Mohamad Cholid, Certified Executive and Leadership Coach
A tent provides dependable shelter in challenging conditions.
Strong leadership, like a tent that withstands a storm, relies on strong foundations. These foundations are built through the anchoring strength of stakeholder collaboration.
At its core, effective leadership is built on three key virtues: courage, humility, and discipline.
Courage empowers us to transcend perceived limitations, confront reality, and embrace new possibilities. Leadership requires the willingness to face challenges head-on, seek feedback, and make difficult decisions.
Courage in leadership means not shying away from the uncomfortable aspects of managing and leading others, including having tough conversations and being open to criticism. It’s about stepping out of one’s comfort zone and taking risks when necessary for the greater good of the team and organization.
My coaching approach, refined through continuous practice, is most effective for high-performing leaders looking to overcome counterproductive behaviors.
Think about a leader who:
- Excels at their job but struggles to listen before making decisions.
- Is a strong strategist but has difficulty delegating.
- Is highly competent but avoids addressing performance issues.
Investing in leadership development throughout a team fuels a positive culture, vital for organizations in business, nonprofit, and government.
Regular leadership assessments, ideally conducted at least once a year, help reinforce growth and accountability. Assessing leadership courage involves several key steps that leaders can take to ensure they are demonstrating and cultivating this important quality:
- Honest Self-Assessment: Leaders should start by evaluating their behaviors and identifying areas where they need to stop, start, or change. This requires courage to face one’s shortcomings and the willingness to improve.
- Seeking Feedback: It’s important for leaders to communicate to others what they are working on and to ask for personal feedback and suggestions. This demonstrates courage in being open to external perspectives and the humility to accept that others may see things they don’t.
- Taking Action: Leaders must avoid procrastination and be willing to try out new behaviors without waiting for a “better time.” Courage is demonstrated through action, especially when those actions involve stepping out of one’s comfort zone.
- Accountability: Leaders should follow up with those who have provided support and feedback to show that they are taking the process seriously and are committed to change. This also requires managing defensive reactions when receiving criticism.
Marshall Goldsmith, the world’s #1 executive coach, suggested that by regularly reviewing these steps and being honest with oneself and others, leaders can develop and demonstrate the courage necessary to lead effectively. He reminds us that leadership is not about being fearless but about moving forward despite fear.
For many, true leadership requires a conscious commitment to vulnerability—to acknowledge fear yet move forward anyway. As the saying goes, “feel the fear and do it anyway”—and it is well worth the effort.
Mohamad Cholid is a Member of Global Coach Group (www.globalcoachgroup.com).
◼ Certified Executive Coach at Marshall Goldsmith Stakeholder Centered Coaching
◼ Certified Marshall Goldsmith Global Leadership Assessment (GLA 360)
◼ Certified Global Coach Group Coach & Leadership Assessment.
Alumnus The International Academy for Leadership, Germany.