A Case for Courage
by Rebecca Barnett
"There is no pivotal moment, only small acts of courage
for the right decision." -- Jim Carrick
We often think of courage in terms of one-time heroic acts of
war or in the bravery of the firefighters who risked -- and too often
gave -- their lives on September 11th.
But courage in the large acts comes from courage built from a series
of small acts. James Bregman, 1964 Olympian, says, "The real courage is
what you do on a daily basis, how you conduct yourself to the standards
you have set. That will lead to doing the right thing and the next
right thing. The more times you do the next right thing, the more
ingrained proper conduct becomes. It starts with little things and ends
with big things."
Over 100 interviews with business leaders showed clearly that this
type of courage is essential for long-term career success and personal
satisfaction. Without courage, you live a less full life. You don't go
as far in your career or last as long. But just as some people aren't
sure if they have an identity apart from their job title, some aren't
sure they have values apart from what the company has given them.
Others simply aren't strong enough. It takes courage to follow your
values and be unwavering. But a career without courage flattens out
because it is not built on a solid foundation.
It is critical that courage become a core value of the company
because the organization pays the price for the misconduct of a few:
lawsuits, front-page scandals and punishment of the price per share.
Putting aside Enron, which seems corrupt throughout its culture, most
companies would welcome the opportunity to correct problems before they
hit the headlines giving the organization a public black eye and
besmirched reputation. It is in the company's best interests to develop
courage in its leaders because only the largest organizations can
afford to staff ethics officer positions and ethics hotlines. The rest
must rely on their employees to do what is right and report what is
wrong.
Organizational integrity begins with the organization's framework of
values and ends with individual accountability. Nine in ten employees
say they expect their organizations to do what is right, not just what
is profitable. The same percentage say the people they work with
believe in the organization's standards and values. As their leaders,
we must live and breathe our values, modeling them in everyday behavior.
Courage is needed in transition
"In my former company, they put values into operations across
the entire organization. But when the merger was announced, the
importance of values stopped and today values are not espoused." -- Anonymous
When times are the toughest,
integrity matters the most. The 2000 Ethics Resource Center study
showed that companies in transition from mergers and acquisitions,
restructuring or layoffs are associated with higher levels of
misconduct. The percentage of employees who observed misconduct in the
past year was 37% for transitioning organizations compared to 27% of
employees who worked in stable organizations. Why the higher rates of
misconduct?
Change, stress and high stakes bring out the best and worst in human
behavior. Organizational transitions redefine organizational priorities
and disrupt reporting relationships and patterns of communication,
resulting in uncertainty and stress. The loss of a trusted supervisor,
increased workload and additional responsibilities can cause employees
to question company norms. During tough economic times, especially
during layoffs when employee cynicism reaches an all time high,
companies can be challenged to live by their values.
Sometimes it seems like we are working in different organizations.
Senior and middle managers observe less misconduct, feel less pressure
to compromise integrity and are more likely to report misconduct. High
level employees and senior managers also have more positive perceptions
of the ethical behavior of their leaders than do lower level employees.
We tend to overestimate our employee's commitment to company values and
underestimate the company's risk. We grow overconfident that the
scandals we read about and watch on TV couldn't happen here.
Courage is needed to question
"There is a lot of fear for advancement, for the job. This
causes people to look the other way. If someone is driven by money and
financial gain, they will be more desperate when faced with losing a
job. " -- Barbara Best
There are many reasons why it could happen here, but only two
main reasons why your employees wouldn't report misconduct or raise
concerns. 34% are afraid they will be seen as a troublemaker by
management. 35% fear their coworkers will see them as a "snitch." In
transitioning organizations experiencing layoffs, the percentage climbs
to 42%. Even among senior and middle managers, one in five say they
will be seen as troublemakers by management if they report misconduct.
These discouraging percentages speak to a deep distrust of management.
These fears appear to be justified. Unlike Enron whistle blower,
Sherron Watkins, who was widely praised for her highly developed moral
sense and incredible courage, most "snitches" are quietly fired,
their careers derailed, their reputations ruined.
Nina Aversano, former president of sales for North America, claimed
she was fired in retaliation for giving detailed warning that Lucent's
sales targets were unrealistic. Lucent improperly booked $679 million
in revenue during its 2000 fiscal year, boosting sales revenues by
giving credit to customers unlikely to pay and counting sales for
product shipped to distribution partners that was never sold to end
customers. Lucent stock lost 77% of its value in the one year period
between their first earnings warning and the formal SEC investigation.
Former Xerox finance executive, James F. Bingham, sued the company
for wrongful termination, claiming he was fired in August 2000 because
he tried to call attention to accounting fraud. His complaint alleged
that Chief Financial Officer, Barry Romeril, directed underlings to
boost income by selling banks the rights to future revenues from Xerox
copiers that were on short-term rentals to customers. When KPMG
declined to certify Xerox's financial results, the company delayed
filing its annual report, which prompted a widening probe by the SEC.
Almost two years later, Xerox admitted to inflating revenue by $1.9
billion.
Clearly it is in the company's best interest to have early warning
and an opportunity to make the situation right. Most people are doing
their best to lead honorably on a day-by-day basis; most companies
stumble and fall due to radioactive influence of a few. Unfortunately,
many companies don't find out about misconduct in time to correct it
because of the stigma of whistle blowing. A study conducted by Walker
Information revealed that nearly a third of employees believe whistle
blowing on illegal or unethical company actions is, in itself, a
serious ethical violation.
We have grown accustomed to accounting scandals: Rite Aid, Sunbeam,
and Waste Management were precursors to Enron. Normally, accounting
fraud takes months, if not years, to unravel; the charges are
complicated and the heroes and villains are painted in shades of gray
rather than black and white. SEC investigations are cumbersome,
requiring lengthy probes into complex financial arrangements. The
scandal plays out in the press amid a flurry of lawsuits by former
employees and shareholders and counter accusations of incompetent
leadership.
Unlike these highly visible cases, most misconduct is garden variety, according to a 2000 study by the Ethics Resource Center.
Types of misconduct:
Lying to employees, customers, vendors or the public. 26%
Withholding needed information from employees, 25% customers, vendors or the public.
Abusive or intimidating behavior towards employees. 24%
Misreporting actual time or hours worked. 21%
Discrimination on the basis of race, color, gender, age or 17% similar categories.
Even small companies with high integrity leadership are not immune.
Mike almost lost his advertising agency to employee fear. An employee
was stealing money from the company by cutting phony invoices and
pocketing the money. Other employees saw the dishonesty and knew the
company was being cheated, but thought the owners might be in on it.
They were afraid they might lose their job if they mentioned it. So
they did nothing. Eventually one person came forward.
Mike prosecuted the thief, whose excuse was that he felt he was
worth more than he was being paid. Mike said, "I think I was more
disappointed to find out that other employees knew about it but did
nothing. I wear my values on my sleeve. They should have known by my
character."
The faces of courage
We are not accustomed to talking about courage in leadership
except in the abstract, occasionally anchored to examples: he has the
courage of his convictions, she has the courage to keep the course
despite crushing pressure, he has the courage to make the tough
decisions without consultants.
There are many types of quiet courage, many unreported examples and
small moments. Courage is doing what is right for the organization and
its people when there are no easy answers. Courage is called on when
there is pressure to compromise, to look the other way or to give in to
the urgency of an unfilled position with a questionable candidate.
Sometimes courage comes when your back is against the wall and you
cannot retreat one more step, when you have to dig down deep to find
your courage.
But courage is not charging ahead on a Quixotic mission at all
costs. That is closer to being a loose cannon, both reckless and
foolish. Sometimes we romanticize the notion of going down in flames
fighting for right, but the reality is that your people benefit far
more from your continued leadership. Courage is closer to taking
measured risks, arguing your case intelligently and occasionally coming
back to fight another day.
The courage to challenge
"I was put in the penalty box — they didn't kill me, but put me
where I couldn't hurt the agenda." -- Jim McCallie
Courage is doing what is right for the organization when it is
risky or unpopular. It takes courage to challenge the status quo, to
change the business model and push change through resistance. But
courage grows when you are tested; when you make a decision that puts
your reputation and career at stake.
"Going through the fire and being pushed to the edge teaches you how
to respond to conflict in real business issues. You have to believe in
yourself," says Tim (a pseudonym).
Tim was 25 when he put a halt on a new system rollout, putting his
career on the line to stabilize the system and pushing a million dollar
bleed up through the organization. Without years of experience to
anchor him, he worked off sheer intuition and his internal compass to
decide what was right for the organization.
Tim was the only product person on the team -– the others in
information technology were under heavy incentives to get the system
online quickly.
The business was highly seasonal and the team was under pressure to
have the system up and running by the holidays. The team tested the
pilot system at one site and found problems. At first, they weren't
sure if the problems were with the system or the users. But after
testing the system at a second site, they discovered a number of major
design flaws in the guts of the application.
Tim had to articulate the unpopular. He was going to shut the system
down for six months until it could be stabilized -- a million dollar
delay. The IT group accused him of "scope creep" -- of changing the
requirements -- and recommended to senior management that his group do a
better job of keeping track of inventory.
They spent six months stabilizing the pilot system and then began to
roll it out. This time it worked. "After that, even though I still have
lots of stress -- even though there are things that burn a hole in my
gut -- being tested made me more sure of myself," he says.
The courage to confront
"What do leaders need most? Strong followers." -- Troy Fellers
We often think of courage in terms of leadership, but courage is
also needed for followship because many people become fearful during
change. Those lacking courage won't speak up when their company is
headed in the wrong direction. Confused between courage and loyalty,
they won't confront their boss. That is a failure of followship far
more serious than any disloyalty. It is not a disservice to challenge
if you've given your boss loyalty in the little things, years of
trustworthy service and a strong track record. It is not disloyal to
question a course of action that puts the company at risk. Rather, it
is timid and irresponsible to not challenge the consequences of bad
decisions.
Getting on the wrong side of management -- going against the momentum
toward a misguided goal -- can be extremely uncomfortable. But companies
and their leadership make mistakes. Even the very best ones are a work
in progress. It is up to you to challenge and change the company for
the better.
To become strong leaders, we have to be willing to challenge and to
be challenged. It takes courage to solicit feedback and act on
criticism. But one in three employees who feel pressure attributes it
to their supervisor or top management. Leaders with the most power are
perceived to exert the greatest pressure on others to compromise their
integrity. As leaders, we reflect the organization. We must provide the
opportunity for our followers to speak up.
There are many who think it is safest to never speak up, safest not
to rock the boat. They are the same people who never make waves or go
out on a limb; the "yes men" who are widely disrespected within the
organization. Those lacking courage will wind up getting by without
getting results. People can be well networked and successful by
material standards. But without courage, cynicism creeps through.
An acquaintance illustrates this chameleon-like behavior. Whatever
his boss said, he was in complete agreement. Whatever the flavor of the
day, that was his favorite. He was not a bad person -- for the most part
he was harmless, even amusing, until the day his boss was put in a
position of great authority.
This boss was a weak leader who depended on his followers. Based on
their enthusiastic support, he made a disastrous decision that led to a
series of events that, in turn, caused the company to lose millions,
miss its earnings targets and see its share prices tumble. When it was
all over, several careers had been ruined and dozens in management had
lost their stock option retirement cushions.
This man still works for the company. He was not wholly responsible
-– he is just a man whose lack of courage to confront issues cost his
co-workers, his company and its shareholders. Yet every night he gets
into his luxury car and drives to his executive house, home to his wife
and young son. I've often wondered, how does he look into the eyes of
his son? What kind of man will he raise him to be?
The courage of character
"If one is purely materialist, how satisfying can that be?
How
can you respect yourself? They will eventually have
health problems
from the stress of fighting themselves." -- Barbara Best
It takes courage to do what is right for the organization when
there are high stakes of money, power and stock options at risk. My
accountant tells me that if you want to know the character of a person,
talk to her about her money. She will sit in her office and tell you
things she's done and justify it by saying, "That's business."
A friend of mine, an investment broker, uses the same phrase. Last
week he sat at my kitchen table. He looked exhausted, but he shrugged
and said, "That's business." He had sold a high-risk investment to a
client in Canada -- who subsequently lost $60,000.
My friend couldn't fall asleep until 2 a.m. that morning thinking
about his client in Canada and the lost $60,000 that would have been
his daughter's college tuition.
My friend is a man of character. He supports a pregnant wife and has
no health insurance. He badly needs his job. But the call from Canada
was the second call that week. And he can't sleep at night. So he is
resigning his position.
My investment broker, on the other hand, has never lost a moment's
sleep over all the money I've lost. And I tell you that you cannot
separate work from home and say "That's business." You must lead with
courage and character in all parts of your life.
The courage to lead
"My boss folded like an accordion
in front of the big boss." -- Doug Fortune
While courage in followship is important, courage is also needed
for leadership. When employees perceive their leaders setting a good
example of integrity, they feel less pressure to compromise integrity,
observe less misconduct, are more satisfied with their organization and
feel more valued. How big a difference does this make? 93% of employees
who agree that the head of their organization "sets a good example of
ethical business behavior" say they are satisfied with their
organizations.
Courage is critical to leadership because people will not respect or
follow a leader who will not stand up for them. It takes courage to
fight for your people, to represent them when they can't speak for
themselves. Both at home and at work, people are motivated by feelings
of belonging and loyalty.
Jane (a pseudonym) was 28 when she faced the most difficult
situation in her life. She found out that the owner of a distribution
center had been stealing millions of dollars in materials from her
company. As Jane investigated and dug deeper, she discovered that he
had been kiting checks between several businesses he owned. Facing jail
time on charges of theft and fraud, the owner committed suicide.
The man's workers blamed Jane and her company. Jane and her team
flew to the site to manage the distribution center until they could
close it down. The employees were disgruntled and dangerous -- the
second shift employees were prisoners on work release.
Jane called corporate and requested security. Her boss told her not
to pull her team out, not to leave until they could shut down the
operation. But the security they sent was one elderly rent-a-cop.
Jane was torn between her obligation to the organization and her
promise to protect her people. She struggled with her decision. Fully
expecting the worst, Jane told her team to pack up and they flew back
to corporate. Jane told me, "A career without courage is limiting -– how
can you like the person in the mirror?"
The cost of courage
"If integrity is important to me,
there is a price associated." -- Harriet Seward
Often courage comes in the small everyday acts -- making the
right decision. Often the decisions we make early in our career set the
tone and define our reputation for the rest of our career. The most
difficult decisions affect not only our career and family, but also the
people who depend on us.
Courage sometimes comes with a cost. Several interview participants
told stories of doing the right thing early in their career when their
children were small and the stakes were especially high. Taking a stand
sometimes meant losing their jobs.
Bernie Hale, now a consultant, had just graduated from college and
started his first job as a sales manager for a regional carrier. There
was a legendary traffic manager who controlled large volumes of freight
for a potential client. Bernie had a meeting with the traffic manager,
who then asked his assistants to leave the room. He said, "Buy my car
new tires and you'll get the freight."
Bernie said, "Pardon me sir?" He didn't think he had heard right.
College hadn't prepared him for this. Bernie excused himself and
returned to the office. He struggled for two days. It wasn't just him -–
the lives of 200 employees were in his hands.
Was he so pure that he could make a decision that affected his co-workers and drivers?
Bernie says, "It turned my stomach to challenge them. People lose
their jobs doing what is right -– they answer to a higher calling." But
where do you draw the line? This time it was tires, what would it be
the next time -- a car? It took all his courage to pick up the phone and
refuse the offer. The traffic manager slammed down the phone. Bernie
didn't go to his boss until after he had made the decision. There was a
long pause. There was no praise but his boss stood behind him.
Bernie's decision cost his company a lot of freight. It affected the
company's economic existence because the freight went to a direct
competitor, the full trailers sitting on the lot next door. The
employees couldn't understand why they weren't getting the business and
Bernie couldn't explain.
Years later, the traffic manager retired and Bernie got the freight,
needing all available capacity to handle it. Bernie is now
semi-retired, but he vividly remembers that day, the black suit he was
wearing and how he felt.
He says, "Everything that happens to you becomes a building block as
you grow older. They are character builders making us better spouses,
better parents and better leaders. That is the reward for doing what is
right."
Is courage innate?
"Sometimes our fears can grip us so tightly
we are not able to act." -- Harriett Seward
If courage comes with a cost, it must be its own reward -- at the
end of the day, liking the person in the mirror, being able to sleep at
night; at the end of your career, looking back without fear that you
let yourself down.
The most fascinating discussion in my character-centered leadership
interview series came from the question, "Is courage an innate trait or
can it be developed?" Olympians and business leaders alike wrestled
with the answer. The final consensus was that courage is a combination
of nature and nurture.
But developing courage in those you lead can be difficult,
especially when people have mortgages, kids in school and community
involvement. Many people are afraid for their jobs today. The press
reports the raw numbers of layoffs and unemployment statistics but not
the anxiety, the holding of breath through each round of layoffs.
People are reluctant to take risks when they feel they are expendable
at the first sign of economic downturn.
For some people, their whole identity is wrapped up in their job
title, company name and salary. When they lose their job, they leave a
big chunk of themselves behind. Developing an identity outside of work
can help build courage -- at the end of the day, you still get to go
home to your family and life outside the office.
Others can't have courage because they are drowning in debt. They
can't speak up or take a chance because they are living from paycheck
to paycheck. Any interruption would bring financial ruin.
Sometimes, fear carries over from previous company experiences, but
courage is innate in all of us and can be developed. You can create a
culture of courage by encouraging your people to speak up in meetings
and challenge the status quo.
Courage comes from commitment
"The many pressures of the marketplace can compromise
an
individual's values to do what is expedient.
When people don 't feel
invested in the organization,
they may not stand up for what is right.
This works against people being true to their values." -- Nancy Haslip
Courage comes from staying the course when it is uncomfortable
or difficult. When there are 100 reasons to quit, you must have 101
reasons to stay. During the years it took to research and write this
book, there were many times I wanted to give up. Friends and family
questioned the marketability of the book and urged me to find a real
job. But at each point of deep discouragement, someone always said,
"What you are doing is important -– you must not quit," giving me the
fresh courage to last a bit longer.
Courage comes from digging down deep when you can't take one more
step, when your finances, energy and emotional reserves are drained and
you think there is nothing left.
Ken Wappel, CEO of the LTA group, remembers sitting on the grimy
floor of a warehouse in the worst neighborhood of Patterson, N.J. Ken
and his partner sat for hours drinking a six-pack of Heinekens, not
knowing what to do, trying to figure out how to get out of trouble. At
the business's three-year point, payables were higher than receivables
and the other partners wanted out. Ken felt it was one thing to walk
away with a break even, but another thing to fail. He couldn't quit the
business without paying the people who had trusted them.
After reviewing existing accounts, Ken fired his non-profitable
accounts and went to his good customers, explained they were in trouble
and needed to raise their rates. To his amazement, they agreed and the
company went from a negative to a positive cash flow. Today, LTA serves
the top 25 retailers in the country.
Courage comes from strength
"Judo puts you in situations where you have to have courage.
That builds the self-confidence to continue.
Judo just builds strong
people."
-- Sandy Bacher, Three-time Olympian, World Gold medalist women's wrestling
As a competitor, I've learned that it is impossible to maintain
peak physical performance year round. Instead I follow a training
schedule to reach a peak level of performance and conditioning right
before critical competitions. During the off season when competition
slows, I rest, rejuvenate and repair muscle and cartilage. This concept
of peak conditioning also applies to our professional lives. We must
take care of our physical selves to reach peak professional performance.
Often in judo competition, matches are won and lost in the last 30
seconds of stamina, determination and the will to win. In practice, we
put our students through 30-second drills. We wait until the end of
class when the players are exhausted, out of breath and soaked with
sweat. We put them through two rounds of fighting and tell them to
imagine they are fighting for the Gold at the Olympics. When 30 seconds
remain on the clock, we call out, "30 seconds – all you've got!"
Somehow, from somewhere deep inside, they find a new burst of strength
and energy to win the match.
When you are mentally and physically drained and all you want is to
give up, where do you find the stamina to endure? Where do you draw the
strength to continue? What sustains you? "My strength is wearing low,
but I have confidence everything that happens is for a reason. Some
good comes out of everything," writes an anonymous reader.
Courage comes from having the physical stamina to withstand stress.
It is difficult to act with courage when your body is worn down from
anxiety, fatigued from fighting health problems, or when you can't
think clearly from the after-effects of too much alcohol.
During periods of high pressure and demanding schedules, it is easy
to bury our stress and anxiety in food. We fight back fatigue with rich
restaurant meals. But unrelenting stress takes a heavy toll on our
bodies, accelerating the aging process. How many times can you grab a
quick bite at your desk, work late and fight traffic without it wearing
down your body?
Too often we take our bodies for granted, neglecting to develop the
physical body as we do our minds and professional skills. We know that
physicality provides stress relief and increases energy levels. The
discipline of a strong body gives us mental and emotional strength. To
have continued courage, we must replenish our strength with adequate
rest, good nutrition and exercise to relieve stress.
Work will always win out over fitness unless you make it a higher
priority. When you put it on a back burner, fitness can become one more
thing to feel guilty about. We need a healthy diet and a strong body to
have the stamina for the second halves of our careers.
When we excuse ourselves from working toward fitness, saying there
is no time, we also take away an important outlet for stress. To make
fitness a habit, it is important to find the right activity for you –
one that feels like play. Being fit then is not so much a chore as a
time for socializing or precious time alone. With practice, the craving
for fitness becomes a hunger as real as food.
"My running time this morning is just as important as my meetings
and phone calls. Running is an 'A' priority because I've made it an 'A'
priority," says Larry Mercer. "The connection between fitness and job
performance is absolute. Fitness is part of self-esteem. It shows that
you value your life. Physical fitness makes you clearer, more precise."
You have one body. Take care of it.
Courage comes from confidence
"Courage and leadership are synonymous.
Guide your people to
do the right thing
and protect unpopular acts of courage.
You must have
a covenant to protect
and encourage in that path." -- Fred Ball
You can develop courage in your own department by having courage
yourself and expecting it in others, by letting the people you lead see
your courage in your daily actions. Sometimes we must borrow courage
from others to develop our own. In sharing your strength, your people
will reflect your courage in their own decisions.
Courage comes from reaching a level of maturity; from being
comfortable in your own skin and confident in your leadership, when you
reach a point of trying to improve but are no longer trying to impress.
Courage comes with practice and past experiences – repetition and
small successes build confidence. You can develop courage in the people
you lead by giving them responsibility. Talk through both the risks and
the value of what they are doing. Walk them through the tough decisions
and protect them from political fallout. When your people make
mistakes, stand behind them and give them the chance to make it right.
As their confidence grows from each small success they will become
braver.
Courage comes from facing the consequences. If you are so fearful of
a negative outcome, you will not be able to act with courage. Ask
yourself, "What is the worst thing that will happen if I act on my
conviction? Can I face the possibility of being fired? Can I bear the
consequences of marginalization and losing my power base?"
Then ask, "What is the worst thing that will happen if I don't?"
Will you risk your reputation, become embittered, transfer to another
department or leave the company?
Courage comes from heart
We tell our competitors that how you conduct yourself on the mat
carries over to all parts of your life. We teach them to bow
respectfully to their opponent, to fight hard, to accept wins and
losses with equal measures of humility and grace. Sport, taught
correctly, builds character.
When I took my coaching certification class, it was easy. Although I
was new to coaching, I applied all the managerial principles I'd been
using for years. Over the years, I've seen many naturally gifted
athletes come and go. I'd rather coach a less talented, hard working
athlete who has a clear mind and strong heart.
One of the privileges of being a coach is to watch athletes grow in
confidence and courage with each competition. Often, it is hard to keep
fighting. I ask my competitors, "How badly do you want it?" I push them
hard in practice, demanding their best effort, praising and pushing in
equal measures. "You have to believe it," I tell them when I see the
doubt and fear in their eyes. As a coach, I've learned that techniques
can be taught and courage can be developed. But it takes an athlete who
is all heart to push past failure and disappointment, and stay in the
game.
We coached a seven-year-old boy, Jonathan, with a blond crew cut and
big blue eyes. He was regularly beaten in practice by his partners. I
told Jonathan, "You have to believe you can do it before you'll be able
to throw him," but he became more timid, ending several practices in
tears. Hoping to encourage him, Jonathan's father took him to a small,
beginner's tournament. Our hearts sank when we saw his opponent bow
onto the mat wearing a brown belt from another martial art.
The entire team sat on the side of the mat, cheering Jonathan on. We
held our breath as he fought his heart out. To our amazement, Jonathan
threw the brown belt for a full point, winning the match. He lost his
second match, then came back to beat the brown belt again in the third
match. He bowed off the mat to the cheers, hugs and back slapping
congratulations of his teammates.
At the next practice, Jonathan was promoted to his yellow belt. With
newfound confidence and determination, he started winning matches in
practice and competition. About six months later, Jonathan was fighting
a gold medal match. In the middle of the match, Jonathan spit his tooth
out and handed it to the referee. He walked back to his starting line,
while the referee watched dumb founded. The referee swallowed hard, put
the tooth in his pocket, and re-started the match. Jonathan kept
fighting, winning the match and the gold medal.
In business we sometimes face complex moral issues. Sports
competition is more clear-cut; there is a winner and loser. If you do
the right thing for your company, but get fired, have you won or lost?
Clearly there has been a high cost. But if you leave with your
character intact you have a moral victory.
Courage comes from culture
"In World War II, fighter pilots were led on
by other pilot's courage." -- Mel Paisley
In the early 1990s at The Home Depot, an orientation video told
the story of the courage Bernie Marcus and Arthur Blank displayed in
starting the company after being fired from Handy Dan. The story was
part of the folklore that made them our heroes and the core of Depot's
strong corporate culture. When I joined the company, I spent 90 days
traveling to the stores, learning the home improvement business and
building relationships. Being a female director was a big deal back
then. On my store visits, female associates would rush up to meet me
and tell me how proud they were of my accomplishment.
I had been with Home Depot for four months when I attended my first
storewide meeting. I did a lot of listening to the 300 plus store
managers who had been like older brothers to me. I sat quietly at a
divisional meeting as they discussed high turnover problems with the
mostly female cashiers. They couldn't understand why the women were
leaving. It was obvious to me that the women didn't think they had the
same opportunities that were minting millionaires through the store
manager development program.
One of the few women in the room, I listened as long as I could,
then took the microphone as it passed around the room. Heart thudding,
I made an impassioned, impromptu speech about giving the women the same
opportunities and challenges in the management training program. "Work
them as hard," I exhorted. "Expect as much, but give them the same
opportunities." When I finished, there was a moment of total silence
that stretched on forever. I stood there thinking, "I've blown it. I
wonder if I can quietly pack my bags and catch the next flight home."
The room erupted in applause and shouts of approval. Just when I
started to breathe again, the room went silent. No one had noticed that
Bernie had quietly slipped into the back of the room.
My heart sank as Bernie strode to the front of the room and snatched
the microphone from my hand. I was sure to be fired and sent home in
disgrace. "She's right," Bernie said, "Just because she's not standing
next to you at the urinal, doesn't mean she can't do the job." I sank
into my chair, weak with relief, as Bernie continued to lecture the
store managers about opportunities for all associates. I learned a
lesson about the courage of my convictions that day.
Courage comes from pushing past fear
"This is my life and my business. I don 't want to end up
knocking on the door of the homeless shelter,
asking if they can spare
a cot. I'm putting everything I have
into this business. That is a
little bit terrifying at times.
I have to bear down and work through
the fear." -- Wendy Tarzian
Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather pushing forward
in the face of that fear. For an athlete, the very worst thing is to
know you gave your all and it was not enough. But maybe the very worst
thing is to not give your all and always wonder what might have
happened. Maybe the worst thing is to look back at the end of your
career and be filled with regret over risks not taken.
To be a courageous leader you need to operate from your bedrock of
beliefs. Courage comes from what you must do. From believing in
something so strongly that you will do whatever it takes. From being
who you are no matter where you are. We've all heard of top athletes
using visualization to increase athletic performance. Jimmy Pedro, judo
World Champion and three time Olympian took visualization a step
further. "You have to believe it can happen before you are capable of
becoming a champion," he says.
He not only pictured himself beating his opponents, he pictured what
it would feel like, the goose bumps from standing on the medal stand,
hearing our national anthem, feeling the weight of that heavy gold
medal around his neck. Jimmy believed he could win the World
Championships and made it a reality.
But back in the corporate world, sometimes in the time pressures and
heat of work demands, we get in a hurry and make mistakes. We lose
sight of our fundamental beliefs. Holding tight to your core values
will keep you grounded.
A study on social courage showed that participants held more firmly
to what they knew was the truth when they wrote it down. How strong is
your commitment to living by your values?
In our unforgiving environment where even CEOs are shuffled every
few years, you have to have something to hold onto. You have to be able
to say, "This is who I am, this is what I believe, and this is what I
stand for."
Show courage in the strength of your character
"Courage, bravery, valor — these words have been tied to the
military,
but they also refer to the inner battles raging within us." -- John Ridley
The courage of character is old-fashioned stuff. It often comes
out in crises -- the small voice that says, "You are better than this,"
when you need a shower to wash away the unpleasantness of the day; when
you question the person you've become and whether you much like being
that person. This is who you are with the veneer stripped off.
As you think about your own life and career, is there an area where
you need courage? You may have to dig down deep to find it. But with
hard work, determination and commitment, it is possible. Because
courage is in you, it shows in the strength of your character and the
quality of your leadership. As courage becomes part of your core
values, you will lead with both head and heart. And you will look back
at the end of your career without regrets because you will have given
it your all.
Most of us are never tested in a dramatic fashion. We don't
represent our country at the Olympics. We don't ever have to make those
"you bet your career" type of decisions. Many of us have not faced the
great challenges that strengthen our resolve. But practicing courage in
the small moments and everyday acts and decisions prepares you for the
time you will have to face down your fear.
This article was excerpted from:
 Winning Without Losing Your Way: Character-Centered Leadership
by Rebecca Barnett.
Reprinted with permission of the publisher, Winning Your Way, Inc. ©2003. www.winningyourway.com
Info/Order this book.
About the Author
Rebecca Barnett is the founder of Winning Your Way, Inc. ,
specializing in keynote presentations and seminars on
character-centered leadership. Rebecca has more than a dozen
years of executive experience for America's most admired retailers
including The Home Depot and Dollar General. She holds a M.A. in
Organizational Communication from Western Kentucky University, where
she is an adjunct professor and a B.S. in business from The Ohio State
University.
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