5 top strengths of courageous leaders

Leadership is an inside-out job, so self-awareness is a fundamental part of successful leadership and an ongoing journey of insight and development.

It's reassuring to know that according to the VIA Institute on Character, we all have 24 powerful character strengths to call upon to overcome the challenges of VUCA workplaces (volatile, uncertain, complex, ambiguous) and achieve important workplace goals.

You can find out what your top leadership strengths are by visiting the VIA website and completing a free survey.

The best leaders know that playing to their own unique strengths is the most authentic and effective way to achieve organisational goals and engage the minds, hearts and souls of their followers. 

Equally, understanding and appreciating the unique strengths of your employees, and providing opportunities for them to utilise them, is the simplest way of increasing employee engagement, wellbeing and performance.

• What are your strengths as a leader?
• How often do you check in with your strengths as they change and evolve according to experience?
• Are you over-using or under-using your natural strengths and talents? 

These are all important questions I help leaders explore the answers to so they can show up authentically, using the best of who they are to achieve extraordinary performance.

So what does research in Positive Psychology tell us about the top strengths of courageous leaders?

1. Bravery

Bravery is the ability to show valour in the workplace by not shrinking from fear and speaking up for what’s right. Research shows that bravery is required for numerous tasks within the workplace such as speaking truth to power, pursuing difficult goals in the face of uncertainty, and having difficult conversations with customers, stakeholders and colleagues. 

2. Perseverance

Courageous leaders are able to persevere through challenges and change. They are persistent and industrious, always finishing what they start. They have the willpower to achieve ambitious business objectives, and the waypower to change direction and find a new path to overcome failure, blocks and challenges.

3. Honesty

Courageous leaders are authentic, trustworthy and sincere. They also create an environment for others to show up authentically and speak their truth. Ideas, opinions, challenges and questions are all a healthy part of the courageous leader’s culture. 

4. Zest

Courageous leaders are enthusiastic and energetic. They invest in their own well-being and the well-being of others in order to maintain energy levels and bring out the best in themselves and others. The courageous leader looks for the positive and knows how to identify and leverage excellence in order to produce extraordinary results.

5. Hope

Hope is the oxygen of the workforce, you can’t keep going without it. Courageous leaders maintain an optimistic approach without ignoring problems and challenges. Courageous leaders are future-minded and future-orientated, striving to make positive changes for themselves, their people, and the organisation as a whole.

If you’d like help in understanding your unique leadership strengths so you can effectively achieve important business objectives, engage employees and inspire others to bring the best of who they are to their work, contact me and let’s have a chat.