The Power of Courage

Published: 24th September 2024

The Power of Courage in Leadership

“Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear – not absence of fear.” [Mark Twain]

At the heart of the Escentia framework 6Cs is Clarity. Next is Courage and being brave to step outside your comfort zone.

Defining Leadership Courage

Courage in leadership begins with self-awareness and requires a willingness and commitment to further growth and development. Self-development could include enhancing your knowledge and skills or building a network of peers to help you strengthen your leadership capabilities.

A courageous leader also embraces change and challenges and is visible and vocal about the vision and values that drive their decisions. When you’re seen as an influencer committed to growth, your team is more likely to be inspired to follow you.

Practical Steps to Enhance Leadership Courage

Embracing Courageous Conversations: Confronting difficult conversations head-on – using them as opportunities for growth and resolution and fostering a culture of openness.
The Power of Saying No: Prioritising key initiatives is crucial. Saying “no” allows leaders to focus on what truly drives the business forward, avoiding distractions dilution of resources.
Encourage Innovation: Innovation and adapting to change, requires stepping out of comfort zones. This requires leaders to embrace uncertainty and encourage a culture of experimentation and learning from both successes and failures.
Influencing and inspiring others: Leaders who visibly support growth and innovation can inspire their teams to follow their lead.
Welcoming Challenges: Courageous leaders invite challenges, viewing them as growth opportunities. By encouraging their teams to question and innovate, they foster a culture of continuous improvement.
Celebrating Failures and Successes Alike: Leaders should embrace failure as part of the innovation process, celebrating both efforts and outcomes to encourage risk-taking and creativity within their teams.

At Escentia, we understand the importance of leading with intention and have developed a 360 assessment tool to help you and your team measure leadership courage and other essential leadership qualities. Learn more about the Escentia’s 6Cs Assessment.