Behind every successful organization is a courageous organizational leader. Through boldness, perseverance, and innovation, courageous leaders can propel their organizations to new heights. Let’s explore how we can embrace this idea to maximize our potential leaders.
Courage in the Workplace
Courage is defined as the ability to persist despite the hardships we may face. It is also commonly considered as the absence of fear. However, the power of courage is that it is a frame of mind and a choice we make when facing adversity — putting us in control of manifesting our realities.
A courageous leader considers organizational challenges as stepping stones instead of stumbling blocks. When the stakes are high, we dig deep and develop solutions amidst trials and turmoil. When optimally applying courage, we use these challenges not just to subsist, but to boost the growth of our organizations.
Pillars of Courageous Leadership
Courageous leadership is a necessity, not a luxury, for the long-term success of nonprofit organizations. It comes with benefits that compound over time, effectively building a culture of boldness throughout any team. Here are the pillars of courageous leadership:
Inspiration: Courageous leaders encourage and inspire others to take healthy risks and deploy creative methods in the workplace. We encourage staff members to grow as a team as we set an example through our own transformation, beginning with growing our emotional intelligence (EQ). Over 85% of the most successful nonprofit leaders have very high EQ and are always trying to improve. It makes us far more empathic and able to resolve conflicts when they arise in ways that empower, not inhibit, our teams.
Disruption: We pinpoint what needs to be changed confidently, and call attention to what can be improved further in a straightforward, kind, and respectful manner. We engage others to help develop creative solutions that create far more social impact in the work we do.
Motivation: We can stimulate our team members to work productively to meet our mission and vision by boldly empowering them to better utilize their strengths and develop new skills.
Communication: Courageous leaders master the art of active listening and inviting honest feedback. Being able to turn feedback into growth is key to personal development while building trust with our teams. It isn’t easy, but it is a great skill that can be learned.
Key Qualities of Courageous Organizational Leaders
Brave organizational leaders have different personalities while sharing important traits. I try to emulate these as much as possible and encourage all of us to do the same to become more courageous, as we face a constantly changing workplace and world.
Reliability. A courageous leader is committed to an organization’s purpose at all times, as well as its purpose. We fulfill all of our commitments and are undeniably loyal in order to successfully establish ourselves as those leaders that others want to work for and with.
Resilience. We practice resilience in never giving up even when we encounter multiple challenges. We face our work-related problems directly and solve them thoughtfully and swiftly, engaging others in the process.
Self-Management. Great leaders understand the importance of managing our thoughts and emotions, practicing discipline and self-control regularly. We make sound decisions even under pressure and work hard to not be swayed by negative emotions and energy.
Authenticity and Empathy. Lastly, the ability to balance authenticity and empathy is crucial. As authentic leaders, we are loyal to our values even as we strive for professional growth and are not afraid to be vulnerable. When we make mistakes, we own them, make changes, move forward, and move on.
Learn How To Develop Courage in Leadership
Becoming a courageous leader requires hard work, diligence, and a plan. While not impossible, it can be challenging to do this on your own. The process involves learning and re-learning new concepts, objective feedback, and deep discoveries in order to harness your courage.
I have successfully helped transform executives and managers into courageous leaders over the last 30+ years. Schedule a consultation to kickstart your growth and achieve actionable, measurable, and specific outcomes for your future success.