Are you a role model for being courageous?

In January, I wrote a couple of lines on courage in our newsletter (click here to read it)  . Such was the positive response, I have expanded on the topic below.

In Spring 2008, I was invited to Beirut to run a workshop on Leading High Performing Teams. I had always wanted to visit Lebanon and as I was living in Abu Dhabi at the time, I gleefully boarded an aircraft for the short flight to a fascinating country. When I landed, the taxi moved serenely through (surprisingly) quiet streets to my lovely hotel. As I approached reception, I noticed it was full of people, most of whom had bodyguards. I checked in, went to my room and as it was still light, I decided to go for an exploratory jog to explore the neighbourhood and the seafront. I was about a mile into my run when I noticed I was the only person on the street without a machine gun. Needless to say, I decided to do as unobtrusive a u-turn as possible and the second half of my run was completed in record time! I went down to breakfast the next morning to find that I was the only person staying at the hotel! After running a successful workshop, I returned to Abu Dhabi and delighted in telling my boss (a Lebanese man) where I had been. His reply rather took the wind out of my sails, ‘You’ll get yourself killed one of these days’ he said icily.

I realised that what I demonstrated in Lebanon that time was not courage but a combination of naivety and recklessness. These are often confused with courage.

Courage, in business, is about putting the business before your own personal agenda. It is about making the tough calls about strategy and people. It is about having the conversations that might damage your relationships or standing but are the right thing to do.

What decisions are you not taking because your personal agenda or pride is getting in the way?

What conversations are you not having that need to be had?

Are you clinging to your comfort zone when you should be tethered to the edge of it, spacewalking in uncomfortable experiences that will make you a better leader?

Because this is what your business needs you to do.

Are you a role model for being courageous?