Newsletter

April 2006
Courageous Leadership!

"A key to courageous leadership is to address the question of "who we are" before the question of "what we do." When we focus on the "who" question before the "what" question, we discover our natural instincts as leaders." - Richard Leider

We never quite know what is going to turn up in our lives or what direction events will take us. Yet for courageous leadership, we must prepare ourselves to be ready and willing to move in directions both professionally and personally that will take us out of our comfort zone, and help us to arrive at our desired end. Stephen Covey talks a great deal about "starting with the end in mind," and I would challenge you that this "starting" begins internally and then is given outward form by our choices and actions.

In Execution: The Discipline of Getting Things Done (2002), Larry Bossidy and Ram Charan emphasize how critically important it is to "Know Yourself" before you start executing leadership within an organization, and I would add, before beginning any life changing challenge.

In developing your leadership skills it is important to be able to take in and process all sides of the challenges and/or obstacles you are facing, decisions to be made and group interactions. The goal is to keep all decisions and interactions forward-moving without becoming bogged down in personality conflicts. The asset of knowing yourself and having control over yourself will enable you to stay focused throughout these sometimes touchy situations. Authenticity, self-awareness, self-mastery and humility should become the cornerstone of your leadership foundation. These skills will enable you to build upon your strengths and identify and correct your weaknesses. I have always felt that strengths are a huge asset not to be taken lightly, and yet, I have found that it is in my weaknesses, and the honest evaluation of them (and then the correcting of them), that I have learned and grown the most.

Here are Bossidy and Charan's four core qualities that make up emotional fortitude:

Authenticity: "As I grow older, I pay less attention to what people say. I just watch what they do." - Andrew Carnegie

We have all heard the saying, "What you do speaks so loudly, I cannot hear what you are saying."

Authenticity is the core of who you are; and your authenticity is the main ingredient for building trust with others. People in your life (public and private) will always be watching what you do; and if what you say is different from your actions, they will disconnect and lose faith in you.

Self-Awareness: "Know Thyself!" this is the center of authenticity.

When you know yourself and are comfortable with your strengths and aware of, but not held back by your shortcomings, you will be able to learn and grow. This self-awareness will enable your to bring others in to help fill out your weak areas, and others will also learn by following your example of teamwork and collaboration. I listen to critics, because often they're a good source of information for what I have to do differently." - John Chambers

Self-Mastery: "The final forming of a person's character lies in their own hands." - Anne Frank

When you know yourself, you can then master yourself. The challenge of keeping your ego in check will enable you to take responsibility for your behaviors. Then you can set a course of action for change; learning and embracing new behaviors and moving forward, which will increase your standard of integrity.

Self-mastery builds self-confidence.

Humility: "Labor to keep alive in your heart that little spark of celestial fire called conscience." - George Washington

The more control you have over your ego, the more realistic you will be about your problems or shortcomings. When you are humble you are better able to listen first, acknowledging that you do not posses all of the answers, and then identify where those answers will come from. Humility allows you to acknowledge your mistakes and learn from them. Mistakes are an inevitable part of life, and it is how you react and what you learn from them that will develop you into a leader of substance.

Developing these four areas of emotional fortitude: Authenticity, Self-Awareness, Self -Mastery and Humility will build in you a strong foundation for courageous leadership!

Onward and upward,
Lindsay
lindsay@windridgeconsulting.com
Windridge Consulting LLC

Future Newsletter topics will include: