Principle of the Week: Courage · The Principled Entrepreneur

Principle of the Week: Courage

In the early 1900s, the British government was in a race to build railroads across Africa. They hired an Irish engineer named John Henry Patterson to lead the construction through one of the wildest, most unforgiving terrains on earth.

Patterson wasn’t just an engineer—he was also a sportsman, known for his love of hunting, especially lions. If the name sounds familiar, it’s because his story inspired the 1996 movie The Ghost and the Darkness, based on his book recounting his encounters with the man-eating lions of Tsavo.

But beyond the famous hunt, Patterson wrote about many other adventures that tested his courage.

On one of those hunts, Patterson and his team had tracked several lions through the brush. The African sun was blazing, the air heavy with tension, and even the most seasoned trackers moved carefully. Traveling with Patterson that day was a young boy named Roshan Khan, his personal assistant, who had never been on a lion hunt before.

They crept forward until they could see a large male lion resting under the shade of a thorn tree—its yellow eyes fixed on them, tail flicking, muscles coiled. Patterson raised his rifle, steadied his breathing, and fired. The lion dropped, and a roar of celebration erupted from the native hunters. They rushed forward, singing and shouting.

But Patterson knew better. He had seen lions take bullets before. As he stepped closer, his heart pounding, the “dead” lion suddenly exploded off the ground—charging full speed with every muscle, claw, and fang unleashed.

Patterson fired once, hitting it squarely, but the beast only stumbled. Before he could reload, it lunged again. For a split second, he thought it was over. He braced himself for the impact of several hundred pounds of fury.

Then, at the last instant, the lion veered off—charging instead toward young Khan, who had turned to run. The boy’s scream pierced the air as he sprinted across the tall grass. That brief distraction gave Patterson the moment he needed. He slammed a new round into the rifle, raised it, and fired. The lion collapsed just feet from Khan.

It was over. But the lesson would last a lifetime.

Why did the lion turn from Patterson to chase the boy? Because lions are built to chase. They attack what runs. The moment Khan fled, the lion’s instinct took over.

That’s exactly how fear operates.

Fear preys on movement—it chases the one who runs. It looks enormous and unstoppable, but only if you give it your back.

When we stand firm—anchored in truth and purpose—fear loses its power. It roars, it bluffs, it charges, but it cannot overcome a steady heart.

Ambrose Redmoon said it best:

> “Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgment that something else is more important.”

So this week, think about your own lions.

What fear is charging your way?

What will happen if you keep running?

And what might change if you finally decide to stand your ground?

Be strong.

Be steady.

Be courageous.