Courage is essential to your business survival because important workplace concepts like leadership, innovation and entrepreneurship are all directly connected to courage. 

Our times call for bold, confident, courageous leaders. As history has shown, those with the guts to step forward, take some risks and lead change during uncertain times will be the winners as the economy rebounds. But it’s not easy. Demonstrating leadership courage, like having an uncomfortable conversation, speaking up when you are in the minority, asking "why or why not" or making a decision to move ahead on a new project, can be scary. 

Innovation involves creating ground-breaking ideas and that often involves defying deeply held traditions or conventions. Innovation takes courage. Entrepreneurship requires taking risks to capitalize on opportunities combined with knocking on doors in the face of rejection. Entrepreneurship requires courage. Having said this, I find it surprising that almost no attention is paid to building people’s courage at work. That’s too bad, because it is courage that is most needed when you want your staff to step up and demonstrate initiative.

Courage is needed when you want your employees to embrace change more enthusiastically or when you want your managers to give more direct feedback. When each person is showing up to work each day with just a little more courage, the entire company will be transformed.

I challenge you this month to rethink your role in the company. When was the last time you truly made a courageous move?

• Stand up for your beliefs
• Speak up in a meeting to show the value you have to bring
• Put your hand up for a new project or responsibility
• Have a courageous conversation where you give or receive feedback
• Do more than is expected of you
• Question the status quo
• Improve a system or process
• Suggest a change
• Inspire your team to greatness.

Be brave. Nothing ventured, nothing gained. #BeConfident.

Let me know how what you did and what the outcome was.