Chief Learning Officer magazine

Executive Briefings
Published August 2009

"Finding Courage During Times of Uncertainty"
Sandra Ford Walston, The Courage Expert

The biggest obstacle faced by today’s business leaders can be summed up in two words: unprecedented uncertainty. Failure to acknowledge this new reality is to live in denial and risk not just a company’s success but its very survival. Thinking differently and being willing to challenge the status quo during times of uncertainty requires courage. In fact, today’s business climate makes it more important than ever for leaders to embrace courage, but courage leadership may not look like what you think. What is required of you?

Most of us probably think about a bold, decisive action as the mark of a courageous leader, but courage leadership actually starts with the recognition that we need to stop and reflect. Instead of making swift judgments in the frenzied “business as usual” knee-jerk mindset, eleventh-hour responses or last-minute broken promises, the courageous leader uses discernment. With discernment, leaders at all levels take a step back to contemplate the fundamental beliefs and core values that guide crucial business decisions. An inner gaze promotes contemplation, a key component to enhancing everyday courage (versus extraordinary actions). True courage springs not from what we do but from who we are. This is hard to discern when “busy” has become a status symbol. How often do you say, “I’m so busy!”?

Allowing ourselves to slow down and lead a reflective life begins the process of reconnecting our daily lives with who we are at the most fundamental level. Referred to as the true self, you reconnect with your courage. In other words, living courageously is not so much about what you are doing as who you are being. Courage comes from the French word “corage,” meaning “heart and spirit,” so to be courageous means to live and work from your heart, the center of your being. As you blithely go through your day, what can you do to reflect on your courage leadership? Read Complete Article