Culture of Courage

Writing in Chief Executive, Tom Rieger on four ways to create a culture of courage. An excerpt:

There are two types of courage that apply particularly well to organizations: vital courage and moral courage. Vital courage is the “inspiration for actions that improve one’s lot in life or that ultimately promote survival.” Moral courage is “the authentic expression of one’s beliefs or values in pursuit of justice or the common good despite power differentials, dissent, disapproval, or rejection.” While vital courage is inwardly focused (survival), moral courage is outwardly focused (ideology). Vital courage is about what’s best for the employee. Moral courage is about what’s best for the organization.

[Execupundit note: A thought-provoking essay. I like Margaret Thatcher's emphasis on the vigorous virtues, such as courage, thrift, trustworthiness, accountability, etc. as opposed to passive virtues such as respect, courtesy, etc.]