IMD OWP22 PostEvent Report

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ACTION POINTS

Interrupt the negativity bias to focus on positive outcomes that are possible by acting courageously provides a counter- argument to fear.

Change your emotional state to provide the impetus for action. When people are anxious, the common advice is usually to calm down. However ,this may be difficult to achieve. Research , however, suggests that reframing anxiety as excitement – the positive emotion that embraces risks and enables action – is helpful for reframing challenges as opportunities rather than threats. Create a visible cue to remind people that courage is an invitation for growth and possibility.

JOHNWEEKS Professor of Leadership and Organizational Behavior

While courage can embolden people to speak up or take action, we find that many people have an internal commitment to avoiding the possible risks of using courage. This competing commitment is motivated by the desire to stay safe, protected from risks of social alienation or psychological risks of embarrassment. When people understand the competing commitment to safety, the choice between staying in their familiar comfort zone or moving to their “stretch”

zone becomes explicit and actionable. This competing commitment to safety is influenced by negativity bias, which is the tendency to register and dwell on negative stimuli more readily than positive events. Put simply and to quote Baumeister, “bad is stronger than good”. Given this, what can leaders do to foster more courage? Just as people might exercise their muscles with regular workouts, we can think of courage as a muscle that can be developed by taking small steps of courage on a regular basis with the following practices.

ENCOURAGING EVERYDAY COURAGE Yet courage is also practiced in more ordinary, everyday situations: speaking up in a meeting, challenging the status quo, setting boundaries with a team, making a presentation despite a fear of public speaking, managing difficult stakeholders, or asking for a promotion or raise when you believe it is deserved. It is this everyday workplace courage that requires attention and practice in individuals and teams.