In the 1999 book Visioneering, Andy Stanley states, “The current of society always moves in the direction of conformity.” Let’s face it, groups prefer everyone to be just like them, and society in general really doesn’t want individuals to challenge the status quo. That is why when someone in a group or an organization starts to act differently from the crowd, they are often maligned and ridiculed instead of applauded and respected. I remember a scene from the movie “Big” when Tom Hanks’ character was in a cubicle right next to John Lovett’s character. Both of them were in some sort of customer service position, and on Tom Hanks’ first day, he dove right into the work he was hired to do. The next scene is the one which makes my point. After Tom Hanks shows initiative and great effort, John Lovett sticks his head around the cubicle wall and attempts to coach Tom Hanks to work slower and less enthusiastically because after all, “you don’t want to make the rest of us look bad.” Mediocre groups don’t like superstar individuals to challenge their mediocrity, and the crowd wants everyone to fit in and not make anyone else look bad. If you decide to go against the flow, you will get shot at, which takes a lot of courage to endure.
Leaders always challenge the status quo and take away the excuses of those who are satisfied to be less than their best. Unfortunately, when the leader simply does what a leader does, those who feel challenged push back with criticism, disrespect, and often act as a grown-up version of a playground bully. When this happens, leaders have to be emotionally prepared to deal with the potshots and sabotage that will come and muster the courage to stand up to the bullies. Leaders will need a thick skin, a resolute spirit, and as said before, courage.
Courage is an absolute in the toolbox of characteristics for a leader. Often there will be circumstances as described above in which courage will be needed, but there are many other times courage will also be crucial. As we know, leaders often have to make the tough and courageous decisions as to which plan of action to take, and they have to have courageous conversations with difficult people when issues arise. However, one of the largest areas of leadership which demands the summoning of courage is that of assuming risk. It would be great if accomplishment could be done without risk, but the reality is that nothing moves forward without taking a risk. Stanley states, “You will be called upon to give up the actual good for the potential best. You will find it necessary to leave what is comfortable and familiar in order to embrace that which is uncomfortable and unfamiliar. And all the while, you will be haunted by the fear that this thing you are investing so much of yourself in may not work at all.”
If we want to be a leader and stand out from the crowd, make the tough calls and the hard decisions, and go eye to eye with the bullies in our lives, we must be courageous. It’s the only way to go if we truly want to lead.
Lead well.
Visioneering by Andy Stanley is another book which is available through this website. To purchase a copy, follow the instructions below.
Here’s how to get the book:
I have made arrangements for this book to be easily available to you. Below is a link which will take you to a website from which you can order this book, as well as many other books on leadership. In addition, there are a wide range of leadership materials on many topics and in various mediums which you may want to check out. Some are individual resources, and some are subscriptions. Not all of it may be something for which you are personally looking or even interested in, but as I spent some time looking through the vast resources available, I found that some were quite interesting and helpful.
The link is www.life-training-home.com/39977106
Once on the home page, use the PRODUCTS pull down, then go to the Products button, then scroll down to “Shop for Individual Products.” There you will see hundreds of books on leadership, including Visioneering. In order to order the book or other materials, you’ll have to register as a customer. I will vouch for them as I have received the products I have ordered without any problems, and the prices are competitive with other leadership materials. Enjoy.