It often takes tremendous external pressure before leaders see no choice but to act courageously, rather than out of fear. The recent public statements by and behaviour of individuals from all segments of society in response to South Africa's downgrade are testament to this. We are living in a rare time when some politicians are actually being honest in their reactions, instead of defaulting to the official statements issued by their political parties. Their response has moved the nation because their level of influence is significantly more powerful when they act with courage. In the business world there are many examples of leaders whose influence increased tremendously when they chose to act courageously in the face of a crisis. This is when CEOs defy their public relations team and, instead of textbook responses, opt to be honest with the public.Leaders being courageous ought to be the status quo. However, we live in a world where merely thinking of acting with courage is enough...
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