Embrace Core Values: Courage

With the 2017 release of Embrace's updated purpose statement and core values, it is the Talent Development team's hope that employees will strive now, more than ever, to infuse these ideals into their personal and professional lives on a daily basis. In the coming months, a different core value will be featured in the monthly eNews to encourage discussion and action amongst Embrace professionals. We will examine values as they are being successfully applied here or in other industries as part of this initiative to further develop an enriching, positive company culture.

The Embrace Purpose Statement dictates, "We enrich the lives of our customers, teammates and business partners by conducting ourselves in a loving manner to help our customers create homes."

This month, we are excited to take a closer look at the Embrace core value of courage as it pertains to living one's life according to the Embrace mission.

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by Colleen Russo

Recently, I stumbled upon an old article from a 2004 issue of Fast Company, "In Search of Courage" by John McCain. Political preferences aside, McCain's understanding of the value is about as close to perfect as I've ever seen. He speaks of courage in both its political and business contexts. Courage, he purports, "…is not always certain, and it is not always comprehensible. As courage demands great sacrifice, so does it demand great economy in its definition. General William Tecumseh Sherman defined courage as a 'perfect sensibility of the measure of danger and a mental willingness to endure it.' That seems to me as apt a definition as any. Courage is that rare moment of unity between conscience, fear, and action, when something deep within us strikes the flint of love, of honor, of duty, to make the spark that fires our resolve. Courage is the highest quality of life attainable by human beings. It's the moment — however brief or singular — when we are our complete, best self, when we know with an almost metaphysical certainty that we are right" (McCain). As business professionals, when we lack courage, our ability to evoke change, push boundaries, and pave the way to a brighter future is severely incapacitated. Quite simply, courage must be core to who we are if we hope to succeed—a truth that applies to anyone and everyone—regardless of industry.

At Embrace Home Loans, Courage is the catalyst for positive change and growth. It is the fulcrum for evoking transformation. Courage enables us to overcome our fears, to be ourselves, and to stand for what we believe. Courage allows for authenticity, integrity, and transparency in all relationships. For most people, staying within their comfort zones, flying under the radar, and sticking to what they know is easier (understandably so!), but when we can harness the courage to try something new, seek out something better, or stand up for what we believe, there is no limit to what can be achieved.

Experience has taught me that having the courage to take calculated risks means the difference between the ordinary and the extraordinary. All things worth doing take courage. It is that immense strength drawn from deep within that gets us through trying times, urges us to take heart, and cheers us on as we reach higher than we ever imagined. When we live in fear or doubt ourselves consistently, we become frozen in a state of paralysis. We become mere shells of ourselves by coasting on that which is familiar, never striving for anything more than the status quo. The problem with this type of stagnation is that it inhibits our development as business professionals and human beings. Without courage, we aren't able to achieve optimal performance in the workplace. Courage is the necessary catalyst that drives us to pursue bigger, better, and best. It is an integral component to any recipe for success. In fact, it is so very essential that it influences each one of Embrace's other corporate values: Empowerment, Love, Innovation, Community, Achievement, and Fulfillment—none of which could exist here if we did not first possess the courage to live them out wholeheartedly.

There is, however, a distinct difference between being courageous and being reckless. In the workplace, taking calculated risks is considered courageous. These risks are worth the possibility of failure. A savvy businessperson weigh the pros and cons of his or her actions, and considers each of the resources available to him or her prior to acting. To blindly make decisions that feel "right" in the moment or act out of emotion is foolish. Unlike recklessness, courage in the workplace calls for significant foresight and planning: anticipating the events that can, and will, go wrong.

Embrace managers can set the precedent for their teams by leading with courage. Sometimes this means demonstrating the value by readily owning and admitting one's mistakes or errors in judgment. Sure, taking accountability for one's actions may seem scary at first, but doing so sets a wonderful example for other team members. Perhaps, as is often the case in Corporate America, being courageous might mean being the whistleblower when something unethical is taking place. Being the person who has the guts to stand up and confront others for their wrongdoings isn't always the easy choice. On other occasions, courageous leaders are those who are willing to try something new by developing and presenting the next big company initiative. Employees are motivated by this sort of leadership, and are much more likely to take calculated risks when led by leaders who hold the value of courage in high esteem.

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References

McCain, John. "In Search of Courage." Fast Company. Fast Company, 20 Sept. 2012. Web. 28 June 2017.