Courage doesn’t mean having no fear, but acting in spite of it.
Outstanding leaders are very different from one another – but one thing shows up in them again and again: a willingness to take risks for a good cause.
The quality in detail
Four steps through the quality: understand, check, connect, apply. Open any topic to read more.
The core messageWhat the quality means – and what it doesn’t
Courage means acting in spite of fear. Fear is part of it – you are courageous when you feel it and still do what is right.
- It does not mean
- That courageous people are fearless. Someone who knows no fear does not need courage but may simply be overlooking the risk.
- That every risk is courageous. Recklessness seeks the thrill; courage accepts a risk for a good goal.
- Strictly speaking
- The definition “acting in spite of fear” is well supported. Research on courage at work, however, is young and rests mainly on accounts of experience, not on large-scale measurements.
- Courageous is not the same as right: a wrong decision can be courageous too. That is why courage needs clear judgment about what you are taking the risk for.
- Applies to
- Every situation in which something is at stake: the uncomfortable conversation with your boss, open criticism in the church leadership, a decision on the club board against the majority and a clear word in the family.
The explanationWhat the quality means and why it matters
Courage can be described as the quality that safeguards all the others: without it, values, insight and good intentions come to nothing as soon as things get uncomfortable – in the boardroom as much as on a team, in a volunteer role or without any title at all.
Courage begins in the mind. There is no courage without fear: fear accompanies many decisions with an uncertain outcome, and courage shows in acting anyway – with clear judgment, because courageous is not automatically right.
The signs3 signs the quality is present · 3 that it is missing
- You raise problems openly, including with superiors, boards or funders, even when it may cost you standing or approval.
- You make necessary decisions even though you don’t know all the answers, and then you stand by them.
- You admit that you are afraid and take the next step anyway.
- Important decisions stay on hold because you are waiting for complete certainty.
- You stay silent in meetings even though you see that something is going wrong.
- You push difficult conversations off onto others or don’t have them at all.
The research5 sources: 5 primary studies · 2007–2015 · with the limits of the research
- low
- moderate
- high
Moderate – Courage as acting despite fear; courage at work.
- 2007Christopher R. Rate et al.
Lay understanding of courage: intentional action for a good end despite risk and fear.
- 2007James R. Detert & Ethan R. Burris
Leader openness increases willingness to raise critical issues; psychological safety mediates.
- 2009Peter J. Norton & Brandon J. Weiss
Courage predicts approach to a feared stimulus – when fear is present.
- 2014Melissa M. Koerner
Courage in working life as identity work; analysis of first-hand accounts.
- 2015Pauline Schilpzand, David R. Hekman & Terence R. Mitchell
Typology and process model of courageous action at work.
The definition is supported. Research on courage in working life is young and mostly qualitative.
The originJohn C. Maxwell · “Courage”
- 1999OriginJohn C. Maxwell
The 21 Indispensable Qualities of a Leader, Quality 6
- CourageIn essence: Courage is the beginning of all leadership, because without it you dare nothing new and stand up for nothing.
- todayWEGVISOR: Courage
The WEGVISOR version, “Courage”, understands courage as acting in spite of fear, not as the absence of fear. Research supports this definition; how courage works in professional life, by contrast, has only begun to be studied.
The related qualities and lawsQ03 Commitment · Q10 Initiative · L18 Sacrifice · Q01 Character
Courage gets you moving, commitment keeps you on the path. Without commitment, courage remains a brief outburst.
Initiative means taking the first step. Often that very step takes courage, because the outcome is uncertain.
Courage often means giving something up – comfort, popularity or security. The higher you rise, the more often you need this courage to sacrifice.
Character gives courage its direction. Without solid character, courage turns into daring for the wrong cause.
The action points5 stages of growth – from first awareness to passing it on
- Become aware Write down one decision or conversation you are currently avoiding and name honestly what exactly you are afraid of. You don't need to do anything more yet.
- Lay the foundations Pick one uncomfortable conversation you have been putting off, schedule it today for this week, and have it despite your unease.
- Make it a habit Every Monday, ask yourself which uncomfortable issue you are dodging, tackle it that same week, and note on Friday what actually happened.
- Deepen deliberately Make an unpopular but right decision, or argue for such a position in your next meeting, stand by it openly in front of those affected, and afterwards ask someone you trust where you ducked the issue.
- Pass it on Explicitly encourage the people you work with to speak uncomfortable truths, thank them visibly for doing so, and stand up for nobody suffering for disagreeing; if you lead leaders, make this a standard for their leadership.
The reflection questions5 questions for you or a conversation with others
- Which decision am I putting off right now because I am afraid of the consequences?
- When did I last openly raise something uncomfortable?
- How do I tell the difference between courage and recklessness in myself?
- What am I willing to risk my standing or approval for?
- How do I make it easier for the people in my care to be courageous – and what do those who disagree experience in our organization?
Take your time with one question. Write down your answer – or talk it over with someone you trust.
The picture to rememberAt the edge of the abyss, the dots tremble. One jumps – and the others follow across the gap.
- At the edge of the abyss, the dots tremble.
- One jumps – and the others follow across the gap.
What courage looks like in practice
70 gladiators against Rome
In 73 BC the Thracian Spartacus escaped from Capua with about 70 gladiators. It grew into an army of up to 70,000 fighters that defeated several Roman legions until Crassus crushed the revolt in 71 BC.
The legal clerk who took on an energy giant
A struggling single mother with no law degree, Erin Brockovich discovers that PG&E has poisoned Hinkley’s groundwater with toxic chromium. She refuses to back down, rallies the families and wins $333 million in compensation.
“Freedom!” – to the very last breath
William Wallace leads the Scots against the superior English army, fighting on the front line rather than from a safe distance. Even at his execution he cries “Freedom!” – his courage sparks a movement that lives on.
