Cowards dream of meaningful impact but waste life engaged in meaningless activities.
The courageous act when it matters. Cowards observe.
Contemplation without action is the cowards retreat.
Cowards:
- Refuse to make decisions.
- Delegate to protect themselves.
- Insulate.
- Isolate.
- Contemplate.
Courage is the most important of all the virtues, because without courage you can’t practice any other virtue consistently. Maya Angelou
Courage isn’t:
- Disregard for consequences, that’s foolishness.
- Indifference to others. It takes more courage to include than exclude.
- Impulsive.
- Desperate.
- Bullying.
Courageous leaders act when others hold back.
Two steps to finding courage:
- Acknowledge fear to yourself and others.
- Do something. Any reasonable activity will do.
Find courage by acknowledging fear as you step forward.
Ten expressions of courageous leadership:
- Seek clarity when it’s easier to accept ambiguity. Follow curiosity.
- Call reality what it is. “Confront the brutal facts,” Jim Collins. Address problems and issues quickly and openly.
- Stay the course unless alternatives are clearly better. Cowards don’t have the courage to move forward but want to steer the boat.
- Choose simple behaviors over dramatic. The seduction of the dramatic stalls progress.
- Trust proven people to step up again.
- Connect with others. Isolated leaders have good reason to fear.
- Evaluate risks and benefits. Step out when failure is possible not probable.
- Remain open to the possibility of be wrong.
- Change your mind.
- Prepare for success by anticipating reasons for failure. Preparation isn’t passivity or delay.
Courage is a muscle that grows slowly and weakens quickly.
**This is the “C” installment in the alphabet for leaders series.
What other words that begin with “C” are relevant to leadership?
How can leaders find courage?