How to Find the Courage to Lead
There’s plenty of boldness in leadership. But, sadly, there’s too little courage.
The greatest courage isn’t the courage to tell people what to do. It’s the courage to tell yourself what to do. It’s not the courage to attempt great things. It’s the courage to bring your best self to daily challenges and opportunities.
Lack of courage:
The deepest symptom of inauthentic leadership is the need to give advice apart from self-examination.
Cowards love telling people what to do and how to do it.
Leadership-cowardice is smug satisfaction with self, combined with dissatisfaction with others.
Fear fuels enthusiasm to point out faults in others.
A spirit of self-congratulation combined with unwillingness to acknowledge and explore your own faults is a sure indication of fear.
Another symptom of cowardice in leadership is the need to have all the answers. Cowardly leaders hide behind closed doors, avoid contact with people, and need constant affirmation because they don’t have all the answers.
The need for affirmation is the last symptom of fear in leadership. Don’t get me wrong. Healthy affirmation helps everyone. But the need for affirmation prevents you from bringing your best self.
Bravado in the face of criticism is cowardice in disguise. And those who pull back under criticism have lost themselves.
The path to courage:
Warren Bennis captured the challenge when he said, “Becoming a leader is synonymous with becoming yourself. It is precisely that simple, and it is also that difficult.”
No one arrives at courage.
Courage comes in small doses. Each step forward moves you toward courage. But you always face fear again.
Courage is facing self-doubt and stepping forward. There’s hope if you acknowledge fear.
All you can do is bring your best self today. And then do the same tomorrow.
Where do leaders find courage to bring themselves to work?
What blocks authentic leadership?
How might you bring your best self today?
Books by Warren Bennis:
Learning to Lead: A Workbook on Becoming a Leader
The Art and Adventure of Leadership: Understanding Failure, Resilience and Success
Great, but challenging post Dan. What I got from the post is that I cannot demand from others what I am unwilling or unable to demand of myself. Tough stuff, but true.
Thanks Duane. It’s so easy to have high expectations for OTHERS. 🙂
Where do leaders find courage to bring themselves to work? From ones upbringing, those that instilled hard work, thinking forward, and the thirst for working thru life’s challenges. Work experiences from an early age just build upon confidence, habits, knowledge, social skills and direction as one moves along. Each position, each task, each failure, each success just make one stronger for the opportunities that come along. But you have to see it, grab it, revel in it and want it.
Thanks Roger. Your comment brought to my mind the days of my youth on a dairy farm in Maine. We learned to work hard and take care of our own responsibilities.You learned to rely on yourself and the people around you.
I’m so thankful for that upbringing.
Dan
Great post.
Reminded me of the song Hero written by Ms. M. Carey, goes something like this
Find the strength to look inside
And find the Hero lies in you.
Brad
Thanks Brad. It’s surprising how challenging it is to engage in honest self-reflection.
Dan,
Absolutely, Thanks to those who instilled the values in use during our maturing to obtain the sense of leadership and guidance to help others. “We harvest what we sow” comes to mind.
Bring your best so others can be their best! We have said so many times lead by example.
I couldn’t agree more. I believe those who ask others to change their behavior or take action on certain things should first look to themselves and ask if they would even comply with their own instructions. Being yourself is the best advice you can give any new leader specifically because they’re trying something new and to remind them to be themselves makes the transition much easier.