It’s a good thing to be smart. Sure beats being dumb. But sometimes, being “smart” gets too much emphasis. Sometimes, we start to think smart will do everything. It doesn’t. While smart is essential, and it'll take you far, to really go the farthest distance, you must balance smart with brave.

For example, no doubt you're fabulous at the work you do, but if you're afraid to pitch your services to a stranger, or maybe ask for a raise, you may not achieve a level of success commensurate with how smart you are. If this happens, it’s not because you lack smartness, but because you lack bravery.

If you wish to make changes in your life, it may not be enough to simply follow the instructions in a self-help book with great care and precision. Making real changes requires abandoning the safety and familiarity of the old for the uncertainty of the new.

It may even require outright disloyalty to the past. The changes may be very logical and smart in the planning stage, but at some point, when push comes to shove, there will be fear to overcome. There will be choices that, no matter how well thought out, will carry unknown and possibly unpleasant consequences. When they have to be executed, smart is not the answer. Beyond a certain point, thinking just delays things. Bravery is required to make the transition. 

If you occasionally find that you lack adequate courageousness, you're not alone. Brave is hard. We teach smart like crazy, but brave isn’t taught nearly as much.

Many people hesitate to pursue their highest goal, not for lack of being smart, but because smart, by itself, does not do as well when faced with an infinite number of uncertain outcomes. For instance, mulling over how to avoid negative possibilities is overly emphasized, even though it's not always the right tool for the job. “Smart” promises predictable, controlled, and safe ways out, but you can never out-think every possible risk. Every so often, you have to stop thinking about how to do something perfectly on the first try and just start doing something. This requires balancing “smart” with “brave.” Sometimes this means being a little less smart to make room for bravery.

There's lots of "smart" available these days. “Brave,” however, is a little harder to come by. It's good to be smart, but it's essential to balance your smart with your brave.

Justin Locke is a speaker. He likes to share hilarious “behind-the-scenes” stories of his many years of playing the bass with the Boston Pops and unique insight into the management tricks of the many famous conductors he’s played for. He is the author of Real Men Don’t Rehearse (a humorous musical memoir) and Principles of Applied Stupidity (a look at unconventional wisdom in management). For more information, visit his website at www.justinlocke.com or his blog at justinlocke.typepad.com.