Courageous Leaders Blog

Working with a wonderful group of participants we explored the difference between challenging, betrayal and loyalty when it comes to building a high performing team.


On the flipchart I drew a big U shape and right through the middle of this U I drew dotted lines and wrote up CHALLENGING; I then wrote loyalty on one side of the U and on the opposite side I wrote betrayal. Through conversation with the participants I was able to explain that when you use challenging as a business behaviour you are upfront, honest and inspiring - you own your thoughts and you have your back. While loyalty and betrayal are either side of the spectrum and result in you either needing to cover your back if you use betrayal or using loyalty for protection of your back - either way you do not openly share what you think and feel.


It was a rich distinction and one that helped people see the true value of challenging as a critical business  behaviour. Courageous Leaders challenge and as a result continue to learn and develop with great agility.

How very interesting it has been introducing a new puppy into our family.  For each of us we have learned to focus on the present and take joy from the here and now. I recall doing this when the girls were little too - and I reflect now on how important it is as a life skill.

For many leaders they are forever stretching to the future and the experiences and outcomes they want for the future. And they can do this to such an extent that the here and now is glossed over. They are leading people; people who need to work in the here and now and who want to feel appreciated and recognized for what they do in the here and now.

Courageous leaders know how to address this tension and ensure they invest energy in the here and now and being present.

What are your experiences of living in the present?

Courageous leaders dare to dream; they dare to be idealistic and bring passion to realise these dreams. There are too many gray, trivial, mundane things going on in our current business environment - we need leaders who dare to dream and who dare to make change the new constant. And this means there will be some "failing" and we need to reframe this as learning agility - essential to our future.

I refer to the wise words of Anais Nin:
"Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one's courage".

So let's dream and let's expand our lives and our experiences - life has to be about much more than bottom line, KPIs, share price, material possessions. And I believe our younger emerging leaders get this and that's why they are disillusioned by our current business environment. Come on - lets dare to dream!