Warning: You have just entered the no fluff and fill zone.
It seems everybody writes about courage and leadership these days. Some of it is awesome. Some of it – not so much.
I want to push past all the fluff, fill and flowery words to get straight to the heart of courageous leadership.
Here we go.
1. Aware.
Courageous leadership knows what it wants. It is not wishy-washy.
It has it figured out and has no time for hand wringing or fear.
The courageous leader is self-conscious and aware of behaviors and patterns of thinking that prevent her from reaching what she wants. She is “in tune” with her mission, believes in her awareness and acts in positive ways to support them both.
Courageous leadership is not asleep. It is not a guess. It has no use for doubt.
Courageous Leadership is AWARE.
2. Challenging.
Courageous leadership challenges the status quo. It does not settle.
The courageous leader pushes the boundaries of “we have always done it this way.” She powers through long-held fears because she knows those fears have directly challenged her life, her family, her business or organization from reaching their full potential.
Courageous leadership challenges tradition, not for the sake of defiance alone, but because tradition can get stuck in the mire and mud of its past and not reach out to the future in positive and powerful ways. It has learned from the past, but drives forward into new horizons.
Courageous leadership is not stuck. It is not boring. It has no use for fear.
Courageous Leadership is CHALLENGING.
3. Effective.
Courageous leadership hits the mark. It does not waffle.
The courageous leader has made up her mind and performs her task with effectiveness. She is successful in producing her desired and intended result.
Why?
Courageous leadership is effective because it has within it the two most important characteristics of leadership itself: passion and integrity.
It is the triple play. Courage, Passion and Integrity.
The courageous leader is not courageous without passion, in fact, the level of courage a leader has is directly proportionate to her level of passion. One cannot be without the other.
The same is true for integrity. A courageous leader is courageous because she stands up and speaks up for a life lived with full integrity.
She doesn’t settle for almost. She has strong moral principles. She is honest.
Courageous leadership is not weak. It is not inadequate. It has no use for not getting it done.
Courageous leadership is EFFECTIVE.
Be aware. Be challenging. Be effective.
Would you like to be known as a courageous leader? I’m betting you would.
Who are some of the most courageous leaders today or from the past? What sets them a part? How would you fill in the blank: Courageous Leadership is _______________ ?
