Articles

RUN TOWARD THE ROAR! The Science of Learned Courage in Leadership

By Emmett C. Murphy

How do you lead during the most volatile and difficult times in 75 years? The answer: You Run Toward the Roar!

Over the millennia warriors on the Serengeti have been taught that the way to survive a lion’s attack is to run directly toward the roar, not away. When lions hunt, the oldest – and often most toothless – male of the pride is sent to the head of the herd of game, while the rest of the pride moves to the other end to lay a trap. Upon a silent signal, the old male stands and roars, whereupon the herd turns and flees away from the roar…right into the jaws of the waiting pride.

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RUN TOWARD THE ROAR! Leading with Courage

By Emmett C. Murphy

When antelopes hear the sound of a lion’s roar their instinct tells them to run in the opposite direction. Doing so, however, means they run to almost certain death because lions expect their prey to do just that. The male of the pride anticipates where the antelope will run while the lionesses lie in ambush. When the lion roars, a startled antelope runs directly into the jaws of the waiting lionesses.

When faced with threats to our happiness or security, we humans all too often run away from the “roar” of daily life only to find, later, the threats returning or compounding. Effective leaders realize that survival and success lie in having the courage to confront threats. At moments in our lives we are called to account in a way that forces us to decide whether we will stand for our values. While we appreciate the need for courage in other areas of our lives, we may not appreciate how much courage it takes to lead in the workplace. The following practices of effective leaders all take courage. They are not all instinctual, however. Many must be learned.

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