Courage and Leadership:

What does it take to be

“King of the Forest?”
Literature Review
ORGD604

Sherri Orwick Ogden

April 15, 2009
Introduction
Am I a good leader? Am I REALLY a good leader? I can manage a project or two and
organize a team to complete assigned tasks on schedule. But…do I have the
qualities of a truly effective leader? Many people ask that of themselves –
wavering back and forth from feeling strong about their leadership qualities to
second guessing their decisions – often dependent on the most recent management
event in their life. What is at the heart of a great leader?

This literature review began with this research question and has evolved to explore
courage and its role in effective, participatory leadership. A hypothesis is given
along with an exploration of the definition of courage, qualities of leadership, and
finally discusses how courage is an essential component of participatory leadership.

Hypothesis
An effective, participatory leader must have courage.

Independent Variable: Courage

What does it mean to have courage? Immediately a vision from Wizard of Oz comes
to mind – with the cowardly lion and his fearful but loving heart. But what behaviors
did the lion exhibit that made his fellow adventurers perceive him as cowardly?
Was it because he wouldn’t face the Wizard of Oz or became “spooked” at the snap
of a twig? What characteristics did he possess that caused him to lack courage?

The CTO of InfoWorld Chad Dickerson wrote of a booklet by Ivan Sutherland (vice
president of Sun) in which Sutherland speaks of courage and what it means to him
and information technology:

“Courage is what it takes to overcome fear. Fear is an emotion

appropriate to perceived risk. Thus to exhibit courage one must both
perceive a risk and proceed in spite of it. Suppose a child has fallen
through the ice on a lake and could be saved if reached. A person who
walks out on the ice believing it to be very thick requires no courage
because he perceives no risk, even though others may think him
courageous. A person who correctly perceives that the ice is thin and
stays off it likewise exhibits no courage; rather we call his action
prudent or cowardly, depending on whether or not the ice is, in fact,
too thin for safety. Courage is required only of a person who proceeds
to rescue the child in full knowledge that the ice is thin.” (Dickerson,
2004)
Was the cowardly lion’s perceived risk in the Wizard of Oz justifiable? He had
no idea it was a small, ordinary man behind a curtain. Was the lion just being
prudent?

Others have ideas on the definition of courage. In U.S. News and World Report,
Senator John McCain gave his definition of courage as “… a rare moment of unity
between conscious fear and action. It happens when something deep within us
strikes the flint of love, of honor, of duty. I don't believe you can have true courage
without fear because part of courage is overcoming fear. Those with courage love
something more than their own welfare” (Brink, 2004). In addition, according to
Winston Churchill courage is the “first of the human qualities” and Aristotle
referred to courage as the first virtue. (Treasurer, 2009)

So maybe the lion was truly a coward until he was willing to face what he was
fearful of?

Studies have been done to determine what people perceive as courage. In the
journal article Implicit Theories of Courage, the authors study how courage is
percieved through various lenses. Their study uncovered 29 descriptions or
definitions of courage (Christopher, Clarke, Lindsay, & Sternberg, 2007). Though
the study identified various types of courage, there was no concensus on one
definition. Instead, their studies suggest that maybe courage isn’t a personality trait
– but more the couragous behaviors people exhibit:

“Courage may be better understood as an exceptional response to

specific external conditions or circumstances than as an attribute,
disposition, or character trait (generally acknowledged as long-term
and stable across situations) which appears to be the intent of many
definitions and descriptions of courage Perhaps researchers are on
firmer ground when they label someone as ‘‘courageous’’ based on
their actions in a given situation.” (Christopher, Clarke, Lindsay, &
Sternberg, 2007)

Ultimately, the lion was given his badge of courage which enabled him to act
courageously. Did the lion now have courage or did he just begin to behave
that way? John McCain’s definition implies courage is not something you
consciously decide to be, but a reaction when a combination of love, honor
and duty are summoned from within. When the lion was given a badge of
courage by a person he deemed superior to himself, he believed he had
courage. But as the wizard explained, it was something he had inside himself
all along – and the badge just gave him the knowledge it was there. So,
could it be that courage is a perspective – a way of viewing life and one’s
self– that allows a person to be a certain way? Could courage simply be a
conscious or unconscious decision to behave courageously?
Dependent Variable: Effective Participatory
Leadership
Much has been written on the topic of leadership. Green (2008) refers to Max
Weber’s idea of charismatic leaders and reports that “charisma is useless if there is
an absence of value-based element.” He continues to say that effective leadership
requires the usual “confidence, decisivness, and the ability to interact with their
followers.” He mentions the typical characteristics: poised, perserverant, optimistic,
cares about the organization, gives credit when due, and humble. These are
characteristics usually mentioned when referring to the traditional, positioned
leader.

Leadership theories have “…progressed from being based on the individual, to dyad
of manager and subordinate, to the group, and finally to the organization” (Benson,
2008). More organizations are viewing leadership as a team role rather than a
mechanistic dictatorship (Morgan, 2006). Fetzer (2005) explains how “leadership in
a scientific team should be a role that helps the whole team operate at its optimum
level. This is best done by letting every member contribute in her or his best
fashion.”

In a leadership study of women and nurse executives (Carroll, 2005) six factors of
effective leadership were identified: 1) personal integrity, 2) strategic vision/action
orientation, 3) team building/communication, 4) management and technical
competence, 5) people skills and 6) personal survival skills/attributes.

Another study of police servicemen emphasizes self-awareness and identifies three

qualities of a “conscious leader” (Martyn & Scurr, 2007): 1) ability to gain insight
into followers’ minds, 2) present your “leaderself” as opposed to your “naturalself, “
3) be self-aware.

According to Leader to Leader magazine, authors Dave Ulrich, Norm Smallwood and
Kate Sweetman, in accordance with the theory “leadership is a matter of how to be,
not how to do, “ have published the book The Leadership Code: Five Rules to Lead
By. The book represents a majority of the fundamentals required of an effective
leader (Searching for the Core of Leadership, 2009). The five rules outlined in the
book are 1) shape the future (mission/vision/strategies), 2) make things happen, 3)
engage today’s talent, 4) build the next generation, and 5) invest in yourself.

Eddy and VanDerLinden (2006) studied how community college leaders view their
own leadership styles – either based on the traditional “hero” leader or the more
emerging ideas of participatory leadership.

“The literature suggests that alternative leadership styles are

replacing the traditionally held definitions of leadership and provide
new and different (and possibly superior) ways to understand
leadership. According to Davis (2003), leadership has been recognized
as an activity that can "bubble up" in various places within institutions
and no longer is only focused on formal leadership roles.” (Eddy &
VanDerLinden, 2006)
Boomgaarden (2008) conveys his own experience in cultivating leadership skills in
an academic environment. He claims effective leadership “demands frequent self-
examination and a keen interest in maintaining good relationships…”. He offers
five rules for leaders in academia: 1) everyone is important, 2) be on a mission, 3)
stop, look and listen, 4) it’s not about you, and 5) be courageous.

Courage and Leadership

Baldoni (2009) states it takes courage to look inward and hold yourself accountable
for your behaviors. While maybe not seen as courageous as physical acts by some,
Baldoni states thirteen practices in courage that are essential to effective
leadership: 1) Keep your eyes open, 2) Act for integrity, 3) Hold to your principles,
4) Stand up for differences, 5) Know what you know and what you don’t know, 6)
Pick the right moment, 7) Do not blink, 8) Give a little, 9) Hold the right people
accountable, 10) Insist on actions, not words, 12) Put people in tough situations,
and 13) Promote leadership ability.

Treasurer (2009) asserts that without courage, leadership and other business
practices “wither” but “courage itself can stand alone.” He claims courage “enables
leaders to face troubling times, suffer through hardships, and withstand the scrutiny
and second-guessing that followers often subject them to.” “Courage gives
leadership its backbone.” Yet, just as McCain and Dickerson believe you cannot
have courage without fear, Treasurer points out that courage itself is fearful in
nature. He quotes Sara Blakely, the founder of SPANX, a premier women’s apparel
company, by saying “in every situation where I was ever courageous, you could just
as easily substitute the word afraid for courageous.” Treasurer continues to say
that “like leadership, courage matters most when it is focused on bettering the lives
of others.” Leaders should encourage their followers to face what they fear.

Finally, Welch & Welch (2009) offer ways for motivated, effective leaders to sustain
their courage: 1) maintain confidence – do not doubt yourself, 2) stay focused on
your mission, 3) stay connected with your followers, 4) view challenges as puzzles
not problems, and 5) reach out for support

Conclusion
It is interesting that the literature on courageous leadership appears to focus on
integrity, self-examination and connection with followers. It was compelling to see
how the various qualities mentioned in the literature on leadership and the
literature on courage compared with each other. When listing all of the
characteristics used to describe both leadership and literature, it appeared they
could be categorized into four areas: 1) connection with followers, 2) focus on
mission, 3) personal attributes, and 4) sense of community. The following chart
reflects the categories, the qualities in each category, and the literature in which
they were found: leadership, courage, or articles on both.
 Leadership and
Leadership Courage Courage
Connect with Followers
lead by example/know
fear Engagement
Create beneficial
relationships
Awareness and
Understanding of
Surroundings
Insight/understand others
Communication
Acknowledgment and
encouragement
Caring
Stay Focused - Mission, Goals, Strategies
Invest in self Timing and Priorities Passion
High Expectations and
Accountability Growth and Development
Purpose and Plan Execute
Personal Qualities - Self Awareness
Sense of Humor seek support Integrity
decisiveness Self-examination
Humble confidence
Commitment Optimistic
Create a Sense of Community
Stability Stand up for Differences Not about you
Interdependence Trust
Unity

It is important to note the number of qualities in the Courage and

Leadership/Courage columns as opposed to just the Leadership column. The
literature appears to suggest that many qualities used to describe good leaders also
describe courageous leaders.

Boomgaarden (2008) lists his fifth essential leadership quality as “be courageous.”
He explains with the following:

“Cynics would say that courage is a quality you don't find often among middle
managers, but I think it's essential. It is easy to become anxious and afraid,
particularly since we do not have control over all aspects of a situation. We
often must lead others over whom we actually have no real authority and who
are skeptical about the worth of the ultimate task at hand. Sometimes the
obstacles seem insurmountable.
 But timidity, fear, and anxiety undermine what little authority we do have.
When those moments arrive (and sometimes they arrive regularly), middle
managers must realize that others are looking to us to be the calm in the
storm. We have the courage within us, but we must remind ourselves in times
of stress that it is there, waiting to be used if only we would summon it.
Forget you have it, and you are lost.” (Boomgaarden, 2008)

Is it possible that to behave courageously, courage has to be summoned from

within – and that effective, participatory leaders have the ability to recognize what
courage really is?

Leadership and courage can be characterized by behaviors and not necessarily

personality traits. And, as the literature suggests, courageous behaviors can
“bubble up” (Davis 2003) or occur at “any given time” (Christopher, Clarke, Lindsay,
& Sternberg 2007).

Consequently, is it possible the lion in the Wizard of Oz was courageous even before
he received his badge of courage? Could it be the support, opportunity, and
confidence he received enabled him to recognize his courage and summon it to
become the “king of the forest?”

Difficulty defining courage was not expected. This review has unveiled that
additional research on the meaning of courage and the integral part it plays in
participatory leadership is not only warranted but intriguing.
References

Baldoni, J. (2009). The Courage of Self-Examination. Leader to Leader , 12-16.

Benson, J. D. (2008). Leadership & Motivation. EBSO Publishing Inc.

Boomgaarden, D. (2008, November 28). Managing From the Middle. Chronical of

Higher Education , pp. A31-A34.

Brink, S. (2004, May 10). ENCOURAGING COURAGE. U.S. News & World Report , p.
18.

Carroll, T. (2005, April). Leadership Skills and Atributes of Women and Nurse
Executives. Nursing Administration Quarterly , pp. 146-153.

Christopher, R. R., Clarke, J. A., Lindsay, D. R., & Sternberg, R. J. (2007). Implicit
Theories of Courage. The Journal of Positive Psychology , 80-98.

Davis, J. (2003). Learning to lead. Westport, CT: American Council on

Education/Praeger .

Dickerson, C. (2004, January 5). Making Courageous IT Choices. InfoWorld , p. 21.

Eddy, P., & VanDerLinden, K. (2006). Emerging Definitions of Leadership in Highter

Education. Community College Review , 5-26.

Fetzer, J. (2005). Leadership. Analytical & Bioanalytical Chemistry , 1311-1312.

Green, J. (2008, March). Leadership Spotlight. FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin , 13.

Martyn, H., & Scurr, R. (2007, October). Do You Fill Your Leadership Space? A
cognitive model of leadership development for the police service.
International Journal of Leadership in Public Services , 29-41.

Morgan, G. (2006). Images of an Organization. Thousand Oaksa: Sage Publications,

Inc.

Searching for the Core of Leadership. (2009, Spring). Leader to Leader , p. 57.

Treasurer, B. (2009, Spring). Courageous leadership: Modeling the way. Leader to

Leader , pp. 13-17.

Welch, J., & Welch, S. (2009, February 23). Finding Your Inner Courage.
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