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If you've ever been in management or aspire to move up the ladder in an organization, then courage is a great attribute to bring with you to the job. Seems easy enough, doesn't it? This may surprise you.
In today's business environment, there is immense pressure from shareholders, analysts and the business community at large to post positive earnings, to patent something that will revolutionize the way we work, to surpass financial objectives, to meet sales revenue goals, etc... You get the message. So at a time when many fraudulent and non-ethical activities are brought to the forefront on the news, i.e. the Enron trial of its top two executives, the recent trials of leading executives at Healthsouth, Worldcom, Tyco, Dynegy, etc...was courage a requirement as these executives moved up the corporate ladders of their large corporations? I think not.
So why should someone need courage to be in management?
- Courage to stand up to those in higher positions to present an issue, which if left unaddressed, could result in a calamity for the business. Does Sharon Watkins from Enron or other whistle-blowers ring a bell?
- Courage to speak up for what you know and believe to be the "right" thing to do when it seems that everyone else in the organization is going along with whatever is deemed "THE thing to do, say or report just because the top brass of the company is saying this is what needs to be done" even when it is wrong. If you've not seen the short video entitled "The Road to Abilene", it is worth renting.
- Courage to have the difficult and often times awkward discussion with an employee who is not meeting the objectives versus passing him / her off to another manager with whom to deal.
- Courage to give constructive feedback as soon as possible to employees to help them improve in their position, versus not taking the time to discuss this with them and preventing their growth as valuable team members.
- Courage to recognize subordinates for their contribution to a manager's successes.
Perhaps courage becomes less of a priority as people move up in the organization. I certainly hope not. I believe one of the hallmark characteristics of true leaders is based on their courage to tackle the difficult situations and face them directly. No one said it would be easy, but it is indeed those leaders whom we admire most and uphold proudly for what they stand for and represent. Can you think of specific individuals in your company or organization who inspire you through their courage? I would bet that some of those who come to mind do not hold prestigious titles or positions but do possess the qualities we cherish.
Food for thought until the next issue.
Regards,
Laura Morales |
