There are managers who lack the courage to act, their fear is greater and they do not make decisions. Courage means making a decision and making an effort. Just as people need a great deal of courage to face life's challenges and get what we want, organizations (their people) need courage to achieve their purpose. I see managers very anchored to their "dream", screwed into the chair. They do not put action on it, and even less pollute enthusiasm in action.
In pursuit of this great task, courage will enable the members of an organization:
Make decisions and set priorities: This is for companies "addicted to the rush." Just telling a boss, or client, or employee that we are going to focus on some issues and not others is already difficult. Staying focused on a single goal also requires courage, as well as making decisions about how to spend our time and energy… or that of others. It is much easier to automatically do what they ask of us, or the easiest, urgent, or safe. However, these behaviors threaten the achievement of the organizational mission.
Recognize reality: Since reality includes unpleasant parts that no one wants to hear, saying what others do not want to know requires courage.
It's easier to live in a fantasy and pretend that everything is under control. As a defense mechanism against the "pain" that the truth produces, people create "filters" that eliminate the negative aspects of reality. When these filters are institutionalized, they can blind an entire organization to what is happening, both inside and outside of it. These « organizational filters»They manifest themselves in various ways: executives who just want to hear good news; managers who "hide" from staff so as not to confront their questions or complaints; bureaucracies that distort and fragment information; intolerance towards feedback, etc… Courage helps us to eliminate these filters and thus obtain the necessary clarity to carry out the mission in a "realistic" way. I have seen companies that are "sold" as foreign affiliates fall due to a lack of courage to assume their "financial bubble" and not have an investment management plan. The outcomes are fatal.
Live the preached values: many organizations declare their values in their mission ("quality", "honesty", "excellence", etc…) but not all practice them. This happens because living values always implies a risk: that they do not believe us, that they challenge us, that they call us "utopians" or "naive", that we encounter resistance, that we have to fight with other people, that we be marginalized, etc… a lot of courage to tell people what we believe in, defend our beliefs, practice what we preach and listen to those who think differently from us. Courage allows an organization to be true to its identity, its beliefs and its purpose.
Overcoming reactivity: You always hear the lament of people "I can't do anything, it's the system", it is a resignation into which we all tend to fall. Even the most enterprising tend to lose their spirit, resign themselves, or despair. Courage helps people to overcome the barriers of a system, to be creative and proactive and to drive change.
Recognize and overcome fear: Admitting fear means acknowledging weakness and that is the last thing people want to do in their jobs. However, fear is a normal emotion. In fact, having courage does not mean not being afraid, but acting in spite of it. If fears are not recognized and overcome in an organization, they feed themselves and grow to paralyze everyone.
As seen, an organization with courage is one that is loyal to its vision and values, aware of current reality, problems and fears. In other words, it is an organization that knows how to orient itself towards its ideal, without neglecting its actual operation.
If it is already difficult to find courage on a personal level, imagine how difficult it is for an entire organization to find courage. Due to this difficulty, the role of the leader as an «example of courage» for the rest of the people is fundamental. A leader must practice courage daily, facing reality; asking for and listening to feedback from other people; affirming your values in front of your team; setting priorities and meeting them; and sustaining the proactive spirit of people in difficult times. Like all character traits, courage is not imposed, but is promoted through example.
To be an example, the first thing a leader needs to do is examine and acknowledge their own fears. A leader may fear being fired, not being good enough, not having the necessary resources, not being needed, losing control, disappointing others, failing on a project, etc.
Second, the leader needs to help the other members of the organization face their fears. To do this, you will need to talk to your employees about your own fears and ask them to share yours, reminding them that fear is a normal emotion. The best way to help people face their fears is by giving them as much information as possible about reality and treating them as adults who can take care of themselves, decide and act. Through these actions, a leader gains a courageous workforce… foundation for building a courageous organization.
