Courageous Leadership

This is partly a meditation on courageous leadership...

and partly a challenge for all of us.

It is a list of ten examples of what constitute courageous choices.

Sticking to your values...

in spite of pressure to compromise. Deep down, you know what is right. Yet sometimes we get so taken-up by the swirl of events, we don't notice the pressure upon us. Take time before every choice, to notice that you do have a choice to make.

Defending what's right...

against the tide of events. As you carried along, it's easiest to turn a blind eye to what is unfair, unjust, dishonest, and wrong. But sometimes you need to put your feet on the sand below, and make a stand.

Taking a risk for a worthwhile outcome...

when you know that your own failure is an equally likely outcome. Not because failure is noble, nor because risks are a good thing. But because the possibility of something good outweighs the cost of failure.

Making decisions...

that need to be made. It's easier to avoid the decision because it could be the wrong one. But you need to recognize that not choosing is a decision. It's just less conspicuous. But courage is not about hiding.

Changing your mind...

and admitting that you have been on the wrong path. This means losing face with others. But more often it is the deep feeling of waste that we fear most. And no logic will make it easier to set that aside. Courage is facing up to your mistake.

Saying no to something that is wrong...

rather than letting it go and saying nothing. Silence is consent. The choice to ignore is complicity. Doing wrong may be a mistake, but continuing to do wrong is an act of sabotage.

Calling out misbehavior...

among your close friends and allies. It's easy to tell 'just anybody' that they are wrong. Turning to your friend and placing probity above that friendship is hard. Because we are tribal. Sometimes doing right means changing sides.

Facing your fears...

and stepping into the unknown. If you aren't scared, it's not courage. And nothing scares us more than the unknown. But letting go of certainty is what growing and learning are all about, just as getting stuff done is all about taking off your warm bed covers.

Putting important things...

into the hands of others. Trust is scary. But leaders need to lead, not do. And the longer you are a leader, the more people there will be who can do stuff better than you can. The more often it will be right to hand over responsibility.

Letting go of something...

you no longer need, and that no longer serves you. It's your comfort blanket, but its time has come. Look it in the eye and say goodbye.

So, how can you do these things?

How can you do any one of them?

I wish I had more answers. I wish I had something clever. But I don't.

As far as I can tell, courageous leadership is an act of will. An act of determination to do the right thing, when there is an easier choice.

In short, it needs honesty and courage.

The question is:

'which one do you know needs your honesty and courage today?'

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