Courage

Earlier this week I learned that a member of our executive team rescued a young boy struggling in difficult surf conditions. The story didn’t really surprise me because Jason Frost is that kind of bloke, (what a privilege it is to have him as part of our leadership team), but it did get me thinking about the idea of courage and how it manifests itself in the workplace.

Courage stems from the old French word “Coeur”, which means heart. I believe being courageous means to act upon those things we already feel deeply, an innate connection with our core values. Jason showed real courage to help that 9-year-old kid get back to shore safely, responding to a core value, in this case his willingness to help others in need.

I see evidence of courage every day at FTS Group. I observe consultants willing to demonstrate the courage of their convictions, using their deep knowledge and experience to tell customers what they need to hear, not just what they want to hear.

I am lucky to participate in many heartfelt conversations at work, with people willing to express themselves fully and without fear. This can sometimes mean folks challenging ideas and assumptions. Dissent may be a little confronting at times, but is often vital to innovation and growth.

For any business to survive and thrive, all staff need the courage to propose solutions to problems, and feel comfortable to raise questions without fear. An article from Feb 2013 in Harvard Business Review revealed that “in places where dissenting opinions are encouraged, employees report greater job satisfaction, and leaders are able to consider a wider range of proposals and options before making decisions”.

To create such an environment takes courage. It is also a necessary ingredient when asking for help, which is so critical to learning and personal development. To say "I don't know" is to demonstrate vulnerability, a courageous act in itself.

Courage is required to make any feedback session between two or more people meaningful. By creating time and space for such heartfelt conversations we create the possibility for people to realise their potential, through the necessary process of honest and open reflection. I sometimes refer to this as being a “compassionate hard arse”, providing feedback that is firm, friendly and fair and puts the real interests of the individual, colleague, business partner or customer at the heart of the conversation, a courageous conversation.

According to David Whyte, a courageous conversation is the one “we should be having”. He writes that “to be courageous is to stay close to the way we are made”. I find this idea compelling, and stories like that of Jason remind me of how good it is to work with people who engage in a manner consistent with their core values.

I believe courage should be viewed as a core value of any workplace environment, and I certainly see courage as a foundational element of FTS Group culture. We like to work with courageous people, because we know that courage is contagious, and that it makes FTS Group an interesting, engaging and rewarding place to work.

If you feel the same way, drop us a line or visit www.ftsg.com.au – we would love to start a courageous conversation with you.