Over the last year, many Leaders have dealt with massive change and disruption to their businesses. Whether it was the drop in oil price from $120/barrel to $30/barrel, or new competitors in the marketplace disrupting with innovative technology, cutting into your profit margins – all these changes require Powerful Leaders to find their Courageous Voice to communicate to staff, boards and clients how they plan to move their business forward in times of VUCA (Volatile, Uncertain, Complex and Ambiguous).

Some real examples of ways that C-Suite Leaders need to express their Courageous Voices with more clarity are:

1. Making clear requests to their Board and Executive Leadership Team for support to find strategic ideas to move their business forward.
2. Embracing conflict with colleagues. With a courageous voice they see conflict as an opportunity to find the hidden requests of others.
3. Challenging the status quo of current business practices to find new ways to move their business forward.

A Courageous Voice will be expressed when a Powerful Leader learns to “BE” intentional about Being Courageous:

1. CARE

The first step that will allow you to express your Courageous Voice is to develop clarity as to what you deeply CARE about.

Question: What did Martin Luther King CARE about so much that allowed him to express his ideas with such Courage and Passion?

Martin Luther King cared about Racial Equality for all!

What do you deeply care about as a Leader?

2. Be Prepared

Once you have clarity as to what you CARE about in your role as a leader, the next step is to be intentional about quality preparation. A key component of quality preparation is knowing the risks that you are taking and the potential payoffs and impacts to the team and company.

Another aspect of being prepared so that others can hear your Courageous Voice is knowing how much support you have around you, so when it comes time to express your Courageous Voice, you do not feel alone.

Question: Where do you need to do better quality preparation so that others can hear your Courageous Voice about what you deeply CARE about?

3. Visualize A Positive Outcome

The final step to being able to express your Courageous Voice to others is to Visualize the Outcome! When you can envision what you deeply care about being successfully completed, you will take the necessary steps to make it real.

Challenge: Who do you need to express your Courageous Voice to and what is the conversation about?

Take a few minutes and visualize yourself having that conversation with your Courageous Voice and creating the positive outcome you desire.