Do You Have the No. 1 Leadership Trait for Tough Times?

In the 21st Century, courage is more critical than ever
In the 21st Century, courage is more critical than ever

RISMEDIA, December 1, 2006?What is the most important leadership trait for surviving our tough-as-nails economy? You might guess intuition (for knowing where to take your company next) or persuasiveness (for getting others to go along with you) or resourcefulness (for getting more bang from very limited bucks). But according to leadership expert, Mike Staver, you’d be wrong. The most critical leadership trait?the one without which none of the others matter?is something you’re more likely to associate with four-star generals or firefighters than with managers: courage.

“Here’s the thing about operating in a harsh business environment: there are serious consequences for making the wrong move,” says Staver, author of the recently released booklet Leadership Isn’t for Cowards–How to Lead Courageously in a Turbulent Age.

“The safety net just isn’t there. And because competition is so fierce and customers are so savvy, you may have to make some pretty risky choices to differentiate yourself. Otherwise you’re a nonentity…and your career and maybe even your company may fail.”

Fortunately, there is some good news. Courage is not a quality that you’re born with or without. It can be developed and nurtured. And if you commit to leading with courage, and consciously work toward that goal every day in every decision you make and every action you take, acting courageously will soon become an automatic response.

According to Staver, the path to courageous leadership has six components, summed up using the acronym “ATTACK”:

A: Accept Your Current Circumstances. Most leaders either overestimate or underestimate the health of their current culture. Very few people have a realistic grasp on it. You as a leader need to look reality in the face and accept it. By the way, this does not mean you should “settle.” Accepting that you have a less-than-ideal corporate culture is the first step toward changing that culture for the better. Ask yourself this question: What am I pretending not to know?

T: Take Responsibility. A courageous leader is willing to own the results of his or her choices. Don’t blame the market or interest rates or any other outside conditions for circumstances inside your culture. As a leader, they’re your responsibility. That doesn’t mean every problem your company has is your “fault,” of course. But if you fail to do anything about it, that is your fault. Responsibility is not about blame; it is about response. Own what is yours.

T: Take Action. You are never going to have all the data necessary to make the kinds of decisions you need to make as a leader. You have to act in spite of that fact. And even if you do have the data, you must be courageous enough not to feel that you have to have every “t” crossed and every “i” dotted before you pull the trigger. Just make sure every action you take is in line with where your heart is, where your values are, and where your culture is?or more accurately, where you want your culture to be in the future. Analyze the pitfalls and act quickly.

A: Acknowledge Progress. Many leaders are so goal-oriented that they can’t really see the individual steps of the process. Determine the desirable results, determine the benchmarks, and be certain that those benchmarks are acknowledged and celebrated when they are achieved. Celebrate them with the same energy and enthusiasm as you would if the goal were already accomplished.

C: Commit to Lifelong Learning. If you are leading, you’re learning. If you’re not learning, you’re not leading, regardless of your title. So many executives get into a leadership role and have the sense that they have “arrived.” That’s the death knell for leadership success. You must commit yourself to learning on three levels: learn about yourself first, your people second and your industry third. The extent to which you do these things, in that order, is the extent to which you’re going to exhibit courage.

K: Kindle Relationships. Courageous leaders are constantly developing people, engaging people, caring about people’s progress. That doesn’t mean softening your approach with people. It actually means toughening your approach. It means confronting people, challenging people, not letting them get away with being less than you know they can be.

According to Staver, you are who you are, both at work and at home. “If you are trying to live in two separate worlds?being one person in your personal life and a different person in your professional life?you’re on the path to destruction,” he explains. “I help clients integrate what they actually believe with how they behave at work and how their culture behaves. Everything works together to create a life, your life.”

For more information, visit thestavergroup.com or call (904) 321-0877.