From Values to Action: The Four Principles of Values-Based Leadership

THE COURAGE TO SPEAK YOUR MIND

Over the years, I've been surprised by the number of times I've been promoted because of my willingness to speak up. My bosses have said to me, “The one thing I know about you, Harry, is that you will tell me exactly what you think, and not what you think I want to hear.” The reason speaking my mind became natural for me was that over the years I developed enough true self-confidence to know that voicing my recommendations was precisely what the company was paying me for. My job was to become knowledgeable in areas that were valuable to the company. Therefore, my responsibility to the bosses—whether managers one or several levels above me, or the board of directors—was not to tell them what I thought they wanted ...