Things Every Courageous Leader Knows (That Most Ignore)

Courage is a trait that seems to be in short supply these days, in leadership and elsewhere. People are looking for the kind of bold confident leaders we’ve seen throughout history—leaders who spoke up and stepped forward, who took the risks of true leadership when radical change was required.

Whether you’re in politics, business, education, or any other field, at the top of the ladder or working your way up, you will encounter situations that demand your courage. It won’t be easy. Courageous leadership requires strong principles and tremendous tenacity.

If you have what it takes to be a courageous leader, here are the things you need to do:

Confront reality head on. Take off your rose-colored glasses and face what is actually going on. Get the facts, because only when you know what really happening can you lead the situation into a more successful, effective place.

Allow for failure. Courageous leadership is open to bold new ideas—which means you have to allow for mistakes. The road to success is almost always paved with failures, so allow yourself to fail—and encourage your team to fail as well—so you can learn and grow from the experience.

Say what needs to be said. I cannot tell you how many times I’ve heard someone say, “I wish I had the courage to say what I want to say.” I always respond by saying, “Give it a try.” Be bold and say what needs to be said.

Encourage people to think for themselves. Many leaders have good ideas and enjoy sharing their wisdom with others, but it’s the courageous leader who encourages people to think for themselves and who listens to their thoughts.

Hold yourself accountable. Let people know they can count on you. Accountability means you take on responsibility, deliver on commitments, and own up to your own mistakes and limits. When you hold yourself accountable, you model that behavior to those around you and help establish a culture where it’s the norm.

Make decisions and move forward. Far too many environments foster a fearful approach to making decisions, but nothing great ever came out of fear. Express courageous leadership by encouraging decisive action that keeps things moving forward. Avoid the “paralysis of analysis.”

Stay on course even when it gets tough. Especially if you’re taking bold actions and encouraging risks, you’ll eventually bump into the challenges of tough situations. When you fall, get back up. When you fail, try again. Tenacity is a huge component of courage.

Give credit to those who deserve it. Be the courageous leader who isn’t fearful to take less of the credit and give the lion’s share to those who deserve it.

If it’s your wish to be a leader who wants to change the world, leave a mark, make a difference, you need to start now to mold yourself into a courageous leader. Find and nurture the qualities that make you brave and bold. Courage isn’t inborn; it’s learned.

Lead from within: The natural response when people say we need a courageous leader is to run from the notion, but life’s greatest leaps occur when we resist the impulse to run.

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The Leadership Gap: What Gets Between You and Your Greatness

After decades of coaching powerful executives around the world, Lolly Daskal has observed that leaders rise to their positions relying on a specific set of values and traits. But in time, every executive reaches a point when their performance suffers and failure persists. Very few understand why or how to prevent it.

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Additional Reading you might enjoy:

• 12 Successful Leadership Principles That Never Grow Old
• A Leadership Manifesto: A Guide To Greatness
• How to Succeed as A New Leader
• 12 of The Most Common Lies Leaders Tell Themselves
• 4 Proven Reasons Why Intuitive Leaders Make Great Leaders
• The One Quality Every Leader Needs To Succeed
• The Deception Trap of Leadership

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