Jackson Institute for Global Affairs

Courage in Theory & Practice

Roz Savage

Main Points So Far❖ Trajectory of courageous life vs average life❖ Courage is not the absence of fear, but feeling

the fear and doing it anyway❖ When Motivation > Fear => COURAGE❖ Courage (and just about everything else) is a

function of the narratives we tell ourselves about who we are

❖ Developing courage is a dance between what we choose and the challenges life gives us

Week 8: Managerial Courage

❖ Managerial cowardice❖ Engagement and disengagement at work❖ Courage and identity❖ Proactive courage

–James Freeman Clark (via Grace)

“Conscience is the root of all true courage; if a man would be brave let him obey his

conscience.”

34.4 hours* 50 weeks * 40 years = 68,800 hours

Why managerial courage matters - and will it still

matter in the new world of work?

Week 8: Managerial Courage

❖ Managerial cowardice❖ Engagement and disengagement at work❖ Courage and identity❖ Proactive courage

–Jeffrey Pfeffer, Leadership BS

“Workplaces are mostly horrible.”

What examples do you know of managerial

cowardice?

Managerial Cowardice❖ Backstabbing❖ Avoid work❖ Evade hard

choices❖ Won’t listen❖ Afraid to discipline❖ Don’t follow

through

❖ Don’t think for themselves

❖ Hide behind power❖ Won’t grow or change❖ Phoney❖ Don’t connect with

people❖ Can’t adjust to failure

Week 8: Managerial Courage

❖ Managerial cowardice❖ Engagement and disengagement at work❖ Courage and identity❖ Proactive courage

Will disengaged employees be courageous

employees?

MOTIVATION > FEAR => COURAGE

Frances Hesselbein❖ CEO of Girl Scouts of the

USA, 1976-1990❖ Replaced hierarchy with

web of inclusion❖ Diversity: “If I’m a Navajo

child on a reservation, a newly arrived Vietnamese child, or a young girl in rural Appalachia, I have to be able to open the Girl Scout Handbook and find myself there.”

Safia Minney

❖ CEO of People Tree❖ “Slow fashion”❖ “We are deeply committed

to empowering the poor, protecting the environment, and changing the kind of world we live in.”

Edsel Ford

❖ President of Ford Motor Company 1919-1943

❖ Took him a year to persuade Henry Ford to replace the Model T with the Model A, thereby saving the Ford company from failure

Discussion of why courage at work matters

How can Courage be Encouraged?

❖ Increase engagement throughout the company (Barry Schwartz TED talk)

Events

Patterns

Systemic Structures

Narratives

How can Courage be Encouraged?

❖ Increase engagement throughout the company (Barry Schwartz TED talk)

❖ Tolerance of resistance to decisions❖ Flexibility in procedures, discretion permitted❖ Moral exemplars “giving permission” to be courageous❖ Minimal hierarchy❖ Genuine pursuit of diversity❖ Acknowledgement of individual’s multiple identities❖ Atmosphere of trust❖ Willingness to overcome status quo bias

Week 8: Managerial Courage

❖ Managerial cowardice❖ Engagement and disengagement at work❖ Courage and identity❖ Proactive courage

Identities

Self Identity

Group Identity Role Identity

Relational Identity

Position withinorganisation

Boss, middle manager,or subordinate

Self, generally consistentacross contexts

Membership of a group or organisation

Courage as Identity Work (Koerner)

Tension Between Identities

Tension{I decidedI realised

I knew

ReliefPrideJoy}{ } Shame

RegretFrustration{ }

Verb

Courage =>Positive Emotion

Cowardice =>Negati

ve Emotion

>

IDENTITY CONFORMITY

VALUES COMPROMISE

PURPOSE RISK AVOIDANCE

MOTIVATION FEAR

COURAGE

SELF-DETERMINATION

ACTION

CHOICE

Week 8: Managerial Courage

❖ Managerial cowardice❖ Engagement and disengagement at work❖ Courage and identity❖ Proactive courage

Courageous Decision-Making at WorkProactive Decisions

Reactive Decisions

MoralEnergy

MoralApathy

COURAGE

INTEGRITYEXPEDIENCY

GUNG-HO Free Will

Conditioned

Response

Fatalism

5%

78%

You can’t speak up if you’re not at the table,

and you can’t be at the table if you didn’t apply for the job

“Requirements” are not Requirements

The Courage Calculation (Reardon)

Setting primary and secondary

goals

Determining the importance of achieving goals

Tipping the power balance in your favour

Selecting the proper time for

actionWeighing risks against benefits

Developing contingency plans