“Courage has no greater ally than preparation, and fear has no greater enemy.”
Good Morning,
Where are the courageous leaders? Who are the courageous leaders? Does anyone come to mind?
Think about that for a moment... I trust that we can agree that we need courageous leaders. But, so many people today are operating in climates and cultures of fear and expending an abundant amount of time and energy protecting themselves. If I hit a nerve, breathe... exhale... and lets work through this.
Forbes Magazine, in it’s article 10 Traits of Courageous Leaders, by Susan Tardanico, confirmed that Courageous Leaders are in high demand and short supply these days:
10 Traits of Courageous Leaders:
Confront reality head on- Are you wearing rose colored glasses... Or have you faced facts about the state of your organization?
Seek feedback and listen- Not easy to do, but unfiltered 360 degree feedback can breathe new life into your relationships and leadership style if you listen and act.
Say what needs to be said- Are you having real conversations? Do you have the courage to put your opinions on the table... even when they are unpopular?
Encourage push-back- You don’t have to have all the answers... encouraging constructive dissent and healthy debate can reinforce the strength of the team and demonstrate that in the tension of diverse opinions lies a better answer.
Take action on performance issues- Don’t wait until a situation becomes toxic to confront it. By taking swift action to address an under-performing employees, you are helping yourself, the team and organization.
Communicate openly and frequently- Do you keep the lines of communication open? Are your team members comfortable talking to you? Are you courageous enough to say “I don’t know.” Are you willing to share information and not hoard it?
Lead change- Are you protecting the status quo? Think about a better way, a better solution, a better product or approach... knowing it will be messy. Remember that you need to bring people along the change process for them to truly engage.
Make decisions and move forward- Commit to a decision. Avoid the crutch of ‘analysis paralysis’ and make the decision. Forward movement is always better than being stuck in place.
Give credit to others- Let go of the need for praise... a good leader takes more than their fair share of the blame and less than their fair share of the credit.
Hold people (and yourself) accountable- Expect people to perform and deliver on their commitments, Have the courage to call them out when they don’t follow through. Accountability begins with you – holding yourself responsible for modeling the behaviors you expect of others.
Leaders are you with me? We need you! I challenge you to take a long look a these ten traits and make a commitment to yourself.
Do some soul searching and self analysis
Get feedback from others
Make a plan, do the work
#ittakescourage, #accountabilitystartswithyou, #levelup, #checkyourself, #befearless, #leadbyexample, #beyoubutbetter, #learnandgrow, #ownyourpower, #knowyourworth
You got this!
Coach Tavia
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