In the same realm as the recent post on courage, I pondered the implications of a statement by Michael Useem, Director of the Center for Leadership and Change Management at the University of Pennsylvania Wharton School of Business. Useem was asked to answer the question of how to prepare to be courageous. What struck me about his answer was not the specific advice on how to become more courageous, but how implementing his specific recommendation will improve your business. Or your entire life for that matter.

In his response, Useem cited the textbook example from the Apollo 13 mission when mission leader Eugene Kranz declared that “Failure is not an option”, referring to their attempts at bringing home the endangered crew of Apollo 13.

He [Kranz] was confident because he had enough experience. He knew the staffing down there in Houston; he knew all the moving parts. And by looking at his resources and relying on his prior mission directorships, he could draw the concrete assessment that the mission would successfully return to Earth.

According to Useem, the number-one way to prepare for future tough moments is to do what the military calls an after-action review. “Do it routinely, not only in your operation but for you personally. I’ve spoken with entrepreneurs who routinely sit down at the end of their week and look at the decisions they’ve made. It’s almost meditative. They get rid of all other distractions and review what they did, what they might have done differently, and what lessons came out of that, for future reference.”

Useem added a second component in an individual’s possible preparation for courage, but it was the first point that resonated with me. As in any mission or project, you prepare yourself for future tough moments by establishing confidence in your skills, your knowledge - gained through numerous experiences over the course of your life. Reflecting on the inherent lessons of each experience will not only put you in a position to be courageous, but will also improve your business’ bottom line. As with courage, improving your business shouldn’t be a daring one-time act. It should be a leadership behavior on consistent display, fueled by the constant review of life’s learning lessons.

Jonas Salk was spot-on when he administered the experimental polio vaccine to himself and his family, pointing out that “it’s courage based on confidence, not daring, and it is confidence based on experience.”

Today’s business leaders need more of that kind of experience-based courage.