Tag Archive - Courage

Buzzword Defined (Part 3): Courage

By: Dave Anderson  |   Category: Leadership My Dad's Way   |   1 Comment
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Courage To Act

“Courage is not simply one of the virtues, but the form of every virtue at its testing point.” –C.S. Lewis

Wow. Opening this post with this quote from C. S. Lewis just heightened my level of attention to a subject that has been watered down through over use and misunderstanding through the years. How do we recover the word Courage from the Buzzword purgatory it’s currently relegated to?

My answer is to define it and to continually discuss it. That is the problem with corporate values statements as well. They are inadequately defined and communicated infrequently.

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Courage: Leaders of Character Are Not Quiet

By: Dave Anderson  |   Category: Leadership My Dad's Way   |   7 Comments
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Leaders of Character Are Not Quiet

“What leadership book have you ever read that states, ‘A leader does what is right unless it will cost him personally.’” There was a long pause on the other end of the phone. It was not the empathetic answer Stan was looking for. The question: “What can I do? She’s my boss.”

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Cowardice and Courage for Front Line Leaders

By: Dave Anderson  |   Category: Leadership My Dad's Way   |   4 Comments
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Courage Rock

Cowardice and courage are obvious before and during battle. In 1991, I witnessed another 1st Lieutenant back out of mission that I later volunteered for as a result of his cowardice.

In another part of the battlefield, I had a friend dismount from his tank and walk his platoon through a minefield while under enemy fire. That act of courage earned him a Silver Star. Those examples of cowardice and courage are easy to identify.

But, cowardice and courage in the business world are not always as obvious. Sometimes they appear in the big moments when others are watching. At other times they occur when no one is around to see them.

I define courage as acting without regard for perceived or actual personal risk. Continue Reading…

Courage: The Backbone Of Leadership

By: Dave Anderson  |   Category: Leadership My Dad's Way   |   4 Comments
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Courage: The Backbone Of Leadership

Facing us is the River of Fear, made deep and wide by our hesitations, timidity, doubts, and paralysis.

Courage is rightly esteemed the first of human qualities…because it is the quality which guarantees all others. - Winston Churchill

Other than the words in this paragraph, this entire blog is taken directly from the introduction to a fantastic book I am reading by a fellow West Point graduate, Gus Lee. Courage: The Backbone Of Leadership clearly states what I believe about the role of courage in leadership. (Click on the title above to read more on about this book). Continue Reading…

To Lead A Low Maintenance Team - Surrender Self

By: Dave Anderson  |   Category: Leadership My Dad's Way   |   0 Comments
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LMT Leaders Surrender Self

All leaders would love to have a low maintenance team (LMT). A LMT allows a leader to focus on the big things and avoid the day to day hassles that could and should be handled at lower levels. When a leader does that, the leader and the team are more engaged and burnout and turnover for both are lower.

But, while most leaders believe they want to lead a LMT, many are not ready to give up what they need to surrender in order to lead the team they desire.

If I want to be a leader of a LMT I must surrender SELF. I must:

  1. Surrender my control
  2. Surrender my fears
  3. Surrender my time

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Leaders: Hire People Who Walk With A Limp

By: Dave Anderson  |   Category: Leadership My Dad's Way   |   2 Comments
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Adversity Builds Character

Adversity builds character. I find that the people I admire have not always had things easy. Somewhere, at sometime in their past, these people overcame circumstances in their lives that changed them. They walk with a limp.

Through my 15 years of interviewing, hiring and training people I discovered that finding people who walk with a limp is often an indicator of their character.

In the business world, competency is the price of admission to any job or leadership position. Competency alone is not a differentiator when hiring today. This is a buyers market. There are competent people everywhere looking to fill open positions in good companies.

I write and speak often about character being an individual’s and an organization’s key to success. But character is difficult to determine in the hiring process. How can a leader determine if the person they are interviewing is of high moral character? Continue Reading…

Roar Early So You Can Roar Later

By: Dave Anderson  |   Category: Leadership My Dad's Way   |   2 Comments
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Roar Early!

When I relocated to Texas after 5 years managing in Buffalo, NY, I took over a team where one of the representatives had gone through initial training with me. Lori and I had known each other for 10 years.

Two months into being her boss, Lori asked me point blank, “What is your problem? This is not the Dave Anderson I expected.”

My response was: “Lori. If I don’t roar now, I will never be able to roar later.” Continue Reading…

What’s A Shepherd Without Sheep

By: Dave Anderson  |   Category: Leadership My Dad's Way   |   2 Comments
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Who Is Following?

Question 1: Are sheep without a shepherd still sheep? Answer: Yes.

Question 2: Is a shepherd without sheep still a shepherd? Answer: No.

A shepherd without sheep is just a hygienically challenged man walking the countryside with a stick in his hands.

Leaders: It is the people that make you a leader not the title!

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4 Tests Of A Leader’s Character- Series Intro

By: Dave Anderson  |   Category: Leadership My Dad's Way   |   0 Comments
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Character Tests- Intro

The litmus test for good leadership is character. Rarely do I read history, watch the news or read the paper and learn about a leader who failed because of incompetence. The most common reason a leader fails is a shortfall in character.

What happens in the months, days, or minutes that lead to a fatefully bad decision by a leader? What happens when he willfully decides to compromise his character? What happens when a leader ignores his moral compass and takes a path marked by dishonesty, fear, or selfishness?

This is the first post in a series of five on character tests. Continue Reading…

Roar Early So You Can Roar Later

By: Dave Anderson  |   Category: Leadership My Dad's Way   |   4 Comments
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Roar Early!

When I relocated to Texas after 5 years managing in Buffalo, NY, I took over a team where one of the representatives had gone through initial training with me. Lori and I had known each other for 10 years.

Two months into being her boss, Lori asked me point blank, “What is your problem? This is not the Dave Anderson I expected.”

My response was: “Lori. If I don’t roar now, I will never be able to roar later.” Continue Reading…

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