Story: Our readers and wonderful followers know that Garrett and I have been pleading for the themes of courage and compassion to emerge on center stage, regarding matters of culture and leadership. And many of you know, I’m a big Brené Brown fan. She lives what she writes, and puts in the research to back up her work. Dare to Lead is her new book, which I highly recommend. Here is a tiny taste of a few big ideas that sprung from her research:
“YOU CAN’T GET TO COURAGE WITHOUT RUMBLING WITH VULNERABILITY.
The foundational skill set of courage-building is ‘rumbling with vulnerability.’ Our ability to be daring leaders will never be greater than our capacity for vulnerability.
SELF-AWARENESS AND SELF-LOVE MATTER. WHO WE ARE IS HOW WE LEAD.
The greatest barrier to courageous leadership is not fear—it’s how we respond to our fear.
COURAGE IS CONTAGIOUS.
We have to be vigilant about creating a culture in which people feel safe, seen, heard, and respected.”
Key Point: I believe that leadership effectiveness and impact is ultimately defined by acts of everyday bravery and courage. I am also with Brown on the premise that the behavior to drive courageous leadership is observable and teachable. She goes on to say via her website: “I’ve spent twenty years studying courage, vulnerability, shame, and empathy, and I recently completed a seven-year study on brave leadership. Leadership is not about titles or the corner office. It’s about the willingness to step up, put yourself out there, and lean into courage. The world is desperate for braver leaders. It’s time for all of us to step up.”
Lead Yourself Move:
- Read and/or listen to Dare to Lead. Challenge yourself to learn from the research, and pick an area you can work on. You may want to start by taking this assessment. Think big, start small, act now. Be more self aware!
Lead Others Move:
- If we have the privilege to lead others, we have a responsibility to step up, put ourselves out there and lean into courage. Do you know what that means? Do you know what to do? What will you do next? Will your team feel it?
Courageous leaders in Personal Leadership,
Lorne
One Millennial View: This awesome message is one of those things – like “step out of your comfort zone” – that falls on a ton of deaf ears. We understand the concept, we see the possible benefits, but we fear the potential failure. Perhaps we Millennials should think back to the “truth or dare” days, and apply that same type of pressure to “double-dog dare” ourselves to be brave in our current and future roles.
– Garrett
Edited and published by Garrett Rubis