The first records of the word “courage” come from the thirteenth century. The word is derived from the Old French word “corage,” which is related to “couer,” meaning “heart.”[1] Anyone who has ever been a compliance officer knows the necessity of both heart and courage. Courage in the compliance profession takes many forms. These include:
Courage to deliver bad news
No one likes to deliver bad news, but frequently, we must. Sometimes we must tell the board and C-suite of a speak-up complaint rife with devastating allegations. Other times, we must tell someone they’ve been found culpable of misconduct, so their job has been terminated.
A popular cliché warns not to shoot the messenger. We are often required to be the bearer of bad tidings. Nevertheless, we must have the courage to do so.
