Courage Is Critical at Work

“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by those you did.” Mark Twain

Ever find yourself at work wondering whether or not to speak up in a meeting? You have an idea that you think might really make a difference, but you’re unsure how it might be received by your colleagues or, more important, your boss. As the seconds tick away, you debate with yourself whether your idea has enough merit to share it with the group.

Courage seems like a strange word to associate with the average employee. Policemen and soldiers need to be courageous. But does the average employee holding down an office job need courage?

Yes!

Courage is important every day at work. All of us are pulled in a variety of directions every day at work. Our decisions get questioned. Our motives are second-guessed. Our choices are scrutinized. Our ideas are analyzed. And each new day it takes courage to make new decisions, make new choices, and share new ideas.

I was speaking with a colleague the other day. She told me that at times she found it difficult to defend her position when challenged. It was hard for her to stand up for herself even when she knew she was right. Worse yet, when she did choose to vigorously defend herself, she often felt guilty later and found herself apologizing to her adversary. Let me say that again, she stood up for herself, she was right, she felt bad, and she apologized.

My advice was simple. You must have the courage of your convictions. (There’s that word again — courage.) At work, as in your personal life, if you state a reasonable position, you have the right to defend it. You don’t have to feel bad about having an opinion. You don’t have to apologize for sharing your ideas. You don’t have to feel guilty for disagreeing with your colleagues. Stand up for what you believe in. Be courageous.

A lack of courage can afflict anyone at work. The young person who worries that he might embarrass himself if he speaks up because he lacks the experience of others in the room. The veteran who has taken a few chances that haven’t paid off and is now “gun-shy” about putting herself out there again.

But to be successful, you have to have courage. You have to be willing to put yourself out there. You must be willing to take some chances. The only way you’ll get recognized for having ideas and opinions is if you share them with others. To be valuable to the organization for which you work, you must make contributions. To make contributions, you must speak up, share your thoughts, take some risks — and all of this takes courage.

As a manager you must encourage risk-taking, applaud new ideas, and create an environment where your people are comfortable sharing their opinions. You must encourage, even inspire, the people you lead to be courageous. The best way to do that is to be courageous yourself. Do what you’re asking and expecting of them. Lead by example.

“It takes as much courage to have tried and failed as it does to have tried and succeeded.” Anne Morrow Lingbergh.

Oh, by the way, you won’t always be successful. There are times when you speak up and you are flat wrong. You will have bad ideas. You will try things that don’t work. No one, and I mean NO ONE, is successful all the time. So when you fail, and you will fail, that’s when courage will be the most important and, likely, the most difficult to come by. That’s when you need to summon your courage and continue on.

Courage is critical to everyone’s success. You don’t have to work in a profession that puts your life at risk to benefit from displaying courage in the workplace. Dare to be courageous at work, it will serve you well. Heed Twain’s words. Don’t get to the end of your career and regret what you didn’t do. Have courage so you can look back on your career without the “what if’s” and “might have been’s.”  Courage is the difference maker.