Show Notes

I've consulted with, coached, and advised a huge diversity of people over the decades. They include executives, entertainers, politicians, athletes, military officers, entrepreneurs, and philanthropists. The most successful of them, both at the outset and after development, had the courage of their talent.
Let me define the term which I coined several years ago and which has developed into an entire book.
Courage is not fearlessness, but rather the ability to accept fear and/or pressure and nevertheless perform at the top of your game.
Talent includes the innate traits, abilities, and behavior which help us to master challenges and to lead. Some are highly relevant (for a consultant, communication skills) and some are irrelevant (for a consultant, perfect pitch). Psychologists call this “efficacy.”
The best performers are able to focus as much and as many of their talents as possible on their “callings,” and might provide for the rest in hobbies and personal interests. When people can't apply the preponderance of their talents on a job or career and receive recognition—both monetary and interpersonal—for them, they become frustrated, resentful, and less productive. This dynamic is often mistakenly cited as a “toxic workplace” as though the organization is always at fault.
But in reality, high performers find callings that embrace their talents and reward them handsomely. We have more power to accomplish this than we think. I began my career at Prudential Insurance, realized that the work bored me, merit wasn't necessarily promoted, and I wasn't about to become an executive anytime soon. I then took a job with a consulting firm in Princeton, learned that profession, but after leading the major profit centers was weary of the politics and infighting.
From there I obtained the presidency of a consulting firm in Providence, but was fired by the owner when we starkly disagreed on his attempts to inject his ideology into the business.
Finally, I founded my own firm which is still without other employees, after 41 years. I have the strongest solo consulting brand in the world, and I love doing this.
We need to control our lives in a world which, both purposely and accidentally, is trying to deny us control, to remove our power, to enforce often inappropriate normative pressure. It's absurd to abide by “influencers” who have no real motive except to make money. We need to be our own “influencers.”
There's no secret here, no “12 steps,” no weekend retreat. It's as simple as this:
•Identify what you love doing and are great at
•Determine how best to market and monetize it
•Rejoice in the courage of your talent
You don't need the Wizard to give you courage, as he did for the lion in The Wizard of Oz. Because what the Wizard actually did was to show the lion the courage and talent already resident in his heart and soul.
Find yours.

Alan Weiss is a global, award-winning consultant, coach, speaker, and author—with 57 books, and 16 additional editions in 15 languages. He's the only non-journalist in history to have received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Press Institute, a Fellow of the Institute of Management Consultants, and an inductee in the National Speakers Association Hall of Fame®. His newest book is The Courage of Your Talent (Taylor and Francis, 2026). Advance purchases: amazon.com/Courage-You-Talent-…ebook-dp/B0GXRNT7DY

Alan Weiss's The Uncomfortable Truth® is a weekly broadcast from “The Rock Star of Consulting,” Alan Weiss, who holds forth with his best (and often most contrarian) ideas about society, culture, business, and personal growth. His 60+ books in 12 languages, and his travels to, and work in, 50 countries contribute to a fascinating and often belief-challenging 20 minutes that might just change your next 20 years.

Introduction to the show recorded by Connie Dieken