Reflets Mag #141 | Developing Courage in Management

In Reflets Magazine #141, Isabelle Rey-Millet (EXEC MBA 00) tells us why companies should promote managerial courage, and how they can help their managers to develop their own. Here is a free online translation of the article.

It’s in a company’s own best interests to promote managerial courage. Vital in difficult situations, where it helps in approaching the unknown and gives rise to new solutions, it is a key contributor to innovation and performance. 

People often think that courage means running on adrenaline and instinct, and that very few people are truly courageous. A survey of 1500 people conducted by Cindy Solomon in the United States even revealed that only 30% of respondents thought they were themselves courageous. 

Why so few? And how can they develop their own everyday courage? Here we take a closer look at courage, to see through the everyday myths and better define what it is... and what it isn’t.

3 Myths to Bust about Courage

1. Courage means doing heroic things

Courage is often associated with acts of bravery. But not everyone can be a hero like the ones in action films or in ancient myths. And that’s just as well, because we aren’t all capable of pulling off heroic exploits on a daily basis. In actual fact, a courageous act can be any number of little things, and we all have hundreds of opportunities to be courageous at work.

In his book Choosing courage, Jim Détert identified some 50 situations where people can display courage, including disagreeing with your boss, making unpopular decisions, pointing out conflicts of interest, questioning absurd procedures in emergency situations, standing up against prejudices, questioning unclear instructions, pointing out a delicate situation, speaking up when you see unethical behaviour, etc.

2. Courage means never being scared

Courage is often perceived as the opposite of fear, and being courageous as not being scared. In fact, courage is the ability to take action despite being scared or feeling uncomfortable. You don’t need to be Bruce Willis in an elevator shaft to demonstrate courage. More than anything else, courage means identifying the things that will enable us to leave our comfort zone and to act in accordance with our values. We all have plenty of little opportunities for everyday bravery.

3. You are (born) brave

Courage isn’t innate, and it isn’t a personality trait: everyone can be brave from time to time. Courage can not only be learned, but it can also be developed. It’s a bit like a muscle: if we decide to target it and work it, then it gets stronger as you learn to lift. And with practice, the weight gets easier and your muscles get stronger.

3 Tips to Develop Your Courage 

1. Altruism

Courage implies thinking of others. And yet, when things get tough it’s easy to curl up into a ball to keep yourself safe and free from anything painful. But reaching out to others and accepting to share your safety and power, to focus on the common good: that’s real courage. This is the courage of a true leader. For managers, it means detaching from their own personal goals and sterile policy matters and striving to find the common objective while simultaneously managing their ego and their fear.
  In our compartmentalised, individualistic, and politicised societies, where the initial reflex is to think about yourself, thinking of others becomes radically courageous.

2. Discernment

Challenging accepted practices, not dozing off in the comfort of the routine, rejecting conformity: this is how you can maintain a clear view of your environment and the anything that’s not quite right. Are you asking yourself the right questions? Are you keeping a careful eye on your surroundings? Do you accept decisions that go against your values?

This also means being able to make wise and sensible decisions, even when the situation is ambiguous, and accepting points of view that are different to your own, even when they’re not favourable to you.

3. Daring

This means getting stuck in, daring to be the first, to make the first comment, to do things differently. It’s not always easy when you’re the first one, or even the only one! But the good news is that gradually, one person’s daring inspires another to do the same, and so on, creating a ripple effect. Because yes! Courage is like fear: it’s contagious! And not only do these actions grow our own courage, but they also help other people to build theirs!

3 Tips for Beefing Up Your Courage

1. Know an opportunity when you see one

You can learn to spot opportunities to show some courage: just identify times when you feel scared or anxious, or when your inner voice is asking you, “Should I or shouldn’t I? Dare I do it? Should I just stay stuck in my comfort zone?” Whenever this happens, as soon as these niggling doubts start whispering, you have an opportunity to be courageous.

2. Get comfortable with being uncomfortable

Pushing yourself to get out of your comfort zone and daring to do something you’ve never done before, all while telling yourself that you’ve done harder things in the past and been okay; it’s a new perspective, the deflation of ego; it’s rediscovering your humility, acknowledging your mistakes and being able to admit when you were wrong, or that you need to change the plan or procedure... These are so many little moments to push through so that you feel better afterwards.

3. Ask yourself, “What’s the best thing that could happen to me if I do it?”

Instead of being scared of the worst thing that can happen to you and getting yourself all worked up, take a (calculated) risk, savour the thrill that this new experience will bring you. Imagine the rewards for your courage. It isn’t easy, because that’s how your lizard brain is programmed: to always be scared of what might happen to you. And because fear as an emotion is proportional to our intelligence, our knowledge, and our ability to make connections between everything we know... Fear isn’t going anywhere soon! 

So, in short: do the thing!

Make a conscious choice, so that courage isn’t just a reactive, reflexive, irresponsible attitude. It means setting an example and therefore giving your teams permission to display their own courage. Courage comes from the heart (the word itself has its roots in the French word for heart), it fosters trust, responsibility, and engagement among your staff. Did this article spark something inside you? Try it out today! Do something that you’ve always wanted to, but have been too scared to do.

Translation of an article published in Reflets Magazine #141. Click here to read the full issue (in French). Subscribe here to get the next issues.

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