Articles with leadership

SemperVerus and the Noble Foundation of Scouting

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The SemperVerus Brotherhood / Sisterhood rests on foundational personal virtues to which members commit themselves to practice with every decision they make every moment of every day in order to be the best and highest achieving person they can be (“Stay True”). It can be likened to the goals of Scouting.

[ Read the SemperVerus article, 15 Maxims for Being Reliable ]

The international Boy Scout movement was founded in Great Britain in 1908 by cavalry officer Lieutenant General Robert S.S. Baden-Powell, who wrote the book, Scouting for Boys (1908). He succeeded in creating an organization that motivated boys to learn new skills and self-confidence in their journey toward responsible manhood. As they advanced in their education and practice, they were awarded badges of accomplishment to certify and celebrate their successes (much as the SemperVerus wristband signals the wearer’s personal commitment to daily live virtuously and “Stay True”).
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[ Read SemperVerus articles on developing rich personal leadership character of exemplary moral and ethical quality. ]

Even as adults, it’s worthwhile for us to review and remember Scouting’s noble objectives:

Scout Motto:  Be prepared.

Scout Slogan:  Do a good turn daily.

Scout Aims:  Life Skills, Character, Citizenship, Personal Fitness, Leadership.

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Scout Oath:  On my honor I will do my best to do my duty to God and my country and to obey the Scout Law; to help other people at all times; to keep myself physically strong, mentally awake, and morally straight.

Scout Law:  A Scout is trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean, and reverent.

Scout Mission:  The mission of the Boy Scouts of America is to prepare young people to make ethical and moral choices over their lifetimes by instilling in them the values of the Scout Oath and Scout Law.

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A Navy SEAL Reveals 8 Secrets To Grit And Resilience

USA Navy Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL (BUD/S) Training

What can the USA Navy SEALs and research teach us about getting through life’s tough times? James Waters, a former SEAL Platoon Commander, offers the following:

1) Purpose And Meaning
Without a good reason to keep pushing, we’ll quit. Studies of “central governor theory” show our brains always give in long before our body does.

2) Make It A Game
What’s one of the things people who live through disaster scenarios have in common? They make survival a game. The best way to deal with stress is to see problems as challenges, not threats.

3) Be Confident — But Realistic
Lack of confidence isn’t an option but neither is denial. Hope and despair can be self-fulfilling prophecies.

4) Prepare, Prepare, Prepare
Marathons aren’t as hard after a few months of training. But if you had to run one tomorrow you’d probably cry. Who survives catastrophic scenarios? The people who have prepared. Reducing uncertainty reduces fear.

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Inspirational Quotes on Courage

In the book Mere Christianity, C.S. Lewis writes, “Very often the only way to get a quality in reality is to start behaving as if you had it already….Do not waste time bothering whether you ‘love’ your neighbor; act as if you did. As soon as we do this we find one of the great secrets. When you are behaving as if you loved someone, you will presently come to love him.”

The same can be said about courage. By behaving as though you’re brave when you’re afraid, you’ll come to actually have the courage necessary to overcome your fear. As Theodore Roosevelt, the 26th president of the United States, wrote in his autobiography, “There were all kinds of things I was afraid of at first, ranging from grizzly bears to ‘mean’ horses and gun-fighters; but by acting as if I was not afraid I gradually ceased to be afraid.”

Here are inspirational quotes about bravery and courage:

“Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong.” — 1 Corinthians 16:13 (ESV)

“Be strong, and let your heart take courage, all you who wait for the Lord!” — Psalm 31:24 (ESV)

“When I am afraid, I will put my trust in you. I praise God for what he has promised. I trust in God, so why should I be afraid?” — Psalm 56:3-4 (NLT)

“Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.” — Isaiah 41:10 (NLT)

“Courage is not simply one of the virtues, but the form of every virtue at the testing point, which means at the point of highest reality. A chastity or honesty or mercy which yields to danger will be chaste or honest or merciful only on conditions. Pilate was merciful till it became risky.” — C.S. Lewis

“Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgment that something else is more important than one’s fear.” — James Neil Hollingworth

“Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak; courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen.” — Winston Churchill

“Courage is the first of human qualities because it is the quality that guarantees all the others.” — Winston Churchill

“This is no time for ease and comfort. It is time to dare and endure.” — Winston Churchill

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15 Maxims for Being Reliable

Steadfast like a rockAre you reliable? Someone who’s trustworthy, dependable, honest, respectable, steadfast? Like a rock?

Here are 15 tenets to make sure you are:

  1. Keep your promises.
  2. Don’t overpromise.
  3. Manage expectations.
  4. Don’t leave other people hanging.
  5. Whatever you do, do it well.
  6. Be consistent.
  7. Finish what you start.
  8. Pull your weight and shoulder your own responsibilities.
  9. Be honest.
  10. Pay back money and return things in a timely manner.
  11. Be punctual.
  12. Be fair and consistent in rewards and punishments.
  13. Don’t let circumstances dictate your behavior.
  14. Don’t collapse in emergencies.
  15. Show up.

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