Lead Even When It's Hard

Courage is one of the core values of the Unique Leaders Network. Not because it's trendy, but because it's essential. Real leadership demands courage. Not just once, but again and again.

Courage is not bravado. It is not about being loud or taking risks for attention. Courage is the inner strength to act on conviction when it would be easier to stay silent. It is standing firm in your values when they are challenged. It is leading with vulnerability, not just confidence.

As leaders, we do not get to wait for perfect conditions. We lead in real life. It is full of pressure, competing voices and moments that demand more of us than we feel ready to give.

That is where courage shows up.

Courage does not always look like a bold announcement or a viral moment. Sometimes it is far quieter. It is the decision to keep showing up when you feel like disappearing. The resolve to say what needs to be said when everyone else is silent. The willingness to stay when walking away would be easier.

We all hit seasons that stretch us. You know the ones. When you are carrying the team, holding things together at home, questioning your decisions behind closed doors, and wondering if the cost is still worth it.

The truth? Anyone can lead when it is easy.

But the leaders we remember, the ones who shape teams, cultures and industries, are the ones who lead when it is hard. 

And it's not always positive!  I listened to an ABC podcast this week reminding us that it's been 50 years since Governor General Kerr sacked Gough Whitlam and his government.  It seemed the right thing at the time but does history tell a different story?  We'll have to read the book!  But Kerr certainly made a courageous decision.

I was 4 when Whitlam was sacked, but here's what I have learned during the last 50 years...

Clarity is a discipline, not a default

In tough seasons, we crave certainty. But often all we have is confusion. That is where clarity becomes a leadership discipline. You do not need to know everything. You just need to communicate what you do know and keep people focused on what matters most.

This is a huge challenge for me because the way forward is often clear in my head, I just forget to tell the rest of the team!  But I often find in our busy world that we have competing priorities and my team feel the need to do everything today rather than interrupting me to ask for clarity about what matters most.  Providing clarity for my team is something I need to continually work on.

Our world today feels uncertain, but if there's one thing your team can rely on, it needs to be you.  But even when you don't have all the answers, it's okay to let the team know - that's courage!  

Action: What is one message your team needs to hear from you this week? Say it clearly and repeat it.

Courage is choosing integrity over comfort

Hard leadership moments offer tempting shortcuts. Silence when you should speak. Pleasing others instead of protecting purpose. Avoiding conflict instead of facing it.

Courageous leadership is not reckless. But it is committed. It means making the right call, not the easy one.

I see this often in conversations where diversity is challenged.  Usually a man says something inappopriate about a woman on the team, or a female client - something that isn't acceptable.  But does anyone speak up?  Do we correct the gentleman who spoke incorrectly.  It is often not malicious just thoughtless.  But who is taking the courageous step to point this out?

It can be uncomfortable to speak up when someone is acting inappropriately or doing something wrong - something you would never do.  Yet we just assume it's not our role to correct behaviour or speech of another person.  But if not you, then who?  Isn't this why society heads down a dangerous path because no one speaks up?

Reflection: Where are you being nudged to choose the courageous path, even if it costs you?

You set the tone even when you do not feel ready

When everything feels uncertain, your presence becomes the anchor. People watch how you respond more than what you say. You do not have to pretend everything is fine. But you do have to stay grounded.

I'm involved in a few Committees and sit on a couple of Boards all filled with amazing leaders.  Yet I think each one has a bout of Imposter Syndrome when the time comes to speak up or share a different point of view.  

It takes courage to speak up.  To stand up.  To set the direction and tone of a conversation or a course of action.  You will likely never "feel" ready.  Sometimes you just need to act.  The more you do it, the better you'll get!

I am often asked how I got to be so confident and courageous in these meetings.  Certainly my time as a Councillor on Wollongong City Council helped.  I had to speak up every week often against differing points of view and perspectives.  I learned to be bold and courageous in my thoughts, speech and actions.  I also learned that not everyone will always agree with me and that's okay.  But my voice still deserves to be heard.

I am anchored in the knowledge that what I have to say matters.  My presence in a room is important.  I accept I am a leader.  Not the most important person, but important none-the-less.  So I enter with confidence and courage whether I feel ready or not.

Practice: What anchors you as a leader? What practice keeps you steady under pressure?

Final Thought

You do not need to have it all together.

You do not need to be fearless.

But you do need to lead.

The most powerful leadership is not polished.

It is real, resilient and rooted in purpose.

If you are facing something hard right now, know this.

You are not behind. You are becoming. And courage will carry you.