A question of courage

Apple Inc. chief executive officer Tim Cook’s brave declaration of sexuality raises a question: How important is personal courage for successful leadership?

Bring your whole self to work

Parmesh Shahani, head of Godrej India Culture Lab, and Yale World Fellow 2014

It is important for anyone to be able to bring their complete self to work, and a part of who you are includes who you chose to love and what your orientation is, says Shahani. “I don’t think it is a question of courage, but more a matter of fact, to be who you are irrespective of what kind of organization or position you are in,” he adds.

“To bring your whole self to work is an even more vital trait for people in leadership positions as the stress and strain of hiding parts of your life can lead to loss of a lot of productive energy,” says Shahani, adding it also leads to a lot of speculation. “When a leader is being open about who he or she is, they are setting the tone for shaping the culture of an organization, as a leader’s responsibility towards a company is not just to deliver on financial targets.”

Tim Cook has always been open about his sexuality at Apple, long before he wrote the article, and his disclosure has not affected his ability as a leader in any way, points out Shahani. “In fact, when he took over, the share price rose,” he adds.

With the marketplace becoming so competitive and with thousands of competitors selling similar products and services, it is important what value you communicate about your company because that will, in turn, affect your human capital, which is a company’s biggest asset, says Shahani. “And that human capital comes in different forms. It is a leader’s and an organization’s responsibility to create spaces for all of them,” he adds.

Important to lead from the front

Anurag Shrivastava, chief executive officer of human resources consulting firm HRNext

Courage is one of the most important traits of a leader. Only if he has courage can he take bold decisions and do things that others cannot, says Shrivastava. If a leader lacks courage, he will opt for unhealthy compromises, leading to loss of support from people working for him.

A leader should be able to take the initiative and lead from the front. “If he expects others to have faith in his capabilities, then it is equally important for him to instil faith in them through his actions. Why will anyone support a leader who is unable to take a stand fearing criticism?” asks Shrivastava.

Secondly, a leader must ensure that his supporters are courageous as well. Organizational goals cannot be accomplished by a leader alone. He needs support from others in order to succeed, Shrivastava says, and adds that Tim Cook’s “immense personal courage” in declaring his sexuality will encourage others who have stayed silent because of taboos in many nations.

The Apple CEO’s step may also help some countries reconsider their laws on homosexuality, he says. In several countries including India, homosexuality is not legal. While Cook has admitted that he is gay after working his way up the organizational ladder, it will certainly offer confidence to many other leaders across the globe. “Many organizational leaders do not accept their sexuality believing that the company’s image and revenues will be negatively impacted,” says Shrivastava.

An open admission by the chief executive of a globally-renowned company may help the gay community get greater social acceptance. “A leader is a trendsetter, and Tim Cook has decided to stand up and be counted for the person that he is,” says Shrivastava.

Courageous leaders most admired

Vasanthi Srinivasan, associate professor of organizational behaviour and human resources management, IIM Bangalore

All leaders around us who are admired the most, all of them demonstrate enormous amount of courage, says Srinivasan. When leaders demonstrate personal courage, they are not just speaking for themselves, but for a larger group.

According to Srinivasan, three things are important in displaying personal courage: the alignment of personal and professional values, willingness to stand up for your conviction, and timing. However, while some organizations reward personal courage, others may say, “Oh my god, not another nuisance!’” she says.

Open houses and town halls are the first place where one can see if companies celebrate personal courage or chide it, says Srinivasan. “Large companies, if they have to exist for a 100 years or so, will have to look for that in people. They don’t have a choice,” she adds.

However, even though displaying personal courage encourages subordinates to do the same, it could also lead to discrimination in rewards and recognition, says Srinivasan. In a study she conducted, many male and female board members said the prime reason they were accepted on the board was personal courage. “Several women mentioned that what they brought to the board, distinctively, was this capacity to ask uncomfortable questions, with no fear,” she says.

At the end of the day, personal courage is significant because it leaves a leader with an enormous amount of reputation. “Tim Cook, for example, will probably be spoken of for decades,” she says.