Many people talk about courageous leadership and given the challenges facing our leaders today, whether it is leading people through major transformative changes like AI, helping people cope with the economic landscape that differs from location to location, social issues, and here in the US, the daily trials and tribulations of politics it is a stressful world, and employees often look to their leaders to help them navigate a path through many of the challenges we are all facing. Sometimes that may involve tough decisions, or it may be showing some empathy and concern for one or more employees that will help make the difference.

For me courageous leadership refers to the ability and willingness of leaders to make bold decisions, take risks, and act with integrity and conviction, even in the face of adversity or uncertainty. It is about how you choose to show up on a day-by-day basis and understand what is required from you in any given moment.

Either way these are what I call Moments That Matter. As I look back over my career and consider how I would define courageous leadership, I can point to a few Moments That Matter that enabled me to demonstrate courage and model those leadership capabilities for my teams.

Some of the key attributes that lie behind courageous leadership include the following. I have added some examples of how or where I have seen, or experienced people demonstrate these attributes.

Taking Risks

Courageous leaders are not afraid to take calculated risks when necessary. They understand that growth and innovation often require stepping out of their comfort zones. I have seen this in action when we moved an employee from a comfortable Head of L&D role to move into an HR Director role leading HR across 14 countries at a time of immense change. The employee had limited HR experience but felt they had enough experience of leading and driving change to take on this role. It was a calculated risk to the organization and for the individual personally. The impact was that this employee was able to deliver results to their stakeholders as well as stretch their own capabilities and contributions as a result.

Standing Up for Values

Courageous leaders uphold their values and principles, even when it is difficult or unpopular. They act ethically and maintain integrity, inspiring others to do the same. As an HR leader, there have been many times when I have seen leaders take a leadership role and remind people of how to behave, keeping them accountable when their behavior is inconsistent with the values of the company. This happened in a global financial firm where a highly popular offshore executive was manipulating employee engagement results to demonstrate his leadership abilities. It was made clear to this person that this behavior went against the values of the organization which led to his exit. There have been a few other cases where I have witnessed identified behavior that was counter to the values of the organization or my own values and called out what I saw which at times was at a personal risk to myself.  A courageous leader makes bold decisions to protect and enforce the values of the organizations and the leadership.

Facing Challenges Head-On

Courageous leaders confront problems and challenges directly rather than avoiding or ignoring them. They take responsibility and are proactive in finding solutions. In many transformation projects, it is important to highlight when a leader is so resistant to the change that they need to be replaced. Having those conversations with CEOs is very challenging and requires courage; belief in the rationale you have created and a sense responsibility to help a CEO make what is the right decision for the Company, even though the individual concerned will be impacted.

Inspiring and Empowering Others

By leading with courage, courageous leaders inspire their teams to be brave and take initiative. They create a psychologically safe environment where people feel empowered to express their ideas and take ownership of their work.

Adapting to Change

Courageous leaders embrace change and a willingness to adapt their strategies and approaches, when necessary, leaders remain resilient and focused, guiding their teams through transitions and uncertainty.

Making Tough Decisions

Courageous leaders make difficult decisions that may not always be popular but are in the best interest of the organization and its mission. They prioritize long-term success over short-term comfort. I have stood firm with a previous CEO as he wrestled with the decision of whether to launch a major restructuring for the organization which would help the business but would impact the lives of over 100 people. I remained firm in my conviction and reminded him of the purpose and the benefit, and how we expected to treat people with respect and dignity throughout the off-boarding process. Though stoic in his approach, the restructuring went smoothly with many people commenting how well they were treated through the exit process.

Showing Vulnerability

Courageous leaders are open about their own weaknesses and mistakes, demonstrating humility and fostering a culture of learning and growth within their teams. For many leaders, the pandemic was a time when leaders started to realize that it was impatient to show vulnerability and how they were feeling about events unfolding around them. I witnessed many leaders hold weekly check-ins with their global team through this time and would always ensure and helped them understand how they were feeling and how the leader was coping with some of the challenges that their team was also facing. The impact of this was that leaders were able to develop stronger relationships with their teams and help them through the challenges they were all facing and at the same time, help themselves as leader by showing how they were feeling and experiencing things in the same way.

Overall, courageous leadership is about having the strength and resolve to do what is right, regardless of the obstacles, and inspiring others to follow suit. Is courageous leadership innate in a leader, or can it be taught? You can see from these examples that you can talk to and coach leaders around what courageous leadership looks like and help them think through how they can demonstrate it and create their own Moments that Matter and the many benefits that come with it.

If you would like to know more about the author Peter Walmsley and how his company Morgan Clarke International can help you with your Coaching and/or HR Consulting and Interim HR leader needs, please visit https://morganclarkeinternational.com/