What would you do if fear weren’t in the room?
Would you speak up? Shift careers? Stand firm in the face of pressure? Or step forward even when your voice shakes?
Fear isn’t the enemy. It’s a signal to act. Courage is the choice of what we do next, even when it sometimes doesn’t feel that way.
Courage is feeling the fear and doing it anyway.
Oprah Winfrey
The Quiet Voice that Moves Us to Act
According to The Virtues Project™, courage transforms fear into determination. When we’re tempted to give up, courage supports us to take the next step. It shows up when we choose honesty over comfort, take risks for the greater good, or face adversity with dignity.
Courage isn’t loud. It’s often quiet. It’s seen in the choices we make when no one’s watching, and at times when everyone is.
Virtues are the essence of who we are. They’re described in the world’s sacred traditions as the qualities of the Divine and the attributes of the human spirit. They’re the content of our character and the basis of genuine happiness.
The mission of The Virtues ProjectTM is to inspire the practice of virtues in everyday life by helping people of all cultures to discover the transformative power of these universal gifts of character. The virtues are spiritual life-skills that help us to live our best lives. As a Bahá’í, I also work to acquire these divine qualities because I believe I’ll need them in the life to come.
Why Courage Matters
Courage empowers communicators and leaders to take bold, principled action, especially when the easy path would be silence or self-preservation. It inspires trust, resilience, and positive change—even in systems resistant to it.
As Stephen Klein, Co-Founder & CEO of Curiouser.AI, wisely wrote in a LinkedIn post, “The rarest asset in business today isn’t capital. It’s courage.”
Klein goes on to say, “You can be as creative as you want, but without the courage to stand behind your ideas, to speak up when it’s inconvenient, and to take action in the face of risk, it’s just a pipe dream.”
He points out that there’s research that backs this up: “Courage is foundational to authentic leadership. A study of executives showed that decision-making in complex environments demands values-driven courage, not just strategy.”
We see courage in public servants like Representative John Larson, who exposed proposed cuts to Social Security, and Ralph Nader, who continues to challenge power structures with truth and moral clarity. Their actions remind us that communication, when rooted in courage, can stand up for the vulnerable and awaken the public conscience.
But courage isn’t just for Congress or campaigns—it’s for every boardroom, private meeting and conference call. It occurs daily in our city streets, on country roads, in doctor’s offices and hospital rooms, not to mention the obvious… on battlefields around the world.
Courage to Speak the Truth
Throughout my career in corporate communications, I often found myself supporting senior leaders—people with authority and influence with huge responsibilities on their shoulders and facing significant challenges requiring big decisions.
Over time, I earned their trust. Even without a comparable title, I was invited into high-stakes conversations and treated as a strategic peer.
What I noticed was this: in rooms full of smart, capable people, truth was sometimes in short supply. Not because of dishonesty, but because of fear. Some direct reports didn’t always feel safe challenging their leader’s assumptions or speaking hard truths.
That’s when I leaned into courage—not by arguing, but by asking better questions.
- “What might we be missing?”
- “How do we think this will land with employees… with our customers?”
- “Are you open to a different perspective?”
Courageous communication isn’t about having all the answers. It’s about creating the space for truth to surface—respectfully, strategically, and without ego. It’s trusting that the right insights, offered at the right time, can help leaders make more informed decisions.
And even when my counsel was sound but my perspective wasn’t taken, I never felt the need to say, “I told you so.” Time usually said it for me.
Having Courageous Conversations
As leaders, we have many opportunities to offer feedback to those who report to us.
Yes, and. At times, leadership means having courageous conversations, the ones most people avoid—especially when it comes to delivering constructive feedback.
Let’s face it; it’s easier to stay silent, to spare someone’s feelings or protect your own comfort. But silence rarely, if ever, serves growth.
As Kim Scott reminds us in Radical Candor, the goal is to care personally while challenging directly. That sweet spot is where real development happens. Giving honest feedback isn’t about being harsh—it’s about being timely, clear, and kind.
Feedback, when delivered with intention and compassion, is a gift. It can shift someone’s confidence. It can help them course-correct or illumine someone’s blind spot, unlocking potential they didn’t know they had. A single conversation, rooted in courage and paired with radical candor, can change the trajectory of a person’s career or life.
Courage in Career Shifts
Courage also means choosing the path that aligns with your purpose—even when it’s risky.
Early in my career, I was a successful operations manager. But I began to realize something: my biggest wins were rooted not in process, but in communication. Whether it was coaching my team, producing a company newsletter or launching an internal website, which I did long before it was my responsibility, I found joy in crafting messages that connected people to purpose.
So, I made the leap—from operational leader to communications coordinator. On paper, it was a step backward. In reality, I stepped forward toward a more fulfilling career.
Looking back, I’ve discovered that a career, like life, isn’t linear. Reflecting now, I realize that decision required courage. So did another, many years later, when I faced a cancer diagnosis during the global pandemic of 2020.
Courage through Cancer, a Personal Story
As I shared in “Journey Through Adversity,” navigating treatment while the world was shut down tested every fiber of my being. But I discovered something powerful: courage isn’t about being fearless. When facing adversity, it’s about making a conscious decision to “grow through it” instead of just “going through it.”
I asked questions. A ton of questions. I made decisions. I struck superhero poses before my chemo and radiation appointments. And I showed up each day with the hope that healing was possible.
Here’s the amazing thing: I was never alone. My medical team, family, faith and community from every corner of my life stood with me throughout the experience.
Today, I’m cancer-free. And I don’t take a single breath, experience or relationship for granted.
AL’s Actionable Insights
Whether you’re leading a team, guiding a project, delivering a difficult message or facing a personal storm, here are a few ways to build courage:
- Strengthen your conviction. Know what you stand for. If your values are clear, courage becomes easier to summon.
- Choose your moment. Not every truth needs to be told at once. Timing matters. Be strategic but silence shouldn’t become a strategy.
- Lead by example. When others see you model courageous communication, it gives them permission to do the same.
- Practice micro-bravery. Say the honest thing, which is often what’s on everyone’s mind, in the meeting. Ask the difficult question. Be an ally. Speak up for someone who can’t or is under represented.
- Detach from outcomes. Courage is about the input—your choice to show up with integrity—not about whether others agree.
Parting Thoughts
Courage doesn’t always roar. Sometimes it’s the quiet but steady voice that says, “This matters—so I’ll speak,” or “I’m scared—but I’ll show up and take action anyway.”
Whether in a boardroom or a hospital gown, courage is the virtue that inspires:
- Authenticity in the face of doubt.
- Resilience in the midst of adversity.
- Action when fear creates hesitation,
Courage fuels leaders with clarity, strengthens relationships built on truthfulness, and ignites change where comfort prevailed.
So, the next time fear whispers “stay quiet,” may you respond with something even stronger: “Yeah, I hear you. I see the danger. And I’m still moving forward. Because it’s the right thing to do!”
Remember. LIFE is a gift, something to be honored, maintained, celebrated and protected. This is your LIFE. Live it with uncompromising integrity. If you don’t like something about it, change it!
Lead with Light!
If you liked this article…
You may find the following interesting:
- The Whisper That Yearns to Be a Roar(the article that inspired the series on virtuous leadership)
- The Quiet Strength of Leadership – Humility
- Leading with Optimism: The Hidden Advantage in Communication
- Leading with Truthfulness in a Trust-Starved Society
- Beyond the Spotlight – Integrity
- From Oops to Ownership
- Virtues Transcend Boundaries and Cultural Divides
- Exploring Virtues in Leadership (other virtue-related articles on alviller.com)
