Integrating Courage: Leadership

To make a meaningful and lasting impact, the leaders must have a positive attitude, empathy that helps connect with the people and develop strong relationships while achieving collective goals, and a spirit of accountability that keeps the leader and his team in the right direction. Amid all these traditional attributes of leadership, courage is often undervalued or underrated. Thanks to the misconceptions that associate courage with heroic acts seen in the movies. On the contrary, courage is one of the strongest attributes of successful leaders and is possessed by only a few in the world.

Courage & what it is not?

Every leader passes through a testing phase at some point in time, for every attribute they possess. While watching the 'Brave Heart' yesterday night with kids, William Wallace's statement makes sense,

"People don't follow titles; they follow courage."

Today's dynamic and increasingly complex workplaces necessitate the leaders who have the "courage".

The Fortunes of Being Courageous

A fearless leader doesn't have to have many bold decisions in his personal or professional life before. Courage is a virtue that can be assumed at any time, in any situation, whether big or small. All it takes is a willingness to embrace its value.

If a leader is courageous, he/she achieves the two valuable outcomes.

• A clear future
• More opportunities

A Clear Future

It is surprising to know that leaders also have to strive to gain clarity about their future. This is because they are also surrounded by doubt and uncertainty like ordinary people, and they have many followers to ask about their purpose and journey. Leaders having courage create clarity for themselves. In the way of finding clarity, they may not find it earlier, but later. No matter, it still provides confidence if they know that are choosing an act of courage, and they are on the clearer path.

More Opportunities

Acting as a courageous leader brings you many opportunities and with these, comes the skill to make a lasting impression on others and motivate them to perform better.

Courageous leaders are quick to capture new opportunities. At the same time, they take all the necessary time to find the complete information to pursue something. This balance lets them choose the right thing at the right time, and act courageously.

"Opportunity dances with those already on the dance floor. When you act courageously, these new opportunities have a funny way of finding you. Which then allows you to make calculated decisions about which opportunities to pursue." - John Wiesehan

On Way to Be Courageous

Since courage has become an essential leadership trait and offers momentous upside to the leader, leaders must emphasize exercising it more than ever before.?Here are some starting points to be courageous.

• Think of the worst possible consequences. Being a human, we are naturally inclined to avoid risky things and situations. Writing down the worst possible consequences for some action that frightens you may give you a sense that it may not be going to be as bad as you think.
• Think of the best possible results/value/benefits. Our brain always gauges the balance between gain and loss in every aspect of life. Thinking about the benefits of being a courageous leader helps one act courageously. Irrespective of the potential gains or losses, the habit of letting our brain visualize the potential benefits of an event is an ultimate step toward being courageous.
• Consider the emotional side too. Being courageous doesn't mean nullifying the presence of emotions such as fear, doubt, or risk. Emotions can be strengths too.

?“Emotions are data, not directives. We get to choose whom we want to be; our emotions don't."

It is important to experience the emotions that can stop you from acting courageously. Then, move forward.

The Verdict

The more you upgrade your virtue of courage, the more you can keep the fears aside and lead teams, people, and businesses with confidence. Let's close it with the quote by the great Nelson Mandela,?

"I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear."