As leader it is really important to be courageous. I have been reading lately the work of Dr. Brené Brown, as detailed in her book Dare to Lead .
As Brené Brown says, “You can’t get to courage without rumbling with vulnerability.” This means having the courage to show up fully when you can’t control the outcome. It’s about being vulnerable in your relationships with others in every meeting, email, phone call and face-to-face conversation inside and outside the workplace.
Brown say to focus on clarity, as when you do you increase trust and decrease unproductive behavior. Being clear creates more connection and empathy. Clarity also creates a boundary that allows the other person to decide what to do with the feedback.
Know your triggers. When you’re triggered, do you try to control the situation, protect yourself or start people pleasing? Knowing this can help you move into a place of choice to step into vulnerability.
Courageous leaders who live their values instead of just talking about them are never silent about hard things. For example, courageous leaders do not partake in willful blindness. As a leader, you must be aware of what is going on around you. You must realize when to act and know that sometimes you need to act in difficult situations. It takes courage to recognize these opportunities for leadership and to set an example for your team. Making decisions that honor your values will be tough because doing the right thing is rarely easy.
I really liked this clip which emphasized what I am reflecting about.
https://hbr.org/video/5335748697001/what-great-managers-do