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Taking a stand, for anything, requires courage. Courageous leadership is knowing what’s right and then acting on it.
Excellent leaders don’t settle for what conditions force upon them. Excellent leaders don’t just buy into what everybody else is saying, and they don’t follow the beaten path. Excellent leaders are constantly creating their own conditions for success by blazing new trails.
Courage is doing something you are afraid to do. The word “courage” is derived from the Medieval Old French term “corage,” meaning “heart and spirit.”
Schultz, CEO of Starbucks, applied this definition and took his stand when Starbucks wanted to move into a particular international market. However, Schultz was discouraged by every analysis he read, even after he spent over a half a million dollars on consultants, telling him not to go. Further, all of his direct reports were against the move.
On the advice of one of his gurus, Warren Bennis, Schultz met again with his team, listening to their concerns and answering their questions and asking for their support. In the end, he had mobilized the support of his management team, and as Bennis had encouraged, he went with his heart, with what he thought was right and entered the market in question. Schultz stood his ground and, ultimately, was able to score another successful expansion of Starbucks into the international marketplace.
Take your stand today….and everyday!
Elevate your leadership by reading the rapid-read book, 7 Moments… that Define Excellent Leaders.
