Thursdays Leadership Insight; Courage in Leadership Practice. What does it look like? What Makes It So Important Now?

The practice of leadership is an inside-outside process of intentional continual development of the three C's. The three C's stand for the Core foundation, Content skills practiced in the Context of the time. The Core component of leadership practice comprises our values, purpose, mindset, and who a leader is as a person. The second C is the content skills of leadership. Content skills are learnable skills a leader uses in their practice. These include decision-making skills, market expertise, speaking and mentoring, technology skills, and various skills to continually develop. The third C is the context of the time. The context is where the first two cs are demonstrated and will vary due to time and circumstance. Communication and connection are content leadership practice skills, yet the communication mode a leader used before March 13, 2020, and what they use now is radically different. In case you have forgotten or repressed the thought that day. It was when the world essentially shut down due to the Covid19. Communication continued, yet it looked a lot different. Zoom went from a verb, going fast to a noun, meaning you clicked a link to join a meeting, and you could wear a sport coat, shirt, and tie while wearing gym shorts.

Courage is a core component of the three C's leadership practice. Yet probably the least talked about core component of leadership practice. One reason is that it is a core component, and many assume you are courageous because you are a leader. In a 2017 Education Week blog, educational leadership experts Jill Berkowicz & Ann Myers, in What It Takes To Develop Courageous Leaders, state, "We know no leadership training program leading to certification focusing on courage. What is courage? How is it developed? Does it strengthen risk-taking, failure, or success? "They further conclude that courage is a leadership practice that develops over time. Courage is a core leadership concept practiced daily but highlighted in crisis or challenge. Leadership expert John Maxwell says crises like covid "shine a bright spotlight on leadership ." This spotlight reveals courage in leadership or the lack of it. Courage is spotlighted in times of challenge, yet effective leaders display courage in their daily practice, such as making uncomfortable tough decisions. The daily choices a leader makes display that courage is essential. It may not be life-or-death, yet hiring, layoffs, and closing a plant, school, or brand are all decisions that require courage. Leaders' actions set expectations for others to develop their courage as leaders in daily life.

This Thursday's Leadership Insight will discuss courage and what it looks like for any leader and share seven ways a leader can intentionally practice courage. Leadership is a powerful word defined as influencing or adding value to those you serve and lead to move forward. Mark Miller, the author of Chess, not Checkers, defines leadership as a choice of a leader to build people up and get things done. Courage is also defined as the mental or moral strength to venture, persevere, and withstand danger, fear, or difficulty. The Latin origin of courage is cor meaning heart. Leadership courage could be defined as influencing others to move forward in the face of risk and uncertainty despite their fear because they developed the core component of leadership practice, courage. Leadership courage is developed by the intentional practice of moral and mental strength, perseverance, and determination to serve a purpose moving forward.

What does leadership courage look like? Here are five characteristics of courage in leadership highlighted by the specials on the Chicago Bull's "Last Dance "and the History Channel docu-series "Grant."

1.?Leadership courage is an inside-outside process and choice.

?Leadership courage is a core component of leadership developed by choice. It can't be obtained via Amazon or in a workshop. It is defined and refined by experiences. Lincoln and Grant were both the experience of surviving hard times through hard work and perseverance growing up. Michael Jordan had service and practice ingrained in him by his family. They all choose to develop leadership courage despite or because of their upbringing and circumstances. Leadership expert John Maxwell described leadership courage as opening a door with a handle on only your side. Lincoln, Grant, and Jordan all choose to open the door.

2. Leadership Courage is refined by reframing failure to learning.

Courage in one's leadership practice is developed and refined by good and bad experiences Lincoln and Grant were both failures in business and political experiences. In the Black Hawk Wars, Lincoln started the campaign as a captain in the Militia. He ended the campaign as a private, completely laughable failure. He lost many more elections than he won. Grant was a bankrupt business failure. Michael missed many a potential "buzzer beater." They all learned from their failures to move forward. As a commander at the battle of Belmont, Grant won an early victory and allowed his troops to celebrate prematurely. The Confederates counterattacked, and he barely survived. Grant vowed never to let that happen again and to be prepared and disciplined. Lincoln guided the nation over four tumultuous years. Michael Jordan often commented that there were no lowlight reels of missed buzzer beaters, only highlight reels.?

3. Leadership courage displays a clarity of purpose to preserve despite challenges and setbacks.

Lincoln focused on saving the Union despite poor generals and low public opinion. He clarified the purpose of the war through the Emancipation Proclamation, taking a stand on slavery that few of his advisors advocated. He refined the purpose and process, and prosecution of the war. Grant was primarily known for being very clear that the purpose of the war was to end the rebellion and clear that in a battle, a leader had to be in the front to move troops and adapt to situations and their obstacles and opportunities. He keeps moving forward to meet that purpose. Michael Jordan maintained his focus to be the best and win championships despite playing on many an inferior Bulls team early in his career. This was especially true when he played in game 5 of the 1997 championship series with the Utah Jazz despite severe stomach flu.

4. Leadership Courage is displayed by being humble to listen and learn to adapt to achieve the purpose.

Lincoln had the humility to seek counsel from contentious cabinet members, as Pulitzer prize-winning Historian Doris Kearns Goodwin describes in her book Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln.

He was the first president to monitor a war's progress daily using the telegraph by electronics and replaced generals until he found one, Grant. Grant took the advice of his subordinates to allow Union Colonel William Grierson's cavalry?brigade?consisting of the?6th?and?7th Illinois?and?2nd Iowa Cavalry?regiments, to conduct the largest calvary raid of the war, diverting Confederate troops from Vicksburg to successfully encircle the city. He also followed the advice of his subordinates and allowed Vicksburg Confederate forces to be pardoned and go home with their sidearms and horse. This decision saved many lives by avoiding a final assault.

Michael Jordan became a 6-time champion working with and learning from Phil Jackson. And twice passing on a potential championship-winning shot to pass to other teammates, John Kerr and John Paxton. He used his influence to draw defenders away and open opportunities for other teammates.

5. Leadership Courage is taking action despite the risk to move forward

Lincoln chose Grant as his commander-in-chief despite discussions of his well-publicized trouble with drinking. He offered to buy the same brand of whiskey for all his generals for his other generals if they would win battles like him. Grant led and coordinated infantry, cavalry, and naval forces to move forward and around the enemy to win battles, capture key strongholds, and secure the Mississippi River. He endured a costly campaign to capture Richmond and end the war. Jordan won his final Chicago Bulls Championship game in 1998, driving the ball to a winning shot despite defensive team pressure and knowing a miss would mean another game.

Leadership courage has always been a foundational part of effective leadership. These characteristics are quietly displayed in "normal times "by purpose-driven people-centered leaders. These challenging times have amplified the need for leadership courage in the early stage of reaction, the middle phase of the response, and even more so in the stage of return /transformation from any crisis. Effective organizations stay on course in calm and stormy seas by maintaining a steady courageous attachment to values, mindset, mission, and vision of the times, the content. Leadership courage will be required to choose forward action, be clear on their purpose, reframe failures as learning, adapt, and take risks to achieve their purpose for their organization, families,

?country, and world. Leadership courage as we move forward can, as Churchill said, allow us not to waste this crisis and find an exciting opportunity to create a new, better normal moving forward.

How, then, can a leader build their courage?in their leadership practice

Marlene Chism shares five practices in a Jan 2023 article??5 Ways to increase leadership courage in 2023. I have added two more. These seven practices provide a great guide to growing courage in one's leadership practice.

1. Know yourself.

Be very clear on your values, mindset, and purpose in your leadership practice.

2. Tell yourself the truth

Please be honest with how you are showing courage in your leadership practice. An objective, honest friend, mentor, or coach will provide perspective to help one validate or challenge themselves.

3. Set boundaries and clarity in your leadership practice.

Be clear with yourself and others that you are the leader who builds people up with what they need to grow and gets things done. Chism advises, "If you want their success more than they do, you must set some boundaries. Start by owning the part you played, then update relevant individuals that you're setting a new boundary. Ensure you intend to enforce the boundary by communicating the consequences of crossing the boundary.?"

4.?Promote personal responsability

Learning to hold oneself and help others be personally accountable develops the leader's courage and sets the standard for all with their expectations. "Promote personal responsibility by making people represent themselves first."

5.?Stop appeasing

Appeasement has led to two world wars and many other calamities. Appeasement comes from seeking comfortable approaches or quick fixes without reflecting on one's actions. A practice of reflection gives a leader space to consider all sides of a situation and plan how to act.

6.?Become a radical listener.

A courageous leader listens and considers all sides of a situation. Present listening is a practice of courage to be humble and accept that others have more information and better ideas.

7. Practice being courageous intentionally

You should deliberately seek out and act to practice being courageous in your leadership practices. The Navy Seals participate in many a daunting mission requiring courage. In a May 20,2020?INC. magazine article, Four Navy SEAL Tactics to Think Clearly in a Crisis, author Carmine Gallo interviewed retired Navy SEAL?Mark Divine, author of Staring Down the Wolf.?about staying on focus in a crisis. Divine stated there are four crucial factors to staying the course that leaders can use today as we remerge and move forward. They intentionally focus on Box Breathing, Realistic Positivity, Visualization, and Front sight focus, keeping your eyes on the vision forward.

A leader can develop their practice to display courage in all areas. The practice of displaying courage in small areas of leadership will become stepping stones for responding to bigger challenges. The choice by a leader to build their leadership practice of courage will display an intentional daily practice for all they lead and serve.

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The question is: Will you choose to develop courage in your leadership practice?

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