Are you steady, strong, and spirited?

We have talked about the importance of relevance when creating intentionally brave spaces. Next up is the value of nerve.

Nerve: Leaders who role model nerve are steady, strong, and spirited when they encounter the inevitable bumps in the road of workplace life. They are a source of calm, courage, and purpose when the team is facing a demanding situation.

Here are 3 top tips on how to role model nerve the Soul Trained way:

• Absence of problems is not a KPI, but the way in which you [and your team] learn from them is. As Witter Bynner once said, “The biggest problem in the world could have been solved when it was small.” Leaders with nerve aren’t afraid of problems, in fact they welcome them because they know it will help them avoid bigger issues down the line.
• Bruce Tuckman asserted, in his model of team development, that ‘storming’ [another word for conflict and friction] is a necessary waypoint along the journey toward high performance. Leaders role model nerve when they lean into conflict, hold space for it, and facilitate courageous conversations amongst their people.
• While Lao Tzu once said “Muddy water, let stand, becomes clear,” in truth, ignoring issues doesn’t make them go away. Leaders who role model nerve don’t walk by; when they see something that needs fixing, changing, or doing they hold themselves — and others — to account for fixing, changing, or doing it.

It goes without saying [which means it’s probably important to say], that nerve as a value can over-amplify into confrontation or aggression if not balanced out with the other values from Soul Trained’s palette, particularly kindness [more on that particular value soon].

How well do you role model nerve?