It requires courage to be a leader. They need to be courageous because tough decisions need to be made.
There are five different aspects of CEO Courage:
· Courage to face problems
· Courage of convictions
· Give constructive criticism and be prepared to receive criticism
· Encourage an environment of learning where errors are accepted and dealt with in a productive process.
· Challenge people in a constructive manner – no matter how intense the person may be.
Indecision can be a killer. Some people will disagree.
A culture where risks are taken will produce errors. The learning process within this framework is essential.
If you hire amazing people, they will be robust and confident. Challenging this type of personality in a constructive manner can be difficult. Doing so and proposing some alternative ways forward is probably the best. Just criticising without constructive input can be destructive.
The agile approach means that we are prepared to adjust decisions and fluidly solve problems. Sometimes the best way forward becomes clearer as more and more details are gathered and the overall process is progressed.
Early ideas around Agile were a way of thinking and a methodology.
Use a problem-solving process.
· Awareness that there is a problem
· Defining the problem
· What the problem does
· Why the problem exists.
· What are the tactics and tools available to solve the problem?
Using the process is more collaborative. Create a framework for collaboration. The whole team can be brought along the same journey.
A conviction is a firmly held belief or opinion. A CEO may have personal convictions which are not directly related to the business. However, the most critical convictions in the role are related to the companies' Purpose, Values, Vision and collaboration process are essential.
After the best possible collaboration, someone needs to decide to move forward.
Just following an objective and agreed process is no guarantee it is going to work.
Criticism is best given with other possible alternatives or solutions. Criticising in a psychologically safe environment is essential.
Learning from mistakes requires an explicit discussion and process.