While we tend to have a generally favorable image of those called to lead, leaders are not universally righteous, nor are they always good. In fact, among the most recognizable historic leaders are figures like Genghis Khan (subject of the pic on the right) and Joseph Stalin. Historic captains have quivers filled with a host of diverse arrows - strength, intelligence, charisma and determination, for example. Even the ratios in which they display these traits are as unique as their DNA; some for better, some for worse.
One characteristic, however, is constant among those who change history. They are bold. In fact, if a leader is not bold, those arrows remain in the quiver – never drawn, never nocked and never shot.
Boldness is the one common trait shared by every leader who’s ever made a difference of any kind.
Bold (adj.)
Bold, as an adjective for leadership, can describe a wide variety of influence. Leading boldly certainly describes Washington crossing the Delaware on Christmas to set the course for American independence. It also describes Malala Yousafzai’s fight for girl’s education in Pakistan and even Elon Musk’s dogged pursuit of commercially viable EVs and private space travel.
As far as I'm concerned, all of these examples work. Each of these leaders faced significant threats and obstacles - harsh conditions, cultural oppression, technology deficits - yet each found a way to realize a noble and historic victory. In all three situations, it wasn't enough to possess the moral, intellectual or actual physical high ground. They had to draw on something else to overcome adversity and win the day. They had to be bold where others with the same information and similar resources might have been indecisive, or even meek. They each had the requisite intelligence, drive and experience to know the way, but they charged ahead with something else that closed the achievement gap. Something uncommon. Something not from the head, but from the heart. They were bold.
The head may be where a plan comes together, but the boldness to execute that plan flows from the heart.
Yet bold isn't fearless. Fearless doesn't exist in the psyche of a rational leader. Courage certainly does, but courage is different. Courage isn't the absence of fear. It's the conquest of it.
In my experience bold isn't homogenous. It's a complex mix of sometimes competing traits. A good analogy this time of year is to think of bold as a kind of stew - a hearty recipe with just a few key ingredients.
A Recipe for Bold
So, what might this stew taste like in the real world?
In a recent Bold Leader Spotlight, Bold Business featured Stanley McChrystal, retired US Army General and Founder of The McChrystal Group, describing what it means to be a bold leader in his own words.
“In the military, we say that nobody gets fired for following our doctrine, but we're not hired or trained to follow our doctrine, we're hired to win.”- Stanley McChrystal
McChrystal's description paints a simple, but vivid picture of what it often means to be a bold leader - Doing what it takes to get the job done. To win.
The trouble is, "what it takes" is sometimes pretty scary. In fact, we're just broaching the subject and I can already almost hear the excuses.
"That's never been done before!" "Nah, it's company policy we don't do that." "But what happens if this doesn't work?" "I'm afraid of who we'll piss off."
These lamentations underscore why our bold stew starts with a strong base of moral courage.
TD Smyers is Long Game’s Executive Coach and Leadership Consultant. TD holds a Physics degree from the US Naval Academy and a Master’s in Resource Strategy from the National Defense University’s Eisenhower School. He’s led diverse, high performing teams as Commanding Officer of a US Navy aviation squadron and a joint military air base, as well as CEO of major market offices for two global nonprofit organizations and BoardBuild - a nonprofit SaaS company. The Fort Worth Business Press named TD the city’s “Top Nonprofit CEO” in 2019. TD joins Long Game after returning from a career pause exploring the Atlantic and Caribbean for three years with his wife, Barbara, on their sailing catamaran, La Vie Dansante.
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