9 Ways to Develop into a Courageous Leader

Courageous leadership is essential in today's world and is a critical component of success in any organization. As a leader, you must be willing to take risks, make difficult decisions, and act confidently, even in the face of uncertainty and fear. Leaders who are willing to stand up for what they believe in, even in the face of adversity, are the ones who will make a real difference.

However, developing into a courageous leader is not always easy. It requires self-awareness, empathy, vulnerability, and authenticity. But, even if these are not inherent qualities you find in yourself, you can develop them, making you a stronger and wiser leader.

Ready to learn how to work on becoming a bold and brave leader? Here is what courageous leadership looks like. Use these nine areas as a goal for your leadership evolution.

Embrace Vulnerability and Authenticity

One of the most essential traits of a courageous leader is vulnerability and authenticity. Leaders who are open and honest with their teams and themselves can create an environment of trust, respect, and transparency. When leaders share their authentic selves, it can help to build relationships and develop a sense of belonging among their teams.

Authentic leaders are true to themselves and their values. Vulnerability and authenticity involve being willing to share our true selves with others and being open to feedback and constructive criticism. By leading with vulnerability and authenticity, people can trust you and believe in you. This is essential for building strong relationships and leading others effectively.

These types of leaders can build trust, deepen relationships, and create a culture of openness and honesty.

Practice Active Listening and Empathy

Empathy and active listening involve putting ourselves in others' shoes and genuinely hearing their perspectives. Leaders can better support them and create a culture of collaboration and innovation when they listen to and understand the needs and concerns of their team members.

 Practicing empathy allows leaders to connect with their team members on a deeper level and create a sense of shared purpose and belonging. As a result, they build trust, strengthen relationships, and foster collaboration and innovation. This is because all members of the team feel heard. Employees are more likely to contribute when they see leadership making an effort to connect and appreciate all points of view.

Create a Culture of Psychological Safety

When team members feel safe to speak their minds, take risks, and make mistakes without fear of judgment or retribution, they are likelier to contribute their best ideas and work collaboratively. They feel secure that their standing within the team isn’t in jeopardy from day to day.

Leaders who prioritize psychological safety create an environment of trust, respect, and open communication, leading to increased productivity and creativity. Leaders can foster innovation, creativity, and productivity by creating a psychological safety culture.

Set a Clear Vision and Purpose

To be a courageous leader, you must set a clear vision and purpose for your team. When team members understand the organization's mission, goals, and values, they can align their work with the overall business strategy and feel motivated to contribute their best work.

As a leader, you must communicate the vision and purpose regularly and ensure your team understands how their work contributes to the overall mission. This requires being able to express your vision, even if it’s an innovative or unique approach. 

Learn From Failures and Setbacks

Courageous leaders recognize that failure and setbacks are a natural part of the journey. Instead of dwelling on mistakes or setbacks, they use them as opportunities to learn, grow, and improve. Embrace a growth mindset and encourage team members to do the same to create a culture of resilience and continuous improvement.

Be willing to fail. Failure is a part of life, and it's something that all courageous leaders experience at some point. The important thing is to learn from your failures and keep moving forward. Don't let fear of failure hold you back from achieving your goals.

Identify Your Values and Beliefs

What is important to you? What do you believe in?

Once you know your core values and beliefs, you can start to make decisions aligned with them. This will give you the courage to stand up for what you believe in, even when it's not easy.

A courageous leader won’t be laser-focused on chasing profits if that chase goes against their belief system. And while that may sound like it isn’t the best business approach, peers recognize the value in a principled leader, which can lead to greater rewards than a quick business sale.

Be Willing to Take Risks

Courageous leaders aren’t afraid to take risks. They know that sometimes you must step outside your comfort zone to achieve great things. If you're not willing to take risks, you'll never be able to reach your full potential. New ground is never broken if leaders don’t step outside their comfort zone and get their team on board.

This plays into the idea of not being afraid to fail. If you have a different view on how something should be done, don’t be scared to try it out. It may not work out, but it may turn out to be a glorious success.

Be Confident in Yourself and Your Abilities

Confidence is key to courageous leadership. If you don't believe in yourself, it will be difficult for others to believe in you, too. So, take some time to build up your confidence and believe in yourself.

Trust your abilities. How else can you say you got as far as you have? It’s tempting to give into imposter syndrome, but that’s just your fear speaking.

Dare To Lead

Dare to Lead™ is, perhaps, one of the most effective way to evolve into a courageous leader. The creator, Dr. Brené Brown, is a researcher who has dedicated much time to the subject of vulnerability, empathy, and shame. She developed this workshop based on her bestselling book by the same name.

According to Dr. Brown, there are four skill sets that are essential for courageous leadership:

• Rumbling With Vulnerability –Face tough conversations with courage
• Living Into Our Values – Identify what your values are and put them into practice
• Braving Trust – Develop meaningful connections on a foundation of trust
• Learning To Rise – Show up and lead with courage, even when there are setbacks

The Dare to Lead™ leadership training program is led by one of approximately 600 certified facilitators world wide.  DTL is designed to help leaders cultivate the skills and behaviors necessary to lead with courage, compassion, and connection.

Wrapping Up

Courageous leadership is a journey, not a destination. It's something that you have to work on every day. And, if you're willing to put in the effort, it's a journey that will be well worth it. When you make the investment in yourself, the rest of the journey becomes easier and easier.

If your organization is ready to elevate your leadership, learn more about our Dare to Lead™ program. Because everyone can learn to be a courageous leader, and the world needs more of us.