Courageous Leaders Are Those Who Lead by Example

"The price of greatness is responsibility." - Sir Winston Churchill

The focus on servant leadership has revolutionized business leadership by fostering a supportive and empowering workplace. However, there are times when leadership and responsibility are closely linked, and people in leadership roles need to accept the final responsibility for their team’s success.

As a leader, the massive responsibility of being at the top of the pyramid requires self-reflection and assessment of your own abilities as a leader. The first step is for you to own your leadership style. This requires being honest with yourself about where your strengths are, and of course where you may fall short. Sometimes, this self- reflection can be humbling, especially if you open the process up to your team. Have you ever had them fill out a leadership assessment on you? If we are being honest with ourselves, we should understand that our assessment of our own leadership effectiveness is often skewed toward how we wish it to be.

Have you ever left a meeting feeling you really nailed it? Solved the issues masterfully? Empowered your team and equipped them with your vision for future success? Only to be followed into your office by a team member or two asking numerous questions about what they are to do next?

There are many types of leadership: transformational, situational, strategic, authoritative, adaptive and others. But when the chips are on the table, it’s GO time for leaders and it requires one quality to confidently execute any style listed above – courage.

Courageous leadership involves making bold decisions, navigating through uncertainty with confidence and inspiring others to achieve at their highest level despite the odds. It’s not just about fearlessness; it's about acting in the face of fear and the unknown, driven by conviction and integrity. Being courageous means making decisions that might not be popular but are necessary. Most importantly, it’s about leading from the front and being the leader that others choose to follow.

People follow a leader for many reasons. Some follow you because of your title. Some follow out of fear. But as leaders, we need to ensure that others follow us because of our actions.

Courageous leaders take risks, challenge the status quo, and lead with authenticity and are undeterred by the possibility of failure. Instead, they see challenges as opportunities - for growth, innovation and for fostering the emergence of other leaders in your organization.

In sports, we see coaches taking risks with the game on the line with everything to lose. Why do they do this? Because in the end, they are there to take control and to win. Sure, they consult with their assistant coaches but ultimately, they must take responsibility for outcomes. They aren’t paid to settle for the safest decision. That ultimately just leads to mediocrity. Or worse, complacency. I know heroes who served in our military who have told me stories of courageous leadership on the battlefield. In the most terrifying of circumstances, they said they felt safe with their leader in command. If they can show resolve while literally being under fire, can’t we at least do the same when facing everyday challenges in our business?

Leadership requires bold, convictional, and clear communication to inspire confidence and loyalty in a team. Sir Winston Churchill is widely regarded as the greatest leader of the twentieth century. At the forefront of his courageous leadership, was his unrivaled ability to communicate the truth even if that truth was unpopular or invariably bad news. By projecting his iron will on the citizens of Great Britain in the midst of World War II’s darkest time - the years 1940 and 1941 - he is credited as the savior of the nation. In so doing, Churchill passed the ultimate leadership test: would events have turned out differently but for his actions?

Leaders who are willing to take risks and experiment with new ideas create a culture of innovation that can transform their organizations. It requires self-reflection, continuous learning and encouraging creative thinking from your team to foster unconventional solutions.

While servant leadership offers proven benefits in creating a supportive and empowering culture, organizational needs sometimes require the direction, inspiration and guidance of those with ultimate responsibility. When an organizational culture of courage is achieved, the rewards for the leader and the organization are profound. When a culture is strengthened through trust and confidence in its leader, there will be no stopping your organization.

If you would like to share your thoughts or discuss my views on courageous leadership, please feel free to reach out. To learn more about the Battle Ready Leadership program, please visit battlereadyleadership.com

Thanks for reading.

Jack

Jack Carroll
Founder
Battle Ready Leadership
Battlereadyleadership.com
jack@battlereadyleadership.com