I facilitated a session recently on engaging in challenging conversations constructively and it was inspiring to hear everyone walk away willing to adopt the mantle of courageous leader and actively unleash the courage to have more of these conversations.
We explored the importance of these conversations to innovation, collaboration, engagement and high performance. All made logical sense.
Then we explored what holds us back then if the benefits are so great.
Fear of consequences holds people back – they do not want to make themselves vulnerable – as vulnerability is still seen by many people as weak.
I felt myself feeling disillusioned because challenging is still not embraced constructively – when emerging leaders unleash their courage to initiate a challenging conversation they are still being met far too often with a response that comes from positional power! So their vulnerability is rewarded with power – more opposing tensions at play – the other is that of fear and courage. These emerging leaders fear for their continued employment in the business – what a way to feel when you are about to engage in a challenging conversation.
