Conquer Fear and Make Inclusive Decisions with Insights from “The BRAVE Leader” by David McQueen

More courage. Less fear. Better decisions for inclusive leadership. In “The BRAVE Leader,” renowned speaker and leadership expert David McQueen delivers a powerful guide to conquering fear and making courageous, inclusive decisions as a leader. With profound insights and actionable strategies, this groundbreaking book equips you with the tools to unleash your full leadership potential and create a thriving, diverse organization.

Discover the secrets to fearless, inclusive leadership – keep reading to transform your approach and take your career to new heights!

Genres

Leadership, Business, Management, Self-Help, Personal Development, Psychology, Entrepreneurship, Diversity and Inclusion, Motivation, Career Development

“The BRAVE Leader” presents a compelling framework for courageous leadership in the face of fear and uncertainty. McQueen argues that by embracing vulnerability, cultivating resilience, and fostering an inclusive environment, leaders can make better decisions and drive positive change.

The book explores the five key elements of BRAVE leadership: Boldness, Resilience, Authenticity, Vulnerability, and Empathy. Through engaging stories, research-backed insights, and practical exercises, McQueen guides readers on a transformative journey to become more effective, empathetic leaders who can navigate complex challenges and create a culture of belonging.

The book emphasizes the importance of diversity, equity, and inclusion in leadership, providing strategies for overcoming biases, building diverse teams, and leveraging different perspectives for innovation and growth. McQueen also delves into the role of emotional intelligence, self-awareness, and continuous learning in leadership development. Ultimately, “The BRAVE Leader” offers a powerful roadmap for personal and professional growth, empowering readers to lead with courage, compassion, and inclusivity.

Review

“The BRAVE Leader” is an exceptional guide to inclusive leadership that combines inspiring storytelling with practical, actionable advice. David McQueen’s engaging writing style and wealth of experience make this book a must-read for anyone looking to become a more effective, courageous leader.

The BRAVE framework provides a clear and memorable structure for personal development, while the real-world examples and exercises bring the concepts to life. McQueen’s emphasis on vulnerability, empathy, and inclusivity is particularly refreshing, challenging readers to rethink traditional notions of leadership and embrace a more human-centered approach.

The book’s focus on diversity and inclusion is timely and essential, offering valuable insights for leaders navigating an increasingly diverse workforce and society. While some of the concepts may be familiar to seasoned leaders, McQueen’s fresh perspective and actionable strategies make this book a valuable resource for both new and experienced leaders alike. Overall, “The BRAVE Leader” is an inspiring and practical guide to courageous, inclusive leadership that has the power to transform individuals, organizations, and communities.

Recommendation

Many busy leaders feel they lack the time to consider whether they’re modeling inclusivity. But failing to do so can have dire consequences for your organization, says leadership coach David McQueen. To successfully navigate change, drive innovation and make wise decisions under pressure, leaders must know how to empower all their people and create systems that serve a wide range of stakeholder needs. In other words, McQueen writes, leaders must be BRAVE. Learn to embody a more Bold, Resilient, Agile, Visionary, and Ethical leadership style, and both you and your organization will benefit.

Take-Aways

• Good leaders don’t simply manage people; they inspire and empower others.
• BRAVE leadership requires systems thinking and the ability to sense emerging possibilities.
• Become a better problem-solver with a five-step approach that tackles root causes.
• Drive innovation and thrive amid uncertainty with strategic thinking and inclusive leadership.
• Embed inclusive practices into the “DNA” of your organization.
• You must develop “self-leadership” before you can lead others.
• Model honesty and transparency, working toward resilience and “antifragility.”
• When leaders embrace courage and overcome fear, they drive systemic change.

Summary

Good leaders don’t simply manage people; they inspire and empower others.

Many people have a narrow understanding of what “leadership” means. Your impact as a leader extends beyond management and the workplace; leadership is a way of being. Good leaders guide and inspire others in contexts ranging from local community projects to sports games to faith groups.

Leadership isn’t always an individual endeavor — groups working informally or formally together can model collective leadership and stand out as leaders in their activities. Its context matters: To lead well, you need to understand an organization’s norms and values, as well as any external factors such as societal standards or governmental regulations that may affect the goals you hope to achieve. Bear in mind, too, as a leader, you need “followership”: Leaders need those they’re working with to buy into their vision and deliberately choose to participate in the work necessary to make it a reality.

“For me, leadership focuses on guiding, influencing, and inspiring others toward the achievement of common goals.”

Leaders must endeavor to be inclusive as they help groups of people work toward a shared vision. Inclusive leadership entails attracting, empowering, and supporting talented individuals in achieving goals without marginalizing people. Organizations with inclusive leadership cultures ensure that the processes and systems throughout the organization are sensitive to all stakeholders’ needs. To accomplish organization-wide inclusivity, leaders must be “BRAVE” — an acronym that stands for the need to be: “Bold,” or willing to take risks, make decisions and drive innovation with courage and confidence; “Resilient” in the face of adversity; “Agile,” or adaptive to shifting circumstances; “Visionary,” in that you keep the organization focused on the future; and Ethical.

BRAVE leadership requires systems thinking and the ability to sense emerging possibilities.

Being a BRAVE leader requires a perspective shift about leadership: Think of it as a system. Creating sustainable and consistent leadership requires reflecting deeply on how best to serve those you lead and develop a system that others can replicate. In Leading from the Emerging Future, Otto Scharmer and Katrin Kaufer describe actions you can take when creating your system of leadership: “presencing,” or using mindfulness and sensing to connect to your highest potential and inner wisdom; shifting from an “ego-system” mindset to an “eco-system” perspective that considers the well-being of all stakeholders; suspending your assumptions and creating space for people to share diverse perspectives through deep listening and dialogue; and embracing a future-orienting mindset, as you sense emerging possibilities and co-create new realities.

“By understanding the systemic nature of culture, leaders can influence its development and alignment with the organization’s goals.”

When you model BRAVE leadership, you nurture a culture where team members can develop their leadership qualities. Endeavor to create a culture where people feel psychologically safe to challenge ideas and give feedback. Resist the temptation to position yourself as an omnipotent, omniscient “hero leader” and accept that you’re a fallible human.

There are many approaches to decision-making you might take as a BRAVE leader: Perhaps you make decisions intuitively, based on instinct or gut; perhaps you take a more rational research-driven approach, or maybe you use a popular model, like the Cynefin framework (designed for uncertain contexts). Check whether your decision-making approach aligns with the BRAVE framework by asking these questions:

• “Is my decision-making bold?”
• “Are the decision-making models I’m using resilient? Will they withstand economic or political upheaval?”
• “Are my models agile enough to change if required?”
• “Is my decision-making approach visionary and ethical?”

Become a better problem-solver with a five-step approach that tackles root causes.

BRAVE leaders use the “five W’s” approach to problem-solving:

1. What? — Pinpoint the issue you’re dealing with, reflecting on the information, metrics, resources and tools you’ll need to solve the problem and your ideal problem-solving scenario.
2. Where? — Identify the precise business area associated with your problem. Ask yourself questions such as, “Where does the problem typically come from?” and “Where might we expect similar issues to crop up?”
3. When? — Determine when someone first noted your problem and the deadline by which a fix must be determined and implemented.
4. Who? — Who does the issue affect most? What key stakeholders does this problem involve? Who is taking ownership of the problem? Who determines when the situation is successfully resolved?
5. Why? — Get to the root cause of your problem, asking yourself why you need to solve it and why it is happening.

Drive innovation and thrive amid uncertainty with strategic thinking and inclusive leadership.

Strategic thinking is a critical component of BRAVE leadership. It involves carefully examining complex problems and situations, paying attention to potential issues and opportunities, and crafting action plans for achieving big-picture goals. You must be able to anticipate future trends, make informed choices that align with your broader vision, and think critically. Critical thinking requires gathering and analyzing any information relevant to the issue at hand. This analysis allows you to identify patterns, spot connections, and glean insights that inform decision-making. It requires creativity and the boldness to think “outside the box” and experiment with different solutions. You must be mentally flexible, able to adjust course and change plans to adapt to shifting contexts and new feedback.

“If there is a lack of diversity among leaders, especially at senior levels, this can perpetuate homogeneous decision-making and hinder inclusive leadership.”

Organizations become less adept at strategic, agile thinking when they fail to adopt inclusive practices by, say, always recruiting talent from the same universities. Diverse organizations excel at strategic thinking, while organizations that lack diverse perspectives struggle to avoid homogenous approaches. However, many organizations are biased toward repeating the patterns of behavior that made leaders feel safe and worked in the past. These organizations fear change and may miss out on opportunities for growth and innovation. You must confront your own biases — conscious and unconscious — and nurture a culture that combines inclusivity and strategic thinking.

Embed inclusive practices into the “DNA” of your organization.

Implement inclusive leadership practices in the following areas:

• Recruitment — Rethink what the “best” applicants look like. If you usually only hire from certain universities, consider expanding your scope to include applicants with more diverse backgrounds.
• Hiring practices — Provide team members working in talent and recruitment with inclusive hiring training. Staff will need to update many of their hiring practices, which might look like using more objective talent assessment tools, such as checklists that focus on competencies.
• Performance management — Be more inclusive when managing team members by asking questions, such as: “How can I help you do your best work?” and “In what areas of your work would you want more responsibility?” Start viewing performance reviews as opportunities for mutual improvement, idea-sharing, and collaboration.
• “Offboarding” — Treat exit interviews as learning experiences, opening yourself up to feedback. Ask questions such as, “What advice would you give to new hires at the company?”
• Mapping customer segments — Identify customer segments and conduct research to ensure you understand the needs and characteristics of different groups. Carefully consider factors such as demographics, behavior patterns, and psychographics. Your customers are not monolithic — familiarize yourself with the different pathways and touchpoints various groups navigate, considering factors such as accessibility, language preferences, and cultural contexts to ensure you serve customers inclusively.
• Product development — Stakeholders should feel they’re part of a two-way relationship, even if they’re navigating a transactional product touchpoint. Reflect on ways to ensure stakeholders feel included.

You must develop “self-leadership” before you can lead others.

Model inclusive leadership practices and lead by example through self-leadership. Develop the self-awareness and capacity to guide yourself toward your goals. Regardless of how senior you are in the corporate hierarchy, it can be hard to muster the motivation to do the parts of your job you enjoy less. If, for example, one of your dreaded responsibilities is reporting to your team with statistics, you must manage yourself to ensure you get this done. Consider using self-management tactics such as time-blocking and creating accountability feedback systems that ensure people at your organization help you stay on track.

“Self-leadership is the practice of understanding who you are, identifying your desired experiences, and intentionally guiding yourself toward them.”

BRAVE leaders model excellence. Like successful athletes, entrepreneurs, and explorers, they embrace self-discipline, consistency, active listening, and impulse control. Become aware of your emotions and endeavor to respond rationally, rather than impulsively and reactively, when you feel emotionally triggered. Practice self-care, prioritizing your mental and physical health by taking the time to do activities that support your well-being. By taking breaks and time off for vacation, you show team members that self-care is a crucial component of leadership.

Consider strengthening yourself as a leader by getting leadership coaching. Coaches can help you develop BRAVE characteristics and identify interventions to trigger other desirable long-term changes.

Model honesty and transparency, working toward resilience and “antifragility.”

Aspire to shift your “organizational climate”: employees’ feelings, reactions, and attitudes about their workplace. BRAVE leaders create environments where everyone feels valued, respected, and included, creating a positive and inclusive organizational climate. When building a BRAVE organizational culture, consider the rituals, practices, behaviors, and norms in your workplace and aim to embed inclusive practices throughout your organization on a policy level. Set quantifiable goals as you work toward a more inclusive culture, and hold the managers and leaders at your organization accountable for meeting those goals.

“Inclusive leadership cannot survive in a bubble where everyone agrees.”

Diverse teams benefit from a broader range of insights, perspectives, and talents and problem-solve more effectively by approaching challenges from many angles. When leading diverse teams, communicate your objectives and goals in ways that leave little room for confusion and foster trust. Set clear expectations, articulating your boundaries, quality standards, performance expectations, deadlines, and deliverables.

Model transparency, sharing information using clear, unambiguous, jargon-free language, and encouraging team members to do the same. Urge people to be candid while understanding that some degree of productive conflict comes with the territory when you promote authenticity. Embrace an ethos of learning and growth by giving people the resources and support to upskill, seek new knowledge, and learn from mistakes. Work toward “antifragility”: cultivating the “ability to adapt, learn and grow stronger through adversity.”

When leaders embrace courage and overcome fear, they drive systemic change.

There are several benefits of becoming an inclusive and BRAVE leader, which include:

• Courageous decision-making — Organizations that fail to deviate from the status quo and embrace diverse perspectives operate from a place of fear. Companies that embrace the BRAVE model boldly experiment with new ideas and drive innovation.
• Better management — Leaders are better managers when they know how to actively listen and ask the right questions instead of relying on their assumptions.
• Viewing leadership systemically — When you embrace a systematic approach to leadership, you become aware of how individual negative traits, such as greed, can damage entire organizational ecosystems. You understand that the key to driving sustainable growth lies in cultivating more positive characteristics, such as generosity, transparency, and accountability. Power should be shared collaboratively throughout the organization — not wielded selfishly by individuals.

About the Author

David McQueen is a leadership coach and the co-founder of Q Squared Ltd., a professional development company. He’s also a culture change blogger and the host of the David McQueen Podcast.