On Courage
Al Watts, inTEgro, Inc.
Courage has been on my mind a lot lately. Apparently it has been on many
others' minds as well - Senator John McCain recently wrote a bestseller on
the subject, the magazine FastCompany devoted its October issue to
it, and associates of mine have devoted their practices to cultivating
courage in leaders and organizations. Perhaps courage has been on my mind
a lot because of friends and family members who are coping with the loss
of loved ones or with a debilitating illness, or because of the courage
displayed by "whistleblowers" in ethically challenged organizations that
have been in the news. I know that news coverage of soldiers and citizens
in Iraq (regardless of where you stand on the issue) has prompted me to
reflect on courage a lot - the form of courage that Senator McCain writes
about so eloquently in Why Courage Matters. Fortunately, few of us
are called upon to summon that kind of courage, or the courage required of
firefighters and others who perform in imminently life-threatening
situations. My reflections here are not so much about that kind of
courage, but more about the everyday kind of courage it takes to live our
lives, work and lead with integrity.
It seems to me that courage and integrity are almost inseparable; where we
see one we will generally see the other. Without integrity, much of what
passes for courage might just be adrenaline, and integrity without courage
is like the proverbial "light under a bushel basket" - untested, and
shining no light where it is needed most. Here are some thoughts on
connections between courage and the four dimensions of inTEgro's
Leadership and Organizational Integrity Model: Identity, Authenticity,
Alignment and Accountability:
inTEgro's model for leadership and organizational integrity begins with
Identity, including knowledge of who we are and what we value.
It can take a lot of courage to own who we are, especially when our values
or mission are at odds with the norm or where the money is. It takes even
more courage to be who we are and act on our
values in the face of opposition, social rejection or significant negative
economic consequences. Vincent Van Gogh was rejected by critics of his
day, and was unable to sell one of his paintings during his lifetime.
(Some thought that if he produced four or five canvasses per day they
couldn't be any good!) Nevertheless he persisted painting what he saw and
how he saw it in his own style. For many years now, on those rare
occasions when any Van Gogh works become available, most are purchased for
millions of dollars. The courage to be who we are and live up to what we
value sometimes extracts a short-term price, but can eventually deliver
great value.
A more contemporary example is Johnson and Johnson in 1982, which at an
estimated cost of $100 million, removed all of its Tylenol products
anywhere they were sold after seven people in the Chicago area died taking
Tylenol tablets. (Later it was learned that a non-J&J employee had
tampered with the tablets and laced them with cyanide.) Further, at great
additional cost the company launched a 2500-person effort to notify the
public of the problem - again not because it had to, but because a J&J
core value is to put customers and their safety first. Johnson and Johnson
is one of the companies that James Collins and Jerry Porras describe as
"built to last" in their book by the same name (Built to Last,
HarperBusiness, 1994.) Their research determined that companies like
Johnson and Johnson, 3M, IBM and General Electric that truly stick with
their core values, even at great cost, over time significantly out-perform
the stock market. An inTEgro client has consistently displayed courage
living its core values by finding ways over the years to continue honoring
its mission of "providing environments which nurture self-worth, hope and
dignity" for the elderly and others in need, even as reimbursement rates
decline and costs rise for providing that kind of care.
Do we have the courage to own who we are? Do we and our organizations
have the courage and integrity to consistently live our values, including
when that comes at a cost?
Authenticity, the second dimension of inTEgro's model for
leadership and organizational integrity, includes facing reality and
speaking the truth as we know it. Sometimes it takes courage just to
recognize our own reality and speak the truth to ourselves about it, for
example acknowledging a failing relationship or one that never really has
a chance, or owning up to a dependency that is sapping our life, or
recognizing a soulless, dead-end work situation or financial outlook that
will only continue deteriorating unless we make changes. Because it can be
difficult to face some realities ourselves, it's a blessing when friends
or associates have the courage to help us see them, and when we find the
courage to do the same for others, or for our organization.
Warren Bennis said that "the first responsibility of a leader is to face
reality." If we are to lead, we need to first have the courage to face
unpleasant realities ourselves, then to articulate them and mobilize
others for action. Leaders are truth-tellers. It takes courage to tell the
truth as we see it, especially when voicing a contrary opinion in meetings
or disagreeing with the boss. My associates concur that perhaps the most
common breakdown of integrity and courage in organizations is reluctance
to speak up, voice contrary opinions or disagree with those in power out
of fear of reprisal. Unfortunately, sometimes those fears are well founded
and there is a price to pay. The alternative costs, however, can be higher
long-term. How many people lose a bit of their souls each day by not
mustering the courage to speak their truth, and over time lose any
capability to stand up for what they believe is right? A hero dies only
once, but those who lack courage die a thousands deaths. The costs for
organizations that stifle truth-telling and costs for their stakeholders
are often higher, as evidenced by the Enron and World-Com fiascoes. The
space ship Challenger blew up in 1986 killing all seven astronauts
aboard because of reluctance in the Morton Thiokol / NASA chain of command
to voice concerns about faulty O-ring seals. More recently, some believe
that if concerns about the Hewlett-Packard / Compaq merger had been more
strongly voiced and heard, HP would be ahead of where it is now and Carly
Fiorina would still be in her role as CEO.
Where or how do we need to speak more of our own minds and hearts for
the sake of our or our organization's integrity, or for the customers we
serve? Where or how do we need to speak up if we observe or experience
differences in our organizations or communities between what is espoused
and what is practiced?
We need to have the courage not only to speak our own convictions, but
also to admit that we may not have a lock on "the truth," and to really
listen to others with contrary views. In inTEgro's model for leader and
organizational integrity, Alignment includes the ability,
through dialogue, to use differences in points of view for creating more
unity (not to be confused with "sameness.") That requires the courage to
let go of the familiar “truth” we know so we can really explore alternate
views. Much of what seems not to be working in organizations these days,
and I believe in deeply divided communities (think "blue" and "red,") is
the lack of courage to at least momentarily let go of "the truth we think
we know" in order to discover a "third way" that facilitates forward
movement without alienation or disengagement. Healing the wounds that
divide us requires the courage to speak our minds and hearts, courage to
help others do the same, and courage to engage in true dialogue as we mine
differences and seek creative solutions.
Where might having the courage to really listen to alternative points
of view and to engage in real dialogue reduce alienation, create more
unity and sense of community, and facilitate progress?
Courage is also required to heal any wounds or close divides that may
exist in our own personal and work lives. It is one thing to recognize
that our work or where we work is at odds with who we are and what we
value; it usually takes even more courage to take the steps needed if we
are to close the gap between who we are and what we do. Maybe we ask
ourselves, “What about the mortgage?” “What about retirement?” “What will
our friends and family think?” “Am I willing to sacrifice the conventional
trappings of success?” I have acquaintances who have and some who have not
yet mustered the courage to take the steps they need to create more
alignment between who they are and what they do. Yes, taking those steps
means some uncertainty and maybe short-term costs, but long-term, the
upside for them, their loved-ones and often their employer is
significantly greater.
What courageous steps do we need to take now in order to create more
alignment between our work and personal lives - so that what we do is a
better reflection of who we are?
Accountability is the last dimension of inTEgro's model for
leader and organizational integrity - which we define simply as "living up
to our promise." "Living up to our promise" means keeping our promises -
including living up to a brand promise, practicing the values we profess
and delivering on goals and commitments. To be accountable we must have
the courage to set, and more importantly maintain, standards and
objectives that may be difficult to achieve. We must have the courage to
admit where and how we fall short ourselves, and to confront others who
may not be doing what is required. Accountability for results that are
worthwhile usually also requires the courage to depart from familiar or
routine practices, and to make sacrifices for the sake of something that
is still unknown or uncertain. It means having the courage and discipline
to pay attention to what really matters and to take action when we are off
course. To be accountable also means that we are good stewards - not just
of financial resources, but of natural and people resources (like making
the best use of our and others' talents,) and that we take responsibility
for the impact of our decisions and actions on others. The more broadly
and thoughtfully we define stewardship, usually the greater the courage
required. It takes substantial courage, not to mention creativity and
resourcefulness, for a company not to use a low-cost supplier that engages
in unfair labor practices overseas when the balance of a world market
defines accountability more narrowly.
Where and how do we need to exercise courage so we can "live up to our
promise" and commitments? How would exercising courage make us more
responsible stewards?
Winston Churchill told us "courage does not mean absence of fear, but
acting in the face of our fears." An associate of mine defines courage as
"the ability to do what is required of us in the moment." Where does
courage come from? How do we develop the ability to act in the face of our
fears and do what is required of us in the moment? Why or how does one
organization or person muster the courage to do what needs to be done when
others do not? Where or how do we find the courage to act in some
situations but not others? How do we strengthen courage - our own, our
loved ones' or our organizations'?"
• We need to remind ourselves of what is most important - why we think we
are here, what our core values are, whom we love and how we want to be
remembered. Knowing for what we live or work can often give
us the strength to deal with any how.
• A life, work or organization consumed with activity or reactive
decision-making may not provide opportunities for discerning what is most
important or what difficult choices we need to make. An early mentor of
mine said, "If we keep doing what we've been doing we'll keep getting what
we've been getting." Reflection and time for contemplation provide
opportunities to connect with what is most important, and to gain
inspiration or build up the strength and resolve we need for courageous
decisions and actions that could be transformational. Taking time for
reflection and contemplation while doing something or somewhere different
than usual (for me nature - ideally on the water) can sometimes help us
see things more clearly.
• The word "courage" is derived from the French "coeur," and literally
means "of the heart." The heart is a muscle, and perhaps like any muscle
we test and build up our courage in steps - exercising it first with
matters of smaller significance and building up "strength of heart" for
more consequential matters: A person with an unhealthy dependency first
finds the courage to forego the dependency one day, then a week, then
months, then years. We first find the strength to voice unpopular opinions
in small meetings or with peers, then in meetings with our boss and
eventually in large groups where the stakes are even higher. An
organization first chooses a supplier more aligned with its core values at
a slight inconvenience, then works its way up to forming partnerships with
more ethical suppliers even though short-term it means a competitive
disadvantage and a hit in its stock price.
• While a true test of courage and integrity is the ability to act on our
own to do what's right, a supportive community - family, friends or
co-workers "en-courage" the heart. We need to find people who support our
courageous steps and seek how we can provide such support to others.
Organizations that wish to "en-courage" integrity need to state their
values clearly, and more importantly assure that personnel selection,
performance feedback, recognition and rewards reinforce those values.
To be more courageous, how can we connect with what is most important?
Are there smaller decisions or opportunities to take risks that will
enable more courageous decisions and actions? How can we connect with
others and create a sense of community to support courageous decisions and
actions?
Winston Churchill believed that "Courage is the noblest virtue because it
makes all the others possible." Without courage it is likely impossible to
live lives, work and lead with integrity. True courage, however - beyond
just adrenaline, springs from integrity. They truly go hand in hand;
without one we will not find the other.
