Hug the Lion and Face Fear With Courage and Vision
- Brainz Magazine
- 3 hours ago
- 8 min read
Dr. Harold Mayaba is a Purpose, Hope, and Resilience speaker, entrepreneur, and market research expert with a PhD in Agribusiness and Applied Economics. He is the founder of H|M Agri-Food Consulting & Speaking and TRADEit Zambia, an e-commerce platform. He inspires change through innovation, strategy, and lived experience.
Fear is inevitable, but it doesn’t have to control us. In this powerful piece, Dr. Harold Mayaba, “The Lion Hugger”, shares stories of resilience, purpose, and courage, revealing how individuals and leaders alike can confront their fears, embrace challenges, and transform them into opportunities for growth and vision.
A story by the fire
When I was growing up, our grandfather used to tell us many stories in the evenings as we sat around the fire. His voice carried the weight of wisdom, shaped by the struggles and triumphs of a different time. One of his stories that etched itself deep into my memory was about how people in his village used to hunt for food in the old days.
Hunting was never just an adventure; it was a necessity. Without it, families would starve. But hunting came with a deadly risk: lions. These majestic yet fearsome creatures would often attack and, at times, even kill members of the community.
I remember asking my grandfather why the men would still choose to go out hunting when the dangers were so clear. Why not stay home, avoid the lions, and preserve their lives? His answer shaped my entire outlook on purpose, hope, and resilience.
He explained that the men’s choice was never between fear and safety. It was between certain starvation and the chance of survival, with both paths carrying the possibility of death. To them, their purpose was crystal clear: provide food for the family. Without that purpose, their lives would have been meaningless. With it, fear had no place.
To make sense of their courage, the villagers came up with a powerful phrase: “Go and hug the lions.”
It was not a poetic metaphor to them; it was a survival strategy. When lions attacked, men fought face to face. They never turned their backs, because lions pounce from behind. A lion’s attack looked almost like a hug, a terrifying embrace of claws and teeth. To hug the lion meant to confront danger head-on, never retreating, never surrendering.
Growing up, I realised I had my own lions: hunger, poverty, rejection, and even homelessness. These lions were no less frightening than the ones my grandfather spoke of. And I learned that survival still required the same principle. When the lions come, you don’t turn away. You hug them. You face them with courage and vision. That is why today, I call myself the Lion Hugger.
Hugging the lion in life
One of the fiercest lions I ever faced appeared during my high school years, at a time when I was staying with my aunt and uncle. My memory lingers on a particular evening, vividly etched in my mind. I had just returned from visiting another uncle, hoping to secure support for my school fees. Instead of compassion, I was met with hostility. My aunt’s husband confronted me with harsh words and a cold tone. Soon after, I was told to pack my belongings and leave their home.
At first, I thought it was only anger speaking. I waited for the storm to pass. But when my uncle returned and repeated the command, I knew he meant it. My heart pounded as I stepped out into the night with only a small bag and nowhere to go. The darkness outside seemed to mirror the rejection and despair inside me. For the first time, thoughts of ending my life crept in.
As I wandered aimlessly, I stopped beneath a large tree. I stared at its branches, imagining escape from my pain. Trembling, I searched my bag for anything that could carry out the dreadful thought of ending my life. My fingers brushed against my textbooks and school uniform, the only belongings I carried because I was rushed. In that moment, something shifted. Those books were more than paper and ink; they embodied the promise I had made to my grandparents and to myself: to pursue education, secure a good job, and break free from poverty. That became my purpose. I longed for the day I could return and provide food for my grandparents, to replace their struggles with abundance. In fact, I even gave myself a nickname: the Hunger Eradicator.
Tears gave way to resolve. I closed my bag and kept walking. Though I did not know where I would sleep or find my next meal, I knew one thing: my circumstances would not decide my destiny. That night, I chose not to surrender. I chose to fight.
From then on, every eviction, every night on a kitchen floor, every day without food became another lion I had to hug. Hunger, homelessness, and rejection did not vanish, but they became milestones of resilience. My pursuit of education turned into my battle cry against poverty and despair.
As J.R.R. Tolkien once said, “It is not the strength of the body that counts, but the strength of the spirit.” In those nights of homelessness, wandering through the darkness with no place to sleep and no idea where my next meal would come from, I discovered the truth of these words. My body was weak, hungry, and weary, but my spirit refused to break because my focus was anchored in purpose. It was inner resolve, not physical strength, that carried me forward toward education and a brighter future.
Why hugging the lion matters
Life offers us endless opportunities to retreat. When fear shows up, fear of failure, fear of rejection, fear of uncertainty, it tempts us to shrink back. But retreat often costs us more than facing the fear itself.
Just as my grandfather’s community could not afford to stay home and starve, individuals and business leaders today cannot afford to let fear paralyse them. Whether it is the fear of starting a new business, making a bold decision, or taking responsibility for people and resources, fear whispers that staying still is safer. Yet, in truth, it is stagnation that kills vision, progress, and hope.
As Nelson Mandela once said:
“I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear.”
Courage, then, is not about pretending fear does not exist. It is about refusing to let fear dictate your choices.
The lions we face as individuals
Every person faces lions. They may not be roaming the savannah, but they prowl within our daily lives:
The lion of rejection: When people dismiss our ideas, our dreams, or our worth.
The lion of failure: When attempts collapse and the weight of disappointment sits heavily on our shoulders.
The lion of poverty: When resources are scarce and the horizon looks bleak.
The lion of loneliness: When relationships break down or when leadership isolates us.
The lion of self-doubt: Perhaps the fiercest of them all, whispering that we are not enough.
Hugging these lions does not mean celebrating the struggles. It means facing them with the mindset that turning your back is not an option.
American author Mark Twain once remarked:
“Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear, not absence of fear.”
When you resist fear by hugging the lion, you begin to realise that each battle leaves you stronger, wiser, and more resilient.
The lion's leaders face
For business leaders, the lions are just as real, though often less visible. They come in different forms:
Market uncertainty: Unpredictable shifts that threaten stability.
Innovation pressure: The constant demand to adapt, adopt, and stay ahead.
Organisational resistance: Teams are hesitant to embrace change.
Global competition: The lion that grows hungrier as industries go digital.
Ethical demands: The rising roar of consumers calling for sustainability, transparency, and responsibility.
Leaders are called to hug these lions. To face uncertainty with vision, to embrace innovation with courage, and to lead organisations through change without retreat.
As management guru Peter Drucker said:
“The greatest danger in times of turbulence is not the turbulence, it is to act with yesterday’s logic.”
Hugging the lion, for a leader, means stepping boldly into tomorrow’s challenges with today’s courage.
Purpose: The shield against fear
The men in my grandfather’s story did not fight lions because they enjoyed the thrill of danger. They fought because they had a purpose: feeding their families. Purpose stripped fear of its power.
Purpose does the same for us today.
When your “why” is greater than your “what if,” fear loses its grip. Simon Sinek put it this way:
“People don’t buy what you do; they buy why you do it. And what you do simply proves what you believe.”
For individuals, purpose provides hope and direction in the chaos of life. For leaders, purpose provides vision for organisations and inspiration for teams. Without it, fear fills the void. With it, fear becomes manageable.
Hugging the lion in business
In the corporate world, hugging the lion translates into bold decisions:
A startup founder is investing personal savings in a dream despite the high risk of failure.
A CEO pivoting an entire organisation to embrace sustainability, knowing it will disrupt current operations.
A leader addressing toxic workplace culture head-on instead of avoiding confrontation.
An entrepreneur navigating economic instability, still daring to build a venture that creates jobs and hope.
Each act is a lion hug. Not because fear disappears, but because vision stands taller. Winston Churchill once said:
“Success is not final. Failure is not fatal. It is the courage to continue that counts.”
That is the essence of lion hugging: continuing when fear says stop.
Lessons for leaders and individuals
So how do we hug the lion in practical terms?
Name your lion: Fear thrives in shadows. Identify exactly what you are afraid of.
Stand your ground: Like the hunters of old, never give your back to fear. Retreat only strengthens it.
Anchor in purpose: Reconnect with your “why.” Purpose feeds courage.
Act despite fear: Courage is action taken with trembling hands.
Learn from each encounter: Every lion teaches. Every scar carries wisdom.
For leaders, this might mean holding firm in times of crisis. For individuals, it may mean pursuing education, whether formal or informal, starting a new business, or finding the courage to rebuild after failure.
Resilient leadership in a changing world
We live in times of turbulence. Global markets are uncertain, technology disrupts industries overnight, and the expectations of consumers evolve rapidly. Leaders without courage are quickly paralysed. Leaders without vision lose direction.
Resilient leadership is not about avoiding lions; it is about expecting them, facing them, and building organisations strong enough to survive their attacks.
Jim Collins, in his classic Good to Great, reminds us:
“Greatness is not a function of circumstance. Greatness, it turns out, is largely a matter of conscious choice and discipline.”
Leaders who consciously choose to hug their lions, whether those lions are financial downturns, new competitors, or ethical dilemmas, are the ones who will inspire trust, loyalty, and long-term growth.
Conclusion: Become a lion hugger
My grandfather’s stories were more than entertainment; they were lessons about survival, courage, and purpose. He may not have realised that his phrase, “hug the lion,” would one day shape my entire philosophy of life and leadership. But today, I know this: we all have lions, and we all have the choice to turn away or to hug them.
When we hug the lion, we acknowledge that fear exists, but purpose is stronger. We accept that life will throw us into battles we did not choose, but resilience can carry us through. We realise that courage is not about avoiding danger, it is about confronting it head-on with vision and hope.
So, whether you are an individual battling personal struggles or a business leader steering through uncertain waters, remember this: do not turn your back, hug the lion. And to truly hug the lion, you must meet its courage with your own. That is why my signature saying is, “Unleash the lion within, let your roar be heard.” For it is in that fearless embrace that you discover the power to lead with purpose, inspire others with hope, and sustain lives with resilience.
Read more from Dr. Harold Mayaba
Dr. Harold Mayaba, Agri-Food Consultant & Speaker
Dr. Harold Mayaba is a speaker on Purpose, Hope, and Resilience, an entrepreneur, and a specialist in market research, holding a PhD in Agribusiness and Applied Economics. He founded H|M Agri-Food Consulting & Speaking, as well as TRADEit Zambia—an e-commerce platform dedicated to supporting and uplifting local enterprises.
Harold specialises in consumer insights, purpose based strategies, and transformative leadership. His work bridges research, entrepreneurship, and motivational speaking to inspire change across communities. Follow his profile to explore more articles that combine strategy with purpose.
