AND LESSONS LEARNED FROM THE BOOK “THE COURAGE TO LEAD” BY BRENÉ BROWN
In recent days, there is a well-commented subject that is the silent quitting, which consists of a movement to redefine labor relations, in confrontation with the high performance culture.
The silent dismissal is linked to the growing dissatisfaction at work and the pandemic that made us aware of our own mortality, with relevant questions about the meaning of the work performed as a worker and what is its value.
Thinking about this subject, last weekend, I decided to rescue the book “The courage to lead”, by Brené Brown, and review some lessons learned.
Lesson 1: The market needs courageous leaders, but does not know where to find them – The author points out that professionals in leadership positions and company cultures need to be more courageous, but do not know how to list which characteristics are essential for courageous leadership . Therefore, even knowing what kind of leaders the organizational environment needs, most companies do not know how to develop those leaderships.
Lesson 2: Courage can be taught - Brené says that this ability is more related to how people behave than who they are. It is possible to teach a leader to have courage because it is a combination of four skills: facing vulnerability, living by values, challenging trust and learning to grow. Vulnerability being the most important leadership lesson to develop leaders of the future, which becomes a premise for working on other competencies.
Lesson 3: Fear is not an obstacle to fearless leadership - All leaders experience fear regularly. Therefore, fear itself is not a hindrance to leadership, but the way each person reacts to their fear. Brené brings the concept of armored leadership, which occurs when leaders use thoughts, behaviors and emotions as a form of protection, avoiding dealing with vulnerability. Deconstructing the armor requires self-compassion and patience.
Lesson 4: Company culture directly impacts the courage of professionals - For leaders and employees to develop courage within the work environment, it is necessary to create a culture that values hard work, vulnerability and difficult conversations. This will make professionals feel safe, respected and heard and will facilitate the development of bonds that will create productive relationships between all parties. Leaders must cultivate a culture of belonging, inclusion and diversity.
Lesson 5: Leaders Need to Pay Attention to Team Feelings and Emotions - Creating opportunities to expose hidden fears, feelings, expectations and desires is an important differentiator for courageous leadership. When leaders don't take the time to address these issues, they spend more time managing unproductive behaviors. For that, leaders need to be curious and bring up emotional experiences, remembering that the leader cannot be responsible for the emotions of others.
Lesson 6: Sharing values helps to build bonds and trust - A value is a way of being or a belief that is considered very important. Brené recommends that leaders be transparent about their values and act on them. Courageous leaders never shut up on difficult issues when they live by their values, and that this set of beliefs helps build better peer relationships. The organization's values are also encompassed in this aspect and must be shared by all.
Lesson 7: Leaders must work on empathy - Brené defines empathy as the act of connecting with the emotions behind an experience. In order to make this connection, it is necessary to learn leadership lessons, such as: seeing other points of view, not judging people, being mindful, understanding the feelings of others and communicating what you understand about that person's feelings.
Lesson 8: Confront to Trust - According to Charles Feltman, trust is "choosing the risk of letting being vulnerable to someone else's actions something you value". Therefore, Brené recommends that the leader when working on the issue of trust be specific, point out behaviors and identify where the flaws are. It also presents seven behaviors that bring leadership lessons to the autonomy of trust: setting limits, reliability, accountability, secrecy, integrity, non-judgment and generosity.
Lesson 9: Learn to Stand Up – As a final lesson, I emphasize that, for Brené, the leader needs to have risk skills or resilience. Not having this skill is having a hindrance to leadership. Brené says that leaders who don't know how to get back on their feet will find it more difficult to take risks. To learn to stand up, she explains that three skills are needed: recognizing when one is gripped by an emotion (and being curious about it), confronting stories created in one's head, and revolutionizing embracing vulnerability and living according to it. your values.
And you, leader, how have you been working on your courage to lead? I challenge you to read and reread this book and, also, take its practical lessons for life.
Édila Souza is an Executive Educator and columnist for Gente Mais Portal.