Learn, Share, Grow What the World Needs Now Is Leadership Courage

Below is a lesson from LinkedIn on leadership courage in these unprecedented times, as well as our key learning.

The Blue Courage team is dedicated to continual learning and growth.  We have adopted a concept from Simon Sinek’s Start With Why team called “Learn, Share, Grow”.  We are constantly finding great articles, videos, and readings that have so much learning.  As we learn new and great things, this new knowledge should be shared for everyone to then grow from.

What The World Needs Now Is Leadership Courage

By Mark C. Crowley

“These are the times that try men’s souls.”

Philosopher Thomas Paine wrote those immortal words during the American Revolution – and they strike me as being fitting to the moment we’re all living in today. 

Seeking to inspire American colonists to overcome their profound fears about the imminent war with the British, Paine put truth right out in the open. “No, this won’t be easy,” he implied. “The outcome is uncertain – and the victory we all hope for will require extraordinary courage above all else.”

To be a leader in any capacity today demands no less valor and grit. It’s irrefutable that none of us has ever faced the extraordinary challenges associated with the Coronavirus pandemic. And suffice to say, how each of us performs during this crisis will become a defining moment of our careers.

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Key Learnings:

• To be a leader in any capacity today demands no less valor and grit. How each of us performs during this crisis will become a defining moment of our careers.
• To rise to the occasion and lead your people with the heart of a lion or lioness:
  • Empathize; Don’t Judge:we’re all feeling overwhelmed. Everyone is doing their best in highly confusing times.
  • Remember Emotions Are Contagious: A lot of us are marinating in fear right now. 
    • Yale University: there are three things that make fear spiral out of control in society. (1) When we’re dealing with something “unpredictable.” (2) When we’re dealing with something “uncontrollable.” And, (3) when we’re dealing with something that’s “sustained and chronic.”
    • Leaders are called upon to be the antidote – the vaccine:  we must be the consistent and uninterrupted voice of hope and optimism. Now is a time to inspire – and to breathe life and strength into the hearts of others.
  • Be There For Others No Matter What: Leaders must be a steady rock. No matter what’s happening in our own lives, we must give to and support our people. 
  • Display Boundless Kindness: What people will remember most about the times we’re in right now is how their bosses and organizations made them feel. We remember people with great fondness who display grace and warmth when they themselves are enduring disquieting times.
  • Display Boundless Kindness, Part II: Dr. James Doty: the timing for being kind to others couldn’t be greater – because it happens to have a profoundly positive impact on our own physical and mental health. It takes our brain that’s been over-taken by a “threat mode” and fear and returns it to its natural, calm and effective state.
  • Let Others Help You Lead: Wise managers know how to adapt to the environments they’re in – and to shift their use of power accordingly.
  • Keep People Feeling Connected: People don’t want direction and guidance from their bosses so much as they want their attention, even in “normal” times. Schedule at least one weekly call with every direct report, and to never break the commitment.
  • Be Courageous: The word “courage” comes from the latin word, “cour,” meaning “heart.” So, this isn’t a time for leaders to sit back and wait for direction – it’s a time to act swiftly on what our hearts guide us to do, and to trust it.