Leadership grows from courage and integrity, and their seeds lie in everyone. These character traits are primarily learned, not innate. And no matter what your past or present, cultivating their role in your life can make your future bolder, more decisive and more successful. Courage is the ability to do what needs to be done, regardless of the cost or risk. Integrity is the ability to do the right thing, no matter what the doubts or temptations. A leader who can consistently do the right things, when they need to be done, is a leader with courage and integrity.
The process of building courage and integrity starts with very small moments, out of the spotlight, where only you are there to judge. It begins when you first consciously exercise courage in the face of fear, when you first exercise integrity in the face of doubt. Like any other skill, your ability to perform is a function of how much practice you have. This practice compounds like interest over the long run and builds the stock of capability and internal resources you will need when confronting the big moments in your career. If you consistently exercise courage and integrity on a small scale and push yourself gradually to higher levels, your stocks will be high when you need them. There are no instant-hero formulas.
Fear and doubt are simultaneously a leader's two greatest allies and two greatest enemies. As an ally, fear provides self-awareness, a sense of urgency and information. Doubt, on the other hand, forms the core of scientific objectivity and learning. Yet in reality, both can be enemies. Fear can infect quickly, paralyzing action and innovation. Doubt—whether it is about what is right or oneself— can be at the root of corruption, ignorance and negligence. A leader's success in cultivating courage and integrity is ultimately an exercise in balance.
TO DEMONSTRATE INTEGRITY
Accept doubt, and use it to your advantage. It is at the core of science and reliable knowledge, which is the foundation for good judgment.
Articulate and uphold principles and values that you believe in. Distill them from your upbringing, take cues from the moral leaders you respect, but know what you believe in and why.
Focus on what is right for both the organization and the people involved. Take responsibility for exercising judgment and balancing competing interests toward an overall goal.
Take the high road whenever possible, while protecting yourself. Demonstrate by example that you expect the most of others as well as yourself, but make it clear you know how to fight to survive.
Be honest with yourself and learn from your mistakes. Nothing is more important to continuous self-improvement.
Be gracious. Learn to forgive and forget when appropriate, both with others and yourself.
BUILDING LEADERSHIP COURAGE
Accept fear and talk your way through it. Fear brings awareness and motivation. You can keep it from blinding you by talking yourself through it.
Build conviction through dedication to providing a real service and value. My deepest courage has always come from knowing that I'm doing something worthwhile for someone.
Draw strength from others. We're all human—don't be afraid to lean on others when you need to.
Sense the right timing. Know the times when courage will have a multiplying effect and inspire bravery in others, as opposed to the times when it will stand alone.
Know when to confront barriers directly and when to be indirect. In other words, know when discretion is the better part of valor.
In short, all the courage and integrity you have today is the sum of the small acts you have performed in the past. All your future courage and integrity grow from the small acts you will perform today or tomorrow. Choose your next moment now. Courage and integrity are two things you can never have enough of.