Through out my career I met a lot of people.
Each one of them contributed to what I am today as a professional, sometimes leaving their mark on me in a good way & other times in a painful one. One of my many managers once defined managerial courage to me as "being prepared to make tough decisions and taking responsibility for them".
I soon realised that this can't be all of it. Somehow it seemed too simple, like an easy job to do. As the years went by I came to the conclusion that there is a much broader definition to the term. Here are the reasons why:
1. COURAGE STARTS FROM ACCEPTING REALITY
A brave manager has to ensure that he and his team can face the realities of the business, meaning avoid having false views about what the business really is & what is a positive or a negative performance. People usually try to find the good news in bad performances and over highlight them to avoid criticism & negative feedback. A false picture in the business can create a bizarre lack of common sense when the real problems kick in. And it really needs courage to keep boots on the reality ground and not hide behind the bush when the storm comes.
2. IT COMES WITH FEELING OK TO DEPEND ON OTHERS
You know the quote saying "If you want something to be done right, you have to do it yourself". Well in big organizations that is not the case at all. You can't do it all yourself, no matter how much of a control freak you are! It takes managerial courage to rely on other people to do what is needed to achieve an objective. Delegation, believe it or not, is the hard thing to do and is not about sharing the load. Is about being brave enough to let go & share responsibility with another individual giving him/her the opportunity to grow through experience & mistakes. And that also means sharing failure if needed. Ouch!
3. DEALING WITH A PROBLEM THERE & THEN
Being a problem solver, believe it or not, is not going to make you popular in big organisations. Dealing with problems usually includes frustration for your peers & extra stress. But that's why problem solvers are so important for a business. They hold the "hot potato" when no one else is willing to do so. Do the smart thing even if its painful for you & others. In the long term people will be grateful for your caring and the fact that you do not leave inefficiency to pile up in the business.
4. PIONEER & TEST THE BOUNDARIES AT ALL TIMES
I have realised that in most companies, promotions come faster for those who are seen to protect the status quo than those who are creative & are ready to question those things that are considered untouchables. Courageous managers need to be brave enough to question the right to survival of sacred cows and even turn some into hamburgers if they have outlived their use-by-dates.
Therefor is inevitable that a courageous manager will TEST the boundaries and PUSH .That means be ready to deal with seeking forgiveness than seeking approval. A manager that is seeking for approval ALL THE TIME and is afraid to take calculated risks is feeding the organization with the wrong behaviour & forces his boss to micro-manage.
5. FEEL OK TO SAY "NO" OR TAKE HARD DECISIONS
Procrastinating is the easy thing to do & one can always justify holding off on a decision because of workload or a hidden agenda. But the longer you hold off to a decision the more the situation deteriorates. A recent survey reveals that 70% of the decisions managers are making will be most probably proven wrong. But you know what? Someone needs to take the decision and push the button.
Have the courage to take a decision and commit to it. I see more failures from procrastination or a lack of execution and commitment, than I do from the actual decisions taken.
6. REMAINING BOLD & TRUTHFUL TO WHAT YOU BELIEVE
Being BOLD does not mean being arrogant. This is very important to stretch as the basic rule is to listen. Listen to the other side's argumentation & try to understand (filter) the reason why. Don't just go for a blind disagreement. Analyse the facts and then if it doesn't make business sense STAND UP for what you believe. Even if no one else does for you.
Be truthful but not aggressive. No one likes a "YES MAN" but no one appreciates an aggressive employee as well. Stay true to your values and don't be afraid to politely say NO when everyone else doesn't, because it is too easy to agree or "push the tin a little bit down the road". Stay true to your values all the times & not just the ones that work for you at sometimes.
And last but not least ENJOY IT! People with Managerial Courage tend to have a sense of attraction around them and people are interested for what they have to say.
Don't be afraid to be a pioneer. Either you agree or not with the following example, Jesus was a pioneer for his time and got mocked for it.
Look at him now ;-)
