example, being bold in proclaiming love would just let the opposite gender to trick the bold person. It can also be a source of trouble, such as when the opposite gender's emotions are fragile,boldness here can just ruin the person.
-Jedd Chua Hi 18 O

Dexter Tanengsy said...

It is true, boldness has brought many to greatness. People look up to those who they think are fearless. Being bold, depicts an aura that either demands respect or instills fear. But one must advance with caution because being bold does not entail bumping to anything, that is stupidity. One must use his head first then advance boldly.

Dexter Tanengsy
Hi18-N

Miguel Rojas said...

I think that boldness is an advantage in every way, specially in leadership, and also in love.

I think that in order to be an effective leader, you have to break from the normal way of doing stuff, you have to step-up and be bold.

Boldness indicates your passion to achieve something. If you're not straightforward for something, people will think that you are not hungry for that 'something' that you want to achieve. By being bold, you are being firm about your grounds. You 'mark your territory' as they say. Although some people may be shocked with boldness (such as Mr. Chua's example), it is an indication that you want something to happen, it is an indication that you are passionate about something, and for me, being straightforward is a sign of bravery, strength, firmness and passion for actions.

I also agree with Mr. Tanengsy that you must think first before being bold. I think that you have to be appropriate in making bold actions. You have to be careful in being bold, because it may sting. Quoting a beer commercial: "Lakas ng tama". Yes, boldness is a courageous thing to do, but we must know when and how to use it.

Marcy Leonora V. Pilar said...

Nobody wants to follow a coward, right?
Boldness connotes that one is daring and ready to take on any challenge, so one must be careful to not mask cowardice with bravery. One must not simply veil fear- one must shove it aside, exterminate it, put it away for all eternity. This is what makes bravery and the person possessing it the “man” –erasing cowardice is simply difficult (yet very appealing) to do. I, however, agree that boldness can be seen in hiding timidity since masking timidity denotes being ready and accountable for its consequences. Otherwise, as Dexter put it, it’ll be sheer stupidity.
I couldn’t agree more with this, I think that in order to be an effective leader, you have to break from the normal way of doing stuff, you have to step-up and be bold.

Marcy Leonora Pilar
II – AB MEC

Marcy Leonora V. Pilar said...

In addition, leaders become more effective when they project a bold image because it gives willing followers the impression that that leader has no boundaries, no hindrances that when an obstacle crosses his/her way, there won't be anything to worry about. This then convinces followers to entrust matters to that leader.
Limitations (e.g. fears and insecurities) tend to confine one's being. Breaking away from these confines then makes one seem "larger than life".

Marcy Leonora Pilar
II - AB MEC

Miguel Rojas said...

I agree that a leader should be bold not just with his actions/words but he must also have a bold/strong demeanor so that his followers will see who is really in charge.

Miguel Antonio Rojas
Hi18O

camille martinez said...

BOLD vs. BRAZEN

Let us not forget where boldness ends and insolence begins.

In the real world, you have to be bold in order to get what you want. In the vernacular: kailangan mo maging ma-PR.

If your boldness reaches the point of disrespect, all you may get is a slap across the face.

Camille Martinez
2 AB LIT (ENG)

Jedd Emille Chua said...

I agree with the previous comment, boldness upon reaching disrespect, is a "slap to a face". Boldness comes in different manner, and purpose. Boldness in a manner of gaining respect and awe is impressive, while boldness that will gain disrespect will get yourself in trouble. Whenever boldness is needed, check first the situation.

Kamille Mercado said...

Since almost everyone tackled boldness in leadership, I'd like to focus on Ms.Santiago's final question.

Although Cassanova attracted many women because of his boldness, he never really kept a "real" relationship, one that went past mere infatuation and fiery passion, one with serious commitment. And the very reason for this is also because of his boldness.

Sure it's nice to have someone do anything for you, but if one is too bold, they may also seem to jump into things without thinking about others, even you, first. I agree with Ms.Pilar, saying that boldness makes a leader easier to trust, but too much will make the person seem like they'll do whatever they like, whether you like it or not. And in a relationship, decisions are no longer made by the "ME," but by the "WE."

Ms.Santiago also mentions that boldness makes you seem larger than life. This also won't work for long in a relationship because after you get attracted to this person's greatness, when things start to get serious, you would want to find your equal and not a god.

--Kamille Mercado
Hi18 sec: N

Lexx Aquino said...

Truth be told, no one wants to follow a leader who appears to be unsure of what he is supposed to do. People always choose to follow someone with conviction, courage, and passion. The powerful person commands respect and will certainly make heads turn because of the aura he exudes.
A while ago, I was watching the movie V for Vendetta, and for me, V is the perfect example for this law. His actions were done boldly and seemingly without fear. He ignited the fire in the hearts of everyone. V's strong passion for his beliefs convinced the people to start the change in their country. He probably wouldn't be noticed much by the citizens if he weren't so audacious.

Lexx Aquino
2 AB-MA POS
HI18-O

luigiramirez said...

Being a leader has many responsibilities. Boldness has brought many people to power, history has shown us that. boldness has its advantages and disadvantages.

advatages and disadvantages
makes you powerful, yet open for betrayal, all of us have weak points, all of us have a price that can be used against us.

Boldness can damage a relationship, a man and a woman are different they collide, and their is conflict between the 2 of them.

Luigi Ramirez Hi18-O

Unknown said...

I agree with the first comment when Mr. Chua said boldness depends on the situation. Boldness will inevitably get you somewhere but you'll never know where that somewhere will be. It could play the part you wanted and grant you a leading role, or it could backfire and leave you with nothing or with a mess to clean up. Akhenaten was bold enough to change generations of art traditions and religion. Speculations are that he was forced to leave Thebes. Sometimes those you assert yourself with aren't ready for it.

-Bianca Michaela Bes, Hi 18-O

janine cindy santiago said...

In addition to Mr. Ramirez' remark, I would say that boldness can sometimes prove to be negative in a relationship. it is true that one must be firm in his actions, but not too confident that it would interfere with what his partner says. In a relationship, there has to be a common and mutual thought between the man and the woman, in order to have a healthy relationship. Once one overpowers each other, its manifestation of boldness is not justifiable in the above statements.

-Janine Cindy Santiago HI18 N

Fonsywonsy said...

Showing boldness when doing things will make you seem very confident in what you are doing. Not showing enough boldness or conviction may make you seem very unsure of yourself and have little confidence in what you are doing.

This is like taking orals in school. If you are speaking with conviction, the teacher will think that you really know everything. Having little confidence will make you seem like you just crammed or know nothing about the subject matter.

Alfonso S. Laviña
II AB MEC
HI 18 Section O

Alfonso S. Laviña
II AB MEC
HI 18 Section O

Eric Andres said...

"No guts, no glory." That's what people sometimes say. Yes, I agree. To attain some level of power, one must risk certain things, like failure, to a certain extent. One has to 'dare to dream' and take a step to start that march into the unknown.

I agree with Dexter's comment--one must indeed use one's head before taking action. Being too courageous IS stupid. One must be wary of the risks associated with one's actions. One must know what one is doing.

Eric Andres
HI 18 Section N

Marvin Velasco said...

This is one of the laws where you have to find a middle ground. Having too much or too little boldness can be troublesome. I believe it really depends on the situation. One fine example is when I listen to candidates during a Miting de Avance. It's those candidates with conviction and reassurance in their words who get my vote. I want to hear the confidence in their speech to make me believe what they say. I'm sure most of you can relate with me on this one.

Marvin Velasco
Hi18 N

Anonymous said...

Fortune favors the bold.