Courage: a new definition

We no longer have to fight tigers, wars are a thing of the past for most the civilised world.  So where to show courage? 

Someone falls from a bridge and you jump off to save her life.  That is also courage.  But we don’t look forward for such opportunities to exhibit our courage, do we? 

No now courage is different. 

I want to share with you the courage of a young man called Ram Krishna Pant.  He is the president of LEo club of Nepal. 

Well he wanted to invite me to run one of his last training of his tenure.  But my fees were out of this budget.  So he could easily have taken a cheaper speaker.  But he had heard of me and seen my work and was determined to have me. 

As you know organizing, promoting a training program is a stressful job in that it requires people to come to the venue.  So Ram Krishna along with his coordinator Alka, worked out the revenue and cost.  They could not charge more than Rs.100 to Rs.200 per partipants.  It was a whole day program so they had to feed them. 

the math showed a net loss unless a good number of participants turned out.  A loss that the president would have to bear in the worst case scenario.  There was so little they could fish out the funds of the LEo club. 

Such programs are infamous for decietful behavior of people not turning out and thus causing net loss of high proportion. 

So Ram Krishna was fearful that he could not pay me my fees.  So at this point he could have chickened out.  Or he could have begged me.  Or he could have tried to reason me out that this was a charity organization.  I have faced all these situations.  I had given in to these situtations in the past.  But i never had respect for these people who could easily bear the loss. 

But young Ram Krishna was without a proper job and still he wanted to continue with me.  His courage lead him to a creative financial compensation solution. 

1.  In case the participants turn out in a the expected number we pay you as your fees are

2.  In case the participants are less, we will pay you the highest percentage of the registration fee

It was a courageous thing to do. 

When this young man will reach the top and if he continues this spirit of courage in this life, he will do extremely well in life. 

As it turned out the event was a number wise success and of course was toped with smashing reviews from the participants as always. 

The bottom line is that we need courage but now we must show in management.  There we can seek more and more opportunities. 

1.  Don’t chicken out

2.  Don’t try to cheat your way out

Instead demonstrate a deep value for courage and like in Ram Krishna’s case, creative solutions will bless you and the reciepients (here me) will look at them positively.