MICROCOURAGE^©: A NEW PROCESS FOR LEADERSHIP

Abstract The author, CEO of the Association of Corporate Executive Coaches, contends that the “essence of courageous leadership contains elements of providing the space for inspiration, innovation, and creativity for others, where every individual feels empowered to step out of their comfort zone, voice their ideas, and use their initiative.” She discusses the seven steps of “Microcourage©️.” She describes the latter as “a process and also a philosophy, a mindset freeing us from disassociating ourselves from our accomplishments.” The seven steps are in her words: to exert; to explore; to examine; to express; to engage; to execute; to resurge. She discusses leaders who have displayed courage in the past, including Johnson & Johnson CEO James Burke during the 1982 Tylenol scare in Chicago. She also focuses on current courageous CEOs, such as Mary Barra of GM; Satya Nadella of Microsoft; and Jane Fraser of Citi/Citigroup. The author also examines “direct cases of courage as related to motivation”: Patagonia’s Yvon Chouinard; the former Prime Minister of New Zealand, Jacinda Ardern; and NVIDIA’s Jensen Huang. She notes that “as we look to the future, the need for leaders who are willing to take bold steps, make difficult decisions, and inspire their teams through courage and conviction will only continue to grow.”