# The Courage Bias of Capitalism and Leadership By:: [[Brian Heath]] 2024-07-27 A true leader of an organization needs courage and discernment. Courage to do the hard things in the face of adversity and the ability to discern what those things are. Half-courage gets one nowhere. Lack of discernment results in a meandering waste of energy and willpower. It is rare for an individual to possess both in the right amounts. Some have endless courage, and this has largely been rewarded by capitalism. Within this economic system, it matters little how many courageous organizations venture over the cliff as long as some survive to capitalize on the risk. It's survival of the fittest, except not really. It's actually survival via the law of large numbers and statistics. Some organizations are due to survive as long as enough are available to take the plunge. So, many organizations are started or led by individuals who tend to be risk-takers or overtly courageous. No discernment is required for capitalism, so very few have it. One simply needs courage and luck. For those organizational leaders with discernment but limited courage, that challenge is feeling assured enough to leap without sitting on the fence. There will always be reasons not to do something, even if one knows it is the right path. Courage is required to step forward when enough is enough. Furthermore, not burning the bridge as one crosses it means one is not fully committed to the path. Meanwhile, fearless organizations will take the plunge, and one is bound to make it. Most are naive enough to think it will be them. The discerning leader knows this innately but still must decide to look like the others when the odds are "good enough." The ideal leader of an organization possesses both traits, but, as mentioned earlier, this is rare. So, one must know oneself and find partners in solidarity that strike the balance. It means the pie is sliced into smaller pieces, stopping most from finding authentically beneficial partnerships. But, do not doubt the power of an effective team and consider breaking free from the paradigm of getting as much as possible. Odds are someone else is benefiting from all the people leaping over the edge who are effectively buying lottery tickets that will never pay off. #### Related Items [[Courage]] [[Discernment]] [[Capitalism]] [[Leadership]] [[Organization]] [[Probability]] [[Luck]] [[Partnership]]