#EveryLittleActionCounts Week 15: Be Courageous!
This week is a call to be courageous. Being courageous is vital because it catalyses the embracement of risk, the challenging of norms, and fosters innovation and creativity. Courage drives positive organizational cultures within which individuals voluntarily confront risks and stand up for what they believe is right. Thus, courage helps us to break free from standardised, taken-for-granted routines and fosters positive-change-making in our organizational lives.
“I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it.” – Nelson Mandela
There are various ways in which we can become courageous in our workplaces:
Change your perspective: Look at situations from above, be mindful about what you can do in the moment, and see any challenges as opportunities for personal growth.
Develop awareness of your strengths: Make a list of your strengths and reflect on what you need to develop these strengths. Develop a sense of awareness of how you can most effectively apply these strengths to contribute to professional and personal tasks.
Face your fears: Reflect on your fears and keep a diary of how you can overcome such fears by enacting your strengths.
Step outside of your comfort zone: Involve yourself in roles and activities that you find challenging. Try something new despite the fear of failing and take every opportunity as an element of your journey to train and become better.
Speak up: Find your voice and speak up if you had a bad experience or notice that prevailing norms are doing more harm than good in your organizational culture. Foster a constructive dialogue with others and care for the greater good.
Propose innovative ideas: Share your ideas and try to contribute with your creativity to positively improve processes in your institution. No matter how small the change – remember every little action counts.
We recommend the following three sources that can support you in fostering courage.
- Leaders with courage listen, rather than roar
- How Courage and Fear are Deeply Connected
- Be Brave: How to build your professional courage
We would be very happy to learn about your suggestions on how to become courageous in academia.
Anne-Wil Harzing & Christa Sathish.
