Lead Yourself First: Inspiring Leadership Through Solitude

by Raymond M. Kethledge

To have moral courage, a leader must be willing to sacrifice. Sometimes the sacrifices are modest: a diminished reputation in some quarters, questions about one’s priorities in others, awkwardness in relations that before were agreeable. Other times the sacrifices are more serious: ostracism where once there was popularity, widespread anger among certain groups, criticism of not only one’s judgment but one’s character. Still other times the sacrifices are severe: the loss of a job, severance of important relationships, threats of physical harm. Consequences like these—even the modest ones—will turn many people away from doing what they know is right. Yet there are times when such consequences are worth bearing, because the alternatives—misplaced priorities, harm to the organization, compromised integrity—are worse. A leader connected with her first principles can recognize those times and thus see that the stakes are larger than popularity or relationships or career success.