Ethical Workplace: Cracking The Courage Code by Dr. Arthur Schwartz, PHILADELPHIA BUSINESS JOURNAL

I recommend this article written by Dr. Arthur Schwartz and published in the PHILADELPHIA BUSINESS JOURNAL.

Courage is much more than simply showing grit toward a noble purpose or being steadfast in the face of hardship.

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Dr. Schwartz is a colleague on the board of directors of the International Leadership Association (ILA). He identifies five factors that contribute to courage in the workplace. I am particularly interested in the fifth factor that courage is contagious. It makes taking a risk all the more worthwhile as you are not only righting an immediate wrong, you are adding another strand of courage into the culture.

The final factor is the social aspect of courage. Courage is contagious. When we see others display courage in the workplace it becomes easier for us to produce courage when the moment arises.

In addition to citing my own book, Intelligent Disobedience: Doing Right When What You’re Told To Do Is Wrong, he cites the work of Mary Gentile (Giving Voice to Values: How to Speak Your Mind When You Know You’re Right) whom I have also praised in my blog, and my fellow Berrett-Koehler author Bill Treasurer (Courage Goes to Work), who has been toiling with me in the field of courage for nearly two decades.