Courage has to be encouraged when it comes to the tough decisions

Courage has to be encouraged when it comes to the tough decisions

'Now please don't think I'm weak, I didn't turn the other cheek" is a memorable line from Coward of the County, a famous song by Kenny Rogers. It tells the story of a young man named Tommy who kept avoiding a fight until one day he decided to prove to his tormentors that they were wrong. The moral of the song is that we must have courage and choose our own time and terms if we have to fight.

In real life, it may not be so simple to lock the door and beat the opposition as Tommy does in the song. However, it all starts with courage for a great leader. The courage to do the right thing is one of the six key qualities of leadership or 6 C's: Clear vision, Communication, Conscientiousness (integrity), Constancy (emotional stability) and Courage.

Not a bold decision: When we think of great figures such as Abraham Lincoln, Mahatma Gandhi, George Washington or Nelson Mandela, we see how they demonstrated courage in whatever they did. On further reflection about this essential quality, I have come to observe the following:

Courage does not come from nowhere. It requires proper collective knowledge, contemplative thinking and a process to help make the right decision.

Courage refers to taking risks, either by making difficult decisions in normal daily life or on strategic issues such as a major investment that might not deliver returns until the distant future.

People who have courage typically are not afraid to explore new ways of working or to try another approach. They dare to make the difficult decision, especially when it is against the tide, and they know when to call their shot.

Courage is absolutely not the same as a bold decision based only on intuition, gut feeling or an illogical assumption.

Courageous people always acknowledge and accept the consequences of their decisions. They will not run away from responsibility but bravely face the unpleasant result if things go wrong. As a consequence, they earn the trust of others and become role models.

Courage has to be encouraged: Martin Luther King Jr, the civil rights leader who adopted non-violent civil disobedience once said: "The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy." In times of crisis, people respond differently. His view truly demonstrates the importance of a courageous character.

On a personal level, one can prepare to be brave and have the courage to make decisions against the odds by adopting the following approaches:

Right view: It is important to apply reason and not easily believe in what others say. This way, decisions are not based in empty faith and you can push forward on a courageous path.

Right practice: Behaving ethically in your personal and working life will enhance your ability to do the right thing.

Right learning: Continuous learning, either by listening to others or self-study, helps you obtain a deeper understanding and to have courage when you have to make a tough call.

Right effort: Successful leaders are always diligent and work hard. They do not enjoy staying in the ivory tower but prefer to place their feet on the ground.

Right wisdom: With proper wisdom, one can have well-rounded thoughts on an issue, which can help provide their courage to move forward.

Creating courageous leaders: If you are a board member or top executive, you must ensure that employees and managers learn and apply courageous behaviour. Here are five effective but simple actions that can ensure this behaviour will be solidly embedded in the organisation:

1. Review and include key words in relation to "courage" in the organisation's core competencies and core values, such as taking risks, innovation, initiative, and moving out of one's comfort zone.

2. Regularly communicate success stories. A role model should also be at the focal point of the message. Since making decisions with a courageous attitude may step on some toes, conflict with others can be an issue but doing the right thing is more important.

3. Continuously promote and explain what is considered right and wrong practice. This way, people will have a better idea when facing difficult issues.

4. Encourage communication with inspiring stories and discourage negative ones. Remember the words of Thomas Edison: "I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work."

5. Recognise and reward the courageous. An organisation has a duty to recognise good work from its employees. Rewarding them at the proper time and in a suitable way needs to be carefully handled. Positive reinforcement is always the right thing to do.

Leaders cannot be made overnight. It requires continuous effort to develop a leader, but courage must always be at the forefront when addressing this issue. Understanding and handling this issue properly will ensure the right leadership practices, the right successors and an effective organisation in the long term.


Sorayuth Vathanavisuth is the principal and executive coach at the Center for Southeast Asia Leadership and lectures at Mahidol University's College of Management. His areas of interest are corporate strategy, executive coaching and leadership development. He can be reached at sorayuth@sealeadership.com

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