When we think of courage so many thoughts can come to mind. I could follow many trains of thought here and explore endless domains where courage is at the forefront of circumstances. As with my previous 3 posts on the 5 Cs of Leadership (Composed, Confident, Consistent), I will start off with the Merriam-Webster definition of courage:
Courage: mental or moral strength to venture, persevere and withstand danger, fear, or difficulty
Notice, that courage is not the lack of fear. Fear will be present in the midst of difficult times. Courage is acting with mental and moral strength when faced with fear. Courage does not simply automatically show up when there is danger. It is nearly always something that grows over time and with practice when obstacles and struggles are faced head-on. Courage has to start somewhere within each of us.
We often hear or read these stories of men and women who have displayed great courage. These are events which catch the public eye. First-Responders who run into a burning building to rescue someone, law enforcement officers chasing down criminals with records of brutal crimes, and the list can go on. Although these are indeed great and noteworthy acts, they are not the only way to be courageous.
In peer leadership roles, we see people leading from the front. These individuals will be the first to help their company through struggles and moments of crisis. They are consistently on the front-line and leading by example. Often these leaders do not even realize they are being watched, emulated, and followed. Individuals actively engaged in not backing down from a difficult situation, being the coordinator of efforts to allow others to show their strengths, and/or shining the light on others once the struggle or crisis has been overcome.
In low and/or mid-management roles, a leader will need to allow the front-line leader drive towards problem-solving while the manager removes impediments to progress. These are individuals who transform from being the one who wins praises and instead, they mentor others to grow and become more than previously thought possible. Perhaps they become the person who communicates progress to higher management. Maybe it could be ensuring food, nourishment, and basic needs are being provided during elongated situations. It might show up as telling the front-line leader to take a mental break or get some sleep; providing assurances that there are others to help and that the front-line leader is still human. It could be as simple as having a listening ear while letting others voice concerns and opposition. Many times, if others feel that their thoughts have value and they are truly being heard, they will give their whole heart into something with which they disagree because they trust their manager/leader. Low and/or mid-level managers may be on the receiving end of negative backlash from some of these decisions but make their decisions anyway because they understand the people, circumstances, and conditions.
I have a friend who describes this type of courage as something like this, “The boss comes into a group meeting with a grenade, pulls the pin out, throws the pin and the grenade onto the table…the courageous leader grabs the pin, puts it back into the grenade, and starts calmly asking those around the table how to address the problem.”
I realize it is much easier to speak of and write about courage than to actually step up and engage in the discomfort. Remember that the courageous leader is also composed, confident, and consistent. All of these characteristics work in concert when we are being intentional about seeking to lead well. Each of these Cs takes work, diligence, and patience to ensure they are an active part of our leadership toolbox.