Following his Presidency, Theodore Roosevelt gave a famous speech in Paris in 1910 which became known by many as “The Man in the Arena” speech. It was a call to everyone in the world to have courage in the face of criticism. Below is the segment most often quoted:
“It is not the critic who counts; not the [person] who points out how the strong [person] stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the [person] who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spend [themselves] in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if [they] fail, at least fails while daring greatly, so that [their] place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.”
One of my Board members was giving me a pep talk once and told me: “No one ever built a statue to a critic.” How true!
Many of you reading this – regardless of your level of responsibility in your organization – are “The Person in the Arena.” Have courage! Have faith in your mission and vision! There are many of us cheering you on as you “dare greatly!”
