Courageous Leaders Lead: They Always Do the Right Thing

If you follow politics, you’ve probably noticed a rise in populism. People who want to be in leadership positions but don’t want to do the hard work. So, instead, they simply tell people what they want to hear, whether it’s true or not.

Unfortunately, populist politics works because there are always people who want to believe those lies so badly that they are willing to suspend their disbelief. However, in business, that’s just not possible.

If your leadership style is to take the easy way out, there will be real consequences. Great leaders have courage, and they always do the right thing, even when it’s not the easy thing. Here are a few other thoughts on courageous leadership that you might want to consider.

You Set the Tone

The first thing you need to know about courage in leadership is that there’s no such thing as “do what I say, not what I do.” As a leader, you set the tone, and your employees will take their cues from you. So, if you’re less than ethical, display favoritism or cut corners, you can expect to see the same from your people.

Whether what you do is good or bad, your employees will pick up on your intentions, and that’s the culture you will be building. So, if you want an honest, hardworking, fair, and inclusive workforce, that’s what you’re going to have to show them yourself.

Your employees will always model their behavior around what you and your management team do. So, make sure you present the right kind of example to them.

You Need to Be Open and Honest

There’s nothing worse than a leader that can’t admit when they are wrong or when they just don’t know something. Even if you try to sell your employees something that’s not true, they’re going to see through it, and all you’ll be doing is getting yourself branded a coward or a liar, or both.

It takes a big person to admit they don’t know something or that they messed up. Be that person and show your team what it takes to have true courage and integrity.

You Have to Fight Fair

Business isn’t always nice, but you should always try to be fair, because your employees are watching your every move.

It doesn’t take courage to use underhanded tactics and unfair business practices. You don’t have to be a pushover or fail to compete, but make sure you have a line you won’t cross, and then don’t.

Don’t Stomp on the Little Guy

Most people subconsciously want to support the underdog. Whether that’s your competitor who is a small mom-and-pop business or an employee who has been working their way up the ladder for years, there’s a good chance they have a fairly large group of supporters.

If you’re a leader, manager, or business owner, or you own or operate a much larger company, you don’t really need to destroy the little guy to get ahead. So don’t be a bully and have the courage to let them carry on doing their thing.

Stand Up for Your Beliefs

According to some historians, Alexander Hamilton was the one who said if you don’t stand for something, you’ll fall for anything. There’s some controversy about who actually coined the phrase, but that doesn’t make it any less true.

One of the toughest jobs in leadership is having the courage of your convictions. That’s especially true when it comes to inclusion and corporate culture. Deep down, you already know what the right thing to do is, so you need to stand up and make sure it gets done.

Choose Your Allies Wisely

There’s no quicker way to get yourself branded as a crook, a liar, or a shady character than by associating with people who are known to be those things.

It’s no secret that sometimes, bad people get ahead in the world, but using their power and position to further your own cause should never be an option.

They say you become the average of the people you spend the most time with. So, make sure you choose to spend your time with the right kind of people.

Know Better, Do Better

Collectively, society has learned a lot about what we’ve been doing wrong for centuries. We all know that racism is wrong. We know that gender equality is important. We understand that diversity and inclusion matter.

When you are in a position of leadership, it’s not enough just to know those things. You need to take action.

Whether that means creating a safe space, educating your employees, and raising awareness for diversity and inclusion, or changing your hiring policies to make diversity part of your corporate policy, it’s all part of being an inclusive leader.

Recognize Toxicity and Stamp It Out

Very often, leaders are faced with difficult situations where their most brilliant, hardest working people are also toxic to the work environment and culture. They might engage in office politics or bullying, or they may go so far as to harass or punish their peers and subordinates.

One of your most important jobs as a leader is to recognize when this kind of behaviour is happening and take action. No one wants to discipline or even fire their best workers, but if you choose to look the other way, you’ll lose many more.

Communicate and Motivate

Another important element of courage in leadership is the courage, to be honest in your communications with your employees.

If you choose a leadership style where you don’t share information, keep your people out of the loop and let them find everything out by rumors, you’ll be creating a culture of constant unease. Your people will be so busy trying to anticipate what might happen next that they won’t be able to do their jobs properly.

Of course, you don’t have to share every detail and decision with your people, but when it comes to big issues, the sooner you communicate them openly and clearly, the better the result will be.

Develop Your Own Emotional Intelligence

Many managers and company owners don’t have leadership skills, even though they occupy a leadership position. One of the biggest reasons for this is that they lack emotional intelligence or EQ.

We’ve all seen company owners who expect their employees to work as hard as they do, even though they have no stake in the business. We’ve seen people who refuse to allow parents to leave early to attend important school events or who give their employees the business when they need to go to the doctor.

Your people are people first. They are parents. They have families. They have lives that you probably don’t know much about. Courage in leadership also means being aware that you don’t know and supporting your people when they need it.

See the Bigger Picture

Business is about making money. Profits matter and sales figures are important. But they’re not the only reason you do what you do. At some point in the past, you probably wanted to make a difference. You wanted to be the best in your field. Maybe you even had big dreams of changing the world for the better.

Try to remember what motivated you when you first started this journey, and re-orient yourself towards it. There’s a difference between building a business and building a legacy, and if you want to leave a lasting impression, you need to master both.

Do the Hard Things

When it comes right down to it, the simplest way to define courage in leadership is that great leaders are willing to do the hard things.

They’re willing to admit they made mistakes. They’re open to being told they don’t know everything and to learn from others. They might not always make the best or most fair decisions, but they’re willing to change their mind when they realize they’re wrong.

It takes courage to go against the grain.

It takes a strong leader to stop just telling people what they want to hear and start telling them what they need to know. But that’s exactly how we make the world a fairer, more equitable place.

So, stop buying from suppliers and manufacturers that you know use unfair labor practices. Don’t hire the son of a college roommate just because of who they happen to be. Pay attention to what’s really happening in your company and who is using office politics to get ahead.

Leadership is not simply about having the power to do whatever you want – no matter what we might see in the political arena. It’s about steering the ship, keeping everyone safe, and giving something worthwhile to the world, whether it’s in your products or services or the impact of your corporate social programs.

Money is vital in business but chasing money won’t ever make you a good leader. So, start by looking in the mirror, and work on your culture from there.

Dr. Terry Jackson is Executive Advisor, Thought Leader Marshall Goldsmith 100 Coach, Top 10 Global Mentor, and Change Leadership Architect. Dr. Jackson partners with Executives and Organizations to align Strategy, People and Processes to transform and sustain Peak Business Performance.