Why Courage is a Valuable Business Skill

Courage is the quality of being ready and willing to face negative situations involving danger or pain. It can also be used as a synonym for bravery, which means to face such things despite fear.

The first of the human virtues, courage makes all the others possible. It is the most important of all business skills – leadership, innovation and sales lose their potency without it.

In the current era of volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity, courage is one of the most valuable skills that leaders must have. It enables them to navigate these complex, unfamiliar and uncharted environments and make bold decisions that help their organizations thrive in an environment of constant change.

Aristotle referred to courage as the first virtue because it made all other virtues possible, and because it was so vital for survival in life and the workplace. It is the ability to stand up to fear, to speak truthfully and with integrity, to be honest about one’s own emotions, to have strong convictions, to exercise a sense of morality, to practice humility and to embrace vulnerability.

To be courageous requires a lot of effort and practice. But it can be developed over time and with the right support, including a good coach or mentor who can work with you to identify your strengths, develop a strategy for cultivating them, and to give you guidance along the way.

Courage involves making a conscious choice to act, motivated by virtuous emotions such as compassion, concern, or love. This is usually done with a great deal of thought, but it can be spontaneous and without much thought if the risk is low enough.

Often courage can be found in the workplace where there is less pressure on the individual to take the lead, but there is still a need for people to be confident and to make bold choices, even when they feel uncomfortable or scared. For example, a salesperson may need to call a new potential client, but she is afraid of being rejected or feeling awkward.

But she can show her courage by saying “I think that this is a good idea, let’s talk about it” and then taking action. She will then learn the lessons she needs to learn about how to approach the situation in a way that she can grow into a more powerful leader and manager.

It is not easy to be courageous, and it can require a lot of emotional energy. But it can be a lifelong learning process, and it will pay off for you in the long run, because it will help you become a more successful and happier person.

You can develop the courage that you need to be a better leader by practicing four building blocks that help you develop your own courage: resilience, trust, vulnerability and clarity of values. When you focus on these, you can build your own courage and hone your leadership skills to a high level that will benefit your organization and your team.