Developing awareness of the meaning of courageous managerial action through reflective practices: a path towards developing managerial courage

Abstract

Reflexivity, which this exploratory research addressed in order to raise awareness of the meaning of courageous action, appears to be a promising avenue to support the development of managerial courage. Grounded in a collaborative approach, this study had two objectives for its participants: to collectively analyze moments of managerial courage while simultaneously enabling their self-learning. Its methodology invited participants to engage in a reflexive process and to take part in the data collection by interacting with the researcher’s theoretical framework and analysis. The originality of this approach lies in the connection of two apparently disparate concepts – managerial courage and reflexivity – to explore their potential for interaction and formative aggregation. The results presented in this article appear promising in terms of the links they weave between reflective practices and the development of awareness of the meaning of courageous action. Moreover, they may suggest ways of supporting reflective action in difficult or risky situations where personal integrity is at stake, as required by situations that call for managerial courage. Five central themes emerged in the course of the research as being able to support the exploration of the meaning of courageous action: professional identity; noble objectives; personal values and beliefs; obstacles to individual action; and sense of responsibility. The links identified between managerial courage and reflexivity open the door to future research into their implications and potential uses in organizations.