Four Qualities of Courageous Brand Leadership

Do you consider yourself a courageous leader? Most likely you’re operating within your comfort zone, fulfilling a specific role within your organization and community.

Hiding deep inside of you may be a reluctant leader who guides her organization and team with brave words and a veneer of confidence that hides how you really feel.

It doesn’t have to be that way. You can replace the reluctant leader with confidence.

Even when you are not aware of it, your leadership style and personality permeate the organization you lead. Your team follows your leadership style, either seeking permission for every step they take or empowered and equipped to fulfill the vision which you are pursuing.

The first scenario creates a culture of fear, low performance, and ambiguity. The second scenario results in a culture where people are confident, goals are exceeded, and expectations are clear.

Two Problems all Leaders Face

We face two problems: allowing the expectations of others to create ambiguity (or clarity) for how we must lead, and our lack of understanding of what is required to drive people to achieve a goal or vision.

Practically speaking, the expectation of leadership creates an open loop in our minds. An open loop is an unresolved situation in which we know there is something at stake if we don’t act, but we don’t know what we must do to close the loop and resolve the situation.

You and I are best prepared to lead with excellence and confidence when we anticipate the level at which we’re expected to perform. We’ll rise to the level of expectation; a courageous leader will achieve that level and immediately ask, “What’s next?”

Instead of relying on the expectations of others to define our objectives and how we lead, you must own your leadership. The responsibilities of leadership are isolating, but they don’t have to be.

When you cultivate a culture of courageous leadership, you multiply the leaders around you who begin to share and practice the values and behaviors that turn your vision into reality. As long as your ego doesn’t get in the way, this approach has the potential to multiply the best of your leadership qualities and amplify the effectiveness of your leadership.

Communication is the Core of Courageous Leadership

Do you want to make a difference? You must share your vision for the difference you want to make in a way everybody understands. Boldly. Courageously. Confidently. People are drawn to clarity; do what you must to communicate clearly with focus and direction.

You need to have an oversized belief in your purpose, in the why that guides you. You need to believe that what you are on a mission to do is the most essential thing in the world.

Purpose informs your character; character creates the personality of your culture; all of these qualities combine to form your leadership voice that people follow.

Real impact is about the success of the people you serve — their stories and their impact on business and the economy, education, entrepreneurship, economic development, health and wellness, sustainability, philanthropy, the arts — the fabric of our culture.

Join the movement of courageous leaders who make brand character essential to their business