Closing the Courage Gap: From Fearful Mind to Brave Heart | Margie Warrell

What if the only thing standing between your current reality and your ultimate potential is a gap you created yourself? 

In this episode of the Built to Finish podcast, host Steven Pivnik sits down with globally recognized leadership coach and author Margie Warrell to explore the intersection of courage, leadership, and personal growth. Warrell shares her journey from growing up on a small dairy farm in rural Australia to advising leaders at Fortune 500 boardrooms and NASA. She defines the "courage gap" as the space created by a fearful mind between what we are capable of doing and what we actually do, emphasizing that courage is not the absence of fear, but the decision to move forward despite it. 

The conversation dives deep into the psychology of "insecure overachievers"—high-performing individuals driven by a deep-seated need to compensate for a fear of being inadequate. Warrell provides actionable advice on re-scripting self-limiting stories and "embracing the suck" of discomfort to achieve significant goals, such as her personal experience training for the New York City Marathon. They conclude with a look at modern challenges, where Warrell encourages leaders to combat the "fog of uncertainty" by taking small, deliberate actions rather than waiting for perfect clarity.

 

Takeaways:

• Identify Your "Insecure Overachiever" Patterns: Recognize if your drive for achievement is fueled by a fear of not being enough. Use self-awareness to transition from being run by these patterns to leading with purpose and contribution.
• Re-Script Your Personal Narrative: Identify labels or stories you have internalized (e.g., "I'm not a runner" or "I'm just a worker bee") and challenge their truth. Replace them with stories that empower your agency and align with your values.
• Apply the Three P Litmus Test: Evaluate your internal narrative by asking if it makes you feel more Powerful (agency), more Purposeful (aligned with values), and more Positive (optimistic about the future).
• Start with the "Next Small Decision": Don't wait for massive, bold resolutions to break stagnation. Take small, repetitive actions—like sending one email or reaching out for coffee—to build momentum and "cast a vote" for the identity of the person you want to become.
• Embrace Productive Discomfort: Distinguish between unnecessary risk and the "worthy discomfort" required for growth. When things get difficult, revisit your "Big Why" to sustain motivation through the hardest parts of the journey.
• Practice the 70% Rule in Uncertainty: Instead of waiting for the "fog to clear," make decisions with the information you have (roughly 70%) and move forward. Constant movement provides the feedback necessary to adjust your strategy.

Quote of the Show:

• "The fearful mind creates the gap between what we can do and what we do. And it takes really a brave/courageous heart to close it."

Links:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/margiewarrell/ 
• Website: https://margiewarrell.com/
• YouTube: youtube.com/watch?v=xIoF0_be5WQ 
• The Courage Gap - Book Link: https://a.co/d/hPLZtMi