Unleash the 'C' word... Courage
What comes to mind when you think of courage?
A Purple Heart medal?
Or
Saying "No"?
These two examples representing the ends of the courage spectrum is significant, or is it?
The word courage is used by many organisations as one of their values. It elicits symbolism like stamina in leadership, speaking up, thinking and acting outside the box, and knowing that it's safe to fail and learn. Courage requires us to face into fear and taking values based action regardless of the circumstances and consequences.
So, is courage all about disruption?
Is it something that needs to be unleashed and celebrated?
How do you know how to be courageous as a leader in your workplace?
Regardless of the circumstances, all of my corporate Executive and Middle Management clients share this one challenge.
Unleashing their courage.
Whether it is preparing a business case to secure support for their proposal from the CEO and Board; delivering feedback to an underperforming team member; saying no to demands that impacts their personal priorities; calling out behaviour that is not aligned to organisational values; being authentic in the workplace; communicating change; or knowing when to walk away.
All of these examples call for courage.
To become a courageous leader, consider the following core qualities that are within your control:
Boundaries linked to values - know themselves including having self-respect in knowing what is not negotiable; behavioural consistency; understanding that what is said 'yes' to means saying 'no' to something else
Critical thinking and challenge - asking questions; demonstrating and encouraging divergent thinking; sharing insights to mitigate risk; enabling continuous improvement; and leading change
Collaboration - making time for design thinking with others; authentic engagement with a desire to learn and empower decision making as a collective; drawing on the strengths and experience of others to deliver better outcomes
Vulnerability - being compassionate; being a lifelong learner; admitting mistakes; telling stories to engage and inspire
Delegation and communication - speaking the truth; communicating clear expectations and offering support; active listening; and deliver timely reflections to 'feed-forward' to leverage team member's strengths and encourage the right behaviour.
OK, let's take a moment to reflect…
On a scale of 1-10, 1 being not at all and 10 being extremely confident, how confident are you today to stand firm to your values and speak up?
What small adjustment could you make to take this up a notch or two?
Or perhaps, how can you mentor others and role model your courage to enable others to be supported to practice it?
What needs to be spoken about at your leadership table?