Courage: The Heart of Leadership

Courage lies at the heart of leadership. Leaders need courage to make wise decisions, not self-interested ones. They need to be able to set aside their egos, to feel vulnerable, to face challenges, yet remain principled and hold the course. This book presents many suggestions on how to make a real difference in organizations, and explains how one can develop the courage to be an effective leader, step by step. The book is designed to give leaders the self-awareness and the tools to overcome the obstacles that prevent us from leading effectively. Leadership requires working through the systemic barriers that serve as forcefields pulling and pushing us in various directions. Drawing on interviews with over 20 organizational leaders in a variety of industries, the book helps leaders to address key areas that are rarely discussed: the personal baggage attached to authority, self-esteem and self-differentiation, ego management, and the terror of the group. It highlights with examples how fear impairs our ability to make good decisions, and how our tendency to reactivity and the quick fix vitiates our attempts at being courageous. The hallmark of courage is the ability to have courageous conversations that invite transformation. The book is ideal reading for organizational leaders who are seeking ways to break through some of the personal and systemic barriers to leading with purpose in a way that makes a real difference.