What does it mean to be brave at work? Do you look at bravery as a skill that you can develop? This week Ed Evarts joins Timothy R. Clark to discuss what that looks like for leaders and individual contributors to be brave at work. Here are our takeaways:
Bravery impacts everybody.
We will all have to face tough conversations and situations. Our bravery will impact our job satisfaction, career paths, and the quality of our relationships. Only facing these challenges head on, with bravery, can help us intentionally shape positive outcomes.
The cost of avoidance is regret.
Regret can be positive if we learn from it. Although we can't eliminate all regret being brave can help us to minimize the amount of regret we carry.
With options we have answers.
Often during trials we don't look at all of our options. When we have options we have opportunity, if we don't have options then we haven't looked at all the potential answers and outcomes. Having uncomfortable conversations can help highlight alternative options.
You can't be brave without the desire to be brave.
If you don't have the motivation to be brave or to speak up then you won't. If those around you don't have the motivation to be brave then they wont. We can increase bravery in ourselves and others when we build strong relationships, practice bravery ourselves, and reward bravery when we see it.
Bravery will never be easy.
When you are in situations of heightened stakes and stress it's still going to be hard to say what needs to be said. You may stumble over your words, you may want to avoid conflict. Bravery isn't easy but it's essential for better outcomes.
About Ed Evarts
Ed Evarts is the founder and president at Excellius Leadership Development, a leadership development organization focused on helping clients build their self-awareness on how others experience them in the workplace so they can manage that experience effectively.
Ed is the author of Drive Your Career: 9-High Impact Ways to Take Responsibility for Your Own Success (coming out September 2020) and Raise Your Visibility & Value: Uncover the Lost Art of Connecting on the Job. He is also the host of a weekly podcast, Be Brave @ Work, where he chats with everyday folks and thought leaders on how to say what needs to be said and do what needs to be done more effectively.
