Will courage make you a great leader?
If you lack courage, does that mean you will never be a great leader? In the US, common sense seems to say that courage is a deep part of being a great leader. As a result, aspiring leaders are dedicated to proving their bravery to the world. However, when you look at many of the most effective leaders, it may not be courage that informs us of their greatness.
What is Courage? One definition says that it is the quality of mind or spirit that enables a person to face difficulty, danger, pain, etc. without fear. Bravery is often synonymous with courage. Another definition says: having courage of one’s own convictions, acting according to one’s beliefs, especially in spite of criticism.
On the surface, this sounds like a complete logical formula for leadership. One person may spend their day looking for ways to deal with difficulty, danger, and pain in a way that others believe they are qualified to be the leader. Or they think they have to pontificate their beliefs to convince others that they have strong convictions. For example, a vegetarian may believe that he has to convince others that being a vegetarian is the best diet. If that vegetarian can convert a part of the people who will listen to him, he can be seen as a leader. If they are criticized, that can validate the need to show more conviction to show that they are the best candidates for leadership. Go vegetarians!
For some of you, it may be traditional to walk out of the room when your vegetarian friend starts ranting about why vegetarianism is the best diet. For others, you politely nod as you take a bite of your perfectly cooked and seasoned filet mignon.
In the workplace, many people see themselves as leaders. However, they have the same behavior as vegetarians. At worst, the self-proclaimed leader is the person who thinks they have to be the smartest person in the room. In that case, they can use intimidation to demonstrate their power and intellectual prowess. And when they are criticized for not listening to their direct reports, they believe they have to bravely overcome the criticism. While I wish this was an exaggeration, it happens far too often. Because that person is known for her confidence and courage, she is promoted to chief: the faithful leader.
On the other hand, in Jim Collins’ book, Good to excellent, talks about, what he calls, a level five leader. A level five leader is someone who empowers people and develops other leaders. When that leader retires, the company will continue to be on an excellent path to long-term success. In Collins’ book, his research showed that level five leaders created companies that rose from good to great. And the greatness continued after that leader was gone. The irony is that he never classified level five leaders as brave. They were seen as humble people with great communication skills and great listeners with an open door policy.
Furthermore, Collins noted that the charismatic leader with great courage often created a “yes-man” culture. People just followed what the leader said. If the leader was not available, people felt uncomfortable making decisions. And when that leader stepped down, the company underperformed.
That said, while courage can surely make you look good to the masses, it doesn’t make you an effective leader. Perhaps the greatest leaders have been people who didn’t want to be the smartest people in the room. They had a vision that they defended. That vision became a platform for others to shine. For others to shine, it would be imperative for the leader to give everyone a voice. In this way new ideas are discovered and examined.
If you take a closer look, you may find that the best leader is someone who is committed to building a legacy that can only happen with the help of others. More importantly, the leader is willing to risk his butt and be responsible for everything. While being responsible may seem brave, the most responsible leaders know that they must take care of their people. As long as a leader takes care of the people, the people will take care of the company. Therefore, you may find that the best leaders are people who champion a vision, their people, and take responsibility no matter what.
In other words, courage is about the leader who looks good. Anime is about taking care of others to make sure they look good.