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Courage is the
intangible leadership quality of which greatness is made. It is
demonstrated when a person endures severe pressure, conflict or
adversity with grace and dignity. All exceptional leaders seem
to have their fair share of it.
How does someone
acquire courage? There is no simple formula for doing so.
Nevertheless, I have come to the conclusion that an individual’s
continued courage under trying circumstances comes from
spiritual strength. As Cicero said, “A man of courage is also
full of faith.” Those who believe in God are better able to
face adversity straight on and inspire others by doing so.
Let us look at
some of the ways leaders demonstrate their inner strengths.
First, they do
not suffer from the crippling need to be loved by everyone. For
example, they are not afraid to say “no” to unreasonable
requests and demands placed on them and to take positions on
issue of importance. When such issues arise, courageous leaders
do not remain on the sidelines by keeping quiet. Instead, they
strongly express their opinions. Though they may be disliked and
ridiculed from time to time, they continue to stand up for their
beliefs.
Second, leaders
have the courage to pick themselves up after defeat and work
even harder than before. Successfully leading an organization
every day is a tough game. You do not always meet your
objectives. Occasionally you will get in hot water with your
boss or colleagues. Even those with a high batting average are
going to strike out periodically.
I have never
known a successful business leader who did not have at least one
incident of serious failure in his or her career. Good leaders
have the courage to take risks, to face failure and to learn
from each mistake. When failure is viewed from this perspective,
it becomes a stepping stone to the future.
People generally
do not learn much from their success; they learn more from their
mistakes. They gain new insights and perspectives about
themselves by reflecting on what they did wrong and how they can
improve in the future.
Third, leaders
have the courage to face inevitable conflict openly and head
on. Whenever strong-willed people interact on a frequent basis,
there will be occasional disagreements and conflict. The
effective leader recognizes that this is a fact of life and does
not shy away from conflict because of the tension and stress
involved.
Occasionally,
some conflict is necessary in an organization to get things
moving – to obtain action where there are bureaucratic road
blocks or procrastination. This principle can perhaps be
explained the analogy: “A little friction is often needed to get
traction.” The trick is to keep the conflict controlled so as
not to create warring factions that undermine cooperation.
Fourth, leaders
have the courage and strength to bear their burdens.
Finally, leaders
have the courage to adapt and change as conditions and
situations merit.
This is not an
easy task for leaders who have been successful over the years by
doing things their own way. The reasoning of such people goes
something like this: “Why change? I’ve been successful in the
past.” Still as everyone knows, success is fleeting in our
rapidly changing business environment. What was appropriate a
few years ago may not work today.
There is another
reason why people fail to adapt and change: most of us prefer
the established routine. We are all creatures of comfort. We
like the familiar because we can count on it. Surprises are
uncomfortable, and change creates uncertainty. This leads to
tension and stress.
In this article
leaders courage was identified as a person’s perseverance and
determination when faced with adversity or an unusual challenge.
Such courage is demonstrated in many ways, such as:
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Being able
to say “no” and take position on important issues,
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Responding
to defeat by trying even harder and smarter
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Facing
conflict openly and head on,
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Bearing
one’s burdens and
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Adapting to
change.
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