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Taking the Lead... in the Digital Age Las Vegas
Conference Recap: Creating a Culture of Courage

With 750 attendees and over 25 breakout sessions, the WITI Taking the Lead in the Digital Age conference, July 9 - 11, 2006 was jam packed with great information, outstanding networking opportunities and fascinating key note speakers.

Cindy Solomon: Creating a Culture of Courage In the next few issues of The Strategist we will highlight key findings and major takeaways from the conference.

Cindy Solomon offered a very energizing and informative key note speech entitled, CREATING A CULTURE OF COURAGE: THE NEW LEADERSHIP CHALLENGE.

Solomon emphasized the importance of having the courage to fail in order to be able to do what you need to do. "You have to be willing to accept the fear of failure," she said. "You must be willing to take risks."


Solomon went on to discuss the different types of courage and that although our definition of courage is a very personalized and individualized concept most of us do not think we are courageous.

"Courage does not have to equate to be heroic in the majority of instances," said Solomon. "Courage is a skill that can be developed and learned. It is like any other muscle, you strengthen it by using it."

Cindy Solomon: Creating a Culture of Courage Solomon broke down courage into four types: blind courage, crisis courage, role courage and core courage:

  • Blind courage: This is the close your eyes and jump type of courage. There is no fear of failure because you don't think about the consequences.

  • Crisis courage: This is the completely instinctual life or death type of courage.

  • Role courage: This type of courage comes from confidence. It is all about training and working from a position of confidence and knowledge. You're able to do what you need to do because you have the right training.

  • Core courage: This type of courage causes individuals to be slow to react. Before you act, you must take the time to know what you want to happen. You have to have fully formed decision before you do or don't act.

She said that role courage is the most important type of courage to have in corporate America. "Role courage gives people the confidence to feel that they know what they have to do and understand that it is their responsibility because it is their role and this makes them fearless," explained Solomon.

Courage is not the absence of fear. Rather it is the capacity to move ahead in spite of fear.
- Rollo May, existential psychologist

P.S.
Solomon highly recommended the book The New Normal: Great Opportunities in a Time of Great Risk by Robert McNamee.

What is your point of view? Please post your thoughts on the discussion board.

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