Courage

• Does the person take risks by putting forward or defending their opinions or actions?

 

Definition: 

Courage is linked to people’s confidence in their capabilities and judgement.  It allows them to take decisions, or make choices while ascertaining the risks and being conscious of their responsibilities

CONTEXT:

This behavior is developed in organizations where:

-      Responsible risk-taking is encouraged

-      People are encouraged to express themselves

-      Constructive conflict is seen as healthy

People without this behaviour tend to be discouraged by difficulty when the work culture values:

-      Respect for standards and forms

-      Search for minimal risk

Level	Standard	Developed	Highly developed
Summary	Acts confidently in his/her job without being afraid of upsetting people, when need be	Trusts his/her own capacity to face critical situations	Is ready to face any challenge
Behavioral Indicators	Stands back from situations, taking an objective view Acts in uncertain circumstances Trusts own judgement, making decisions independently within own area of responsibility Takes decisions on his/her own without support or advice from others, when appropriate Is not afraid of announcing both the good and bad consequences of his/her decisions	Weighs up all available information, evaluating relative pros and cons Makes use of past successes and present Personal Skills & Values to take decisions Gives his/her point of view clearly and firmly, while remaining open to objections and criticism, when it’s different from the majority’s Reviews decisions as new  information becomes available Explicitly states confidence in own judgement or abilities	Volunteers for (personally) risky missions Accepts missions with high level of responsibility Puts his/her credibility as expert or manager in the balance Overtly supports decisions or proposals they believe in Does not hesitate to express disagreement with others in power (superiors, important clients) using the right attitude Evaluates the likely return on investment, supporting calculated risks to capitalise on opportunity

Behaviors which are not representative include*

Remaining silent when he/she does not agree Seeking approval from his/her direct superior to act Avoiding confrontation with other people Lowering his/her level of expectation when faced with opposition Disregarding an idea without fighting for it as soon as a controversy arises