Courage
Courage Moment
Recently, I was speaking at a leadership conference and we had a technical glitch. The video I had planned to play suddenly did not work. If you do much public speaking you know that these things happen from time to time. It was what happened after my presentation that caused me to pause. David, the sound tech professional who was in charge of the event came up to me immediately after and said, "That was totally my fault, I apologize." While the glitch was no big deal, the way this leader owned his mistake was big to me.
There are times when things go wrong on our watch. How we handle those mistakes reflects on our character and influence as a leader. More times than not, we see leaders who blame, point fingers or make excuses for failures or mistakes. This type of behavior sends the wrong message to our teams. It also degenerates our personal relationships and causes us to lose credibility. It takes courage and honesty to raise your hand and say, "I blew that." When that happens, it generally raises the level of respect that others have for us.
Thank you David, for reminding me that being a leader of influence requires us to own our mistakes. Choose to stand up and own your mistakes and you will make a difference!
Dr. Larry Little
Eagle Center for Leadership
Courage is a foundation of strong leadership at 3M Chem Ops. It is the choice to face challenges directly, to speak up when something is not right, and to stay committed even when it is uncomfortable.
It does not always come from big gestures. Sometimes courage is found in the simple ways we lead each day. It appears when we take responsibility for our actions and decisions, when we stay open to feedback even when it is hard to hear, and in how we engage with our teams, support each other, and step forward to solve problems.
Courage and Operational Discipline
Operational discipline cannot exist without leaders who have the courage to act. Leaders who show courage do not shy away from problems or overlook issues, but instead take responsibility, speak honestly, and hold themselves to the same standards they expect from others.
Courage keeps us focused on safety, reliability, and continuous improvement. It helps us have the hard conversations, learn from setbacks, and make changes that strengthen the whole team. When leaders show courage, they create a culture where people feel safe to speak up and take action, even when it is challenging.
This connection between courage and operational discipline keeps us aligned and builds trust that carries us through every shift.
“Real courage is when you know you’re licked before you begin, but you begin anyway and see it through no matter what.”
At 3M Chem Ops, Courage shows up in four key ways:
Accountability – Owning what we do and understanding how it affects others.
Growth Mindset – Staying open to learning and always looking for ways to get better.
Engagement – Being present and fully committed to the team’s success.
Ownership – Stepping up to tackle issues and make things better.
In this second module of The 3M Chem Ops Way, we’ll focus on accountability, the first of these key principles of courageous leadership. You’ll see how accountability and courage go hand in hand, helping you lead with purpose and strengthen the team around you.
