Courage – how this leadership trait can increase your success and the fulfillment you get from your leadership role

Do you consider yourself a courageous leader? – If so, what makes you that?

A couple of years ago, I wrote an article on Courageous Leadership for The Corporate Magazine titled “Courageous Leadership: Leading from the Heart, in Ethical Integrity and without Need for Validation.”

Today, I want to focus on three specific areas where Courage can make an exponential difference for leaders and their teams.

1.???Courageous leaders are visionary and innovative.

Courageous leaders are not afraid to say: “I have a dream,” even when this dream looks like a phantasmagoric ideal that is hard to imagine for others. They know that there is more than the current physical reality that surrounds us; that everything starts in our minds, as a dream. They trust their own creativity and that of their team; they can feel the unlimited creative power and resources in themselves and others.

As bold leaders, they have no problem with challenging the status quo, dumping the ordinary and standing up for the extraordinary, aiming for something no one has ever done before.

Innovative leaders cannot exist without courage. Innovation requires the guts to move in a new direction and to experiment with new messages, new ways of doing things, new processes, new products. They are taking risks; sometimes also the risk of being ridiculed for their views, their approaches, their perspectives… until they can prove them successful.

The teams of courageous leaders will be encouraged to contribute their creative ideas, to experiment, and to take part in exciting new projects.

2.???Courageous leaders do not depend on validation by others.

Courageous leaders dare to stand out. They don’t have a need to fit in because they know their own value; they see their uniqueness as an asset rather than a problem. And because they do, they will also welcome and appreciate others’ uniqueness.

They are not afraid to say green when others say blue. They dare to be controversial when this is important to defend ethical values or new ways of working. They do what’s right, and they dare to swim against the stream when that’s required to do the right thing.

The only confirmation they look for is how their leadership serves those they lead, the vision they pursue, their organization... Rather than worrying about what others think about them, they want to be able to look themselves in the mirror and say: “I think highly of you because of your leadership.”

This attitude helps them come across as authentic, as they don’t have a need to fake anything, to flatter or even deceive anyone in exchange for validation. As a result, their teams and other stakeholders will trust them more easily.

Do you feel like you depend too much on others’ validation? DM me! (You’re not alone!)

3.???Courageous leaders are brave enough to admit when they make mistakes or need help.

Courageous leaders know that they are not supposed to be perfect. They are not afraid to admit their own mistakes, which doesn’t also make them more human. It also makes it easier for the team to move on with the project and find a better way. Ultimately, their willingness to admit mistakes and related transparent communication increases their team’s respect for them.

They also know that they are not supposed to know everything, and therefore, they have no issue with bringing in others to complement their own talents, knowledge, and skills.

Being aware of their shortcomings, they don’t cover them up, but rather deal with them.

There are many more benefits to courageous leadership. But if you have these three down, you’re ahead of many leaders we see around us.

Want support to upgrade your leadership skills? DM me!?