Leadership and Courage

I'm not a natural risk taker. At least that's what all of my behavior and personality assessments tell me. So why am I launching a leadership blog and what do I hope to accomplish with it? At a breakfast meeting this past week a friend, and soon to be client of mine, urged me to try it. He assured me it would be easy to set up and that he would love to read my thoughts about leadership and share them with his friends and clients.

But what about the risks? Are they real or imagined? Since April of 2006 I have been teaching a special leadership workshop based on the CASTLE Principles of Leadership as found in Lance Secretan's book "ONE: The Art and Practice of Conscious Leadership". Courage is the first of these six principles (Authenticity, Service, Truthfulness, Love, and Effectiveness round out the acronym). Courage isn't about bravery (although it sometimes shows up that way). It's really about taking a stand, trying something new, being vulnerable, admitting a mistake, or saying I'm sorry.

This blog represents some of those things for me. Before I (or any of us) can do anything new or radical or brilliant we must first be Courageous. You are invited to join me in pursuit of greater Courage in leadership. Offer your thoughts and questions about Courage (or the lack of it) from your experiences leading and being led. Think about the Courageous people you know and what makes them that way. Identify some of the pressures you face in your workplace when you try to be Courageous.

In future posts I will offer other thoughts about leadership, including case studies and personal stories. Join me in taking risks so you can be the kind of leader that today's employees are yearning for.