Foster Organizational Courage

We’re living in VUCA times, meaning volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous. Such circumstances demand leaders who can respond with empathy, articulate a clear vision, and exemplify steadfast integrity. Those crucial skills are common, but practicing them belies a fourth leadership trait: courage.

Bravery in action

“The only constant in life is change.” —Heraclitis, pre-Socratic philosopher

Individuals need courage to challenge the status quo, break norms, and say the quiet parts out loud.

Psychological safety makes a courageous environment possible. Amy Edmondson, author and professor of leadership at Harvard Business School, coined the term in the 1990s. It means that teams share “permission for candor,” Edmonson says. That doesn’t necessarily mean that candor must be radical, but the practice is about breaking new ground.

In organizations, courage means confronting hard truths, be it poor market fit, financial missteps, or the wrong talent. Leaders must first recognize such issues, then act. Frontline employees, who often see problems early, must elevate concerns. Instead, people avoid action because it’s unpopular, disruptive, or simply too difficult.

At the same time, courage is not a carte blanche to charge at every problem or air every complaint. Use careful discernment and timing. When courageous acts align with organizational values and goals, they inspire others and build a welcoming, bold, modern culture.

One recent example of organizational courage comes from Costco CEO Ron Vachris. Amid growing backlash against diversity, equity, and inclusion programs, Vachris publicly reaffirmed the company’s commitment, stating, “We flourish from having employees with different views, experiences and ideas.”

His public stance, which he took despite extreme political pressure to relent, drew praise. And because Costco’s values align with those of its stakeholders, the company saw gains in both stock performance and reputation.

Courage also rises from the bottom up. Whistleblowers take significant personal risk to expose organizational wrongdoing. Despite federal protections for private-sector workers, challenging an employer’s conduct remains deeply intimidating.

Former Facebook employee Frances Haugen, for example, disclosed tens of thousands of internal documents to Congress, revealing the company’s awareness of its harmful impact on teens and its role in spreading misinformation. She now leads an advocacy group that focuses on driving systems-level change in social media platforms.

Beyond headline-grabbing examples, courage also shows up in smaller, everyday moments: speaking up in a meeting, advocating for oneself, or trying something new and falling short. When individuals, teams, and companies consistently miss those opportunities, the impact is corrosive: Employees feel ignored and decision makers withdraw further from engagement, stifling innovation and forward progress.

Be the change

“It's not what happens to you, but how you react to it that matters.” —Epictetus, Stoic philosopher

To break the cycle of employer apathy and worker disengagement, businesses can foster the conditions for daily acts of courage to thrive.

Model vulnerability. When leaders admit mistakes or say, “I don’t know,” they normalize imperfection and signal to value honesty more than perfection.

General Motors CEO Mary Barra made headlines in 2014 when she apologized for 12 deaths and 31 accidents due to the delayed recall of 1.6 million cars with a defect in the ignition switches. Her willingness to accept responsibility for the business’s fatal errors helped restore trust and confidence in the brand.

Reward candor, not just results. Outcomes are great, but make sure to celebrate the strength it takes to raise a tough issue, challenge an assumption, or question groupthink. Recognizing positive behaviors builds trust and sets a precedent for future truth-telling.

Cofounder of Pixar Ed Catmull wrote in his book Creativity, Inc. that a culture of candor was responsible for the company’s success. He also states that creativity requires people to feel free to share ideas, opinions, and criticisms. During Catmull’s tenure, Pixar held the core value that “Everybody should be able to talk to anybody.”

Make feedback routine and multidirectional. Regular, structured feedback loops—from peers to leadership to stakeholders—create an expectation of openness. When individuals take input seriously, the action reinforces future contributions.

In 2015, Deloitte radically revamped its performance management system and now uses a quarterly review system with the overarching goal of coaching and developing employees. In shifting their focus from past to current and future performance, one Deloitte manager observed that “conversations are more holistic. They’re about goals and strengths, not just about past performance.”

Protect the messenger, not the system. Ensure that speaking up doesn’t come at a personal cost. Establish clear policies against retaliation and processes that support anonymity or escalation. Nonretaliation policies send a strong message that the business takes reports of wrongdoing seriously and encourages employees to report them without fear of retribution.

Plant seeds

“The difference between try and triumph is a little umph.” —Marvin Phillips, basketball player

By practicing the following behaviors, organizations can encourage staff to contribute to a culture of courage.

Start small but speak up. Help workers learn to speak up in low-risk settings by asking a question in a meeting or offering a different perspective in a group discussion.

Leadership author and consultant Keith Ferrazzi suggests designating a team member to act as the official “advocate of candor”; their role is to notice when a team member leaves a comment unsaid. People leaders can also ask for feedback in a safer, one-on-one setting.

Connect values with decision making. Recognizing small acts of everyday bravery across levels and functions reinforces the desired behaviors. Use real case studies, values-alignment reflection exercises, and choose-your-own-adventure simulations to demonstrate how small choices reflect larger principles. Celebrate examples of values in action with announcements in newsletters, all-staff meetings, or internal platforms.

Proactively build relationships. Strong connections make difficult conversations easier and safer. To foster bravery, run feedback labs where employees can practice giving and receiving input. Train teams to interrupt bias, disrupt cultural blind spots, and practice allyship. Pair workers from different departments, backgrounds, or roles to foster structured conversations that explore identity, values, and workplace challenges.

Reframe fear as data. Learning or stretching skills often comes with discomfort. Instead, teach employees to see fear as a developmental milestone. Help staff to overcome the fear through the practice of weekly prompts such as “What felt uncomfortable this week? What did it teach me?” Use storytelling to highlight employee experiences where courage began with uncertainty.

The good news is that you can teach courage, regardless of title, domain, or lived experience. Courage empowers innovation, unites teams around shared permission to speak candidly, and enables forward momentum in uncertain times. When you practice courageous behaviors with intention, you can build a high-performance culture. Organizations that lack the trait risk stagnation, division, and decline.

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