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OPINION
Courage
Centering at Work
Courage is a Discipline
by Sandra Ford Walston
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April 2011
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of your position or title at work, ask yourself these questions
to determine how you demonstrate courage-centering at work:
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HR
Matters Magazine
Issue 14 | April 2011
BUSINESS
TRAVEL RISK
The Role of HR in Managing Effective Business Travel
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Sandra
Ford Walston, The Courage Expert, innovator of STUCKThinking™,
is an organizational effectiveness/ learning consultant,
speaker,
corporate trainer and courage coach, specialising
in understanding women’s leadership issues,
courage behaviors, individual personalities and leadership
styles that focus on the tricks and traps of the human
condition.
Sandra
is the internationally published author of bestseller
“COURAGE: The Heart and Spirit of Every Woman.”
Her second book is currently agent represented. Sandra
writes for “Chief
Learning Officer” and “Strategic
Finance” magazines, and she posts a monthly
Courage Blog
on her own her own site and for PINK
magazine and successtelevision.com.
Sandra provides skill-based programs for public and
private businesses, including Caterpillar, Inc., Auburn
University, Procter & Gamble, Wyoming Department
of Health Public Nurses, Farmers Insurance, Wide Open
West and Hitachi Consulting. She is a Newfield Network
Coach.
Ms.
Walston is qualified to administer and interpret the
Myers-Briggs Type Indicator® and is certified
as an Enneagram
teacher and she enjoys applying insights from both
systems to her work. With over eleven years of experience
with finance professionals, she instructs for the
University of Denver Graduate Tax Program Continuing
Professional Education courses and she formerly taught
for the Colorado Society of CPAs.
Sign
up for her courage blog.
To learn
more about how Sandra can help your business cultivate
success or to purchase a copy of her book, visit www.sandrawalston.com.
You can also reach Sandra at sandra@sandrawalston.com.
For copies of this article or reprints, please contact
the author.
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Do I feel a sense of joy in my work?
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What leadership archetype would employees ascribe to me, such
as the “boss, caregiver, mentor, perfectionist, sage,”
etc.?
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Do I strive above all else to leave a daily courage legacy that
transcends generations?
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Do my employees or peers see me as genuine and real?
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Do I feel exalted by my vision?
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Does my language encourage or discourage?
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Do my employees or peers take personal responsibility for the
experiences they create?
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Does my leadership style substitute humility for vanity?
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How stuck am I in my belief system or “positionality”?
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Do I belittle “touchy-feely” behaviours versus displaying
and celebrating gratitude?
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On a scale of 1-10 (ten being the highest), how enlightened are
my leadership skills?
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Are my employees or peers innately motivated to achieve the desired
results?
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Do I work in a proactive or reactive company?
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Do I hire people (or does HR) with instinctual courageous leadership
behaviours?
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Can I imagine a workforce of self-propelled employees centered
in courage?
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Do my employees/peers perceive me as credible?
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When was the last time I had an “aha” insight about
my leadership tendencies?
Breakdowns
and disruptions that hinder an organisation’s advancement
rarely have to do with an unskilled CEO, manager or support staff.
The keystone to success as well as spiritual progress at work requires
the ability for an organisation to design and implement a noble
legacy that transcends generations. Why does this happen so infrequently?
Organisations hover around being “good”, not “great.”
How
stuck am I in my belief system or “positionality”? |
True
courage comes from a place deep within each of us, not from synapses
firing based on intellectual prowess, education, titles or credentials.
Courage is much more than brains or mental capabilities, it is a
discipline. Demonstrating courageous leadership at work and living
a courageous life come from an energy springing from an individual’s
deepest values, motivation, and attitudes: the authentic self.
What
would motivate you to explore where this ancient virtue fits into
your workplace today? Why would you want to exhibit the efficiency
that goes along with courage? The answer: you will discover that
there is an indisputable direct correlation between your “courage
quotient” and your “success quotient.” But first
it takes knowing the components of courage and then conscientiously
applying them. Mastering your courage is not a mechanical process.
The challenge you face is for you to be yourself, but with more
know-how—a distinction between a superhuman hero and cultivating
authenticity.
Courage-centering
is the ability to call forth your everyday true Self to action—to
lead from your heart and spirit. Claiming and displaying your courage
at work and demonstrating courage-centering behaviours require you
to invite your heart and spirit into your daily work life. It’s
an approach and a focus (not a programme) that keeps you vital.
Courage-centering in the workplace promotes an ability for you to
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think on your feet;
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tackle issues as the facts happen;
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sponsor challenges to the status quo;
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endorse “courage change agents”;
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let go of condemnation and judgment;
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enhance innovation;
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remove indifference;
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instill courageous will;
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replace biased views with dispassionate statements; and
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escalate team dynamics to “step up” to the next level.
Courage-centering
improves your understanding of who you are and affirms the power
within you. These qualities can be honed by anyone willing to dig
deeply into their true selves. Once “groomed,” courage
becomes a resource to draw from at work and at home, and you will
find that it is easily transferred to others so they can find courage
within themselves. Then, courage becomes the sponsor for continuous
improvement.
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