Workplace courage isn’t about heroic behaviors — it’s about stepping up and taking risks that result in a more creative, innovative, and collaborative team.
You may think that innovation comes from hiring brilliant people, investing in R&D, or offering the right incentives. But the most innovative companies aren't necessarily the ones with biggest budgets. They're the ones where people feel brave enough to speak up.
This isn’t the dramatic, superhero kind of courage, but the everyday willingness to question the status quo, try something that might fail, or have a difficult conversation. Companies that cultivate courageous cultures see more innovation, better communication, and deeper levels of trust, leading to measurable business results.
What is courage in the workplace?
We typically associate workplace courage with high-risk jobs like firefighters, police officers, and tradespeople in dangerous fields. But courage applies to all workplaces, without having to put your life on the line.
Workplace courage isn’t grand, heroic gestures — it shows up in the everyday acts in which an employee takes personal risk for the greater good of the team and organization.
That could look like standing up against a decision you disagree with, or admitting you don’t know the answer to a problem, or pitching an idea you believe in but that might fail.
Why is courage important in the workplace?
There’s a real, measurable connection between workplace courage and business success — and that connection is trust.
High-trust cultures that empower employees to take risks, speak up, and innovate without fear of negative consequences consistently outperform their competitors. They generate significantly higher revenue per employee than typical U.S. workplaces and outpace the stock market by 3.5 times.
Why? Because trust drives the behaviors that matter most: increased innovation and creativity, better problem-solving, improved communication and collaboration, and greater employee engagement and satisfaction.
Great Place To Work® research has found that when employees feel safe to express ideas and make suggestions, they’re 31 times more likely to view their workplace as a hotbed for innovation.
The data on courage is clear: When people feel courageous enough to bring their full selves to work, to share concerns, and to propose new ideas, the entire organization benefits.
Why do good leaders need courage?
Leadership without courage is just management. Great leaders need courage to speak up, which often involves delivering hard truths or advocating for unpopular but necessary changes. For example, maybe a manager needs to address unethical practices in a high-performing team, knowing it could cause friction.
Leaders also need the courage to be open to feedback that might challenge their decisions or expose blind spots.
Great leaders help employees by:
- Showing credibility by communicating transparently even when the message is hard
- Demonstrating fairness by standing up for equity and being fair in their decisions
- Signaling respect by advocating for employees’ ideas and well-being even under pressure
Courageous leadership starts with vulnerability. When leaders model courageous behaviors, such as admitting mistakes, challenging the status quo, or making decisions through the lens of company values, they reinforce trust and psychological safety, which are prerequisites for discretionary effort and innovation.
Types of workplace courage
Courage at work shows up in different ways, depending on the situation and what's at stake.
- Moral courage is about standing up for what's right, even when it's uncomfortable or unpopular. Maybe that’s pointing out a policy that disproportionately affects certain groups or refusing to cut corners on safety standards to meet a deadline.
- Intellectual courage involves questioning assumptions and proposing new ideas, even if they might fail. This type of courage is essential for innovation because it pushes everyone beyond their comfort zones.
- Social courage is about staying true to yourself, even if there’s a risk of rejection or embarrassment. It also involves setting aside your own ego or preconceptions to truly understand someone else's experience.
- Managerial courage requires making tough leadership decisions and having difficult conversations about performance or behavior. It also means being open to feedback. For example, a leader might invite frontline employees to share concerns about a new policy, even if it risks hearing criticism of their leadership.
Strategies for building courage in your organization
Here are five ways to ensure your workplace is fostering a culture of courage rather than fear.
- Create psychological safety
Psychological safety means people feel they can speak up, ask questions, admit mistakes, and propose new ideas without fear of humiliation or punishment.
Let employees know that you welcome diverse perspectives and every voice matters. Truly listening means being open to feedback that might challenge your decisions or expose blind spots. - Encourage calculated risk-taking
The best workplaces encourage employees try new approaches. Our research shows that employees are 45% more likely to give extra effort when they work at places that celebrate innovation and trying new things, regardless of the outcome. - Celebrate failures as learning opportunities
When things don't go as planned, ask "What did we learn?" This removes the stigma of failure and encourages people to push boundaries. Embracing failure as a learning opportunity fuels innovation. - Provide training and development opportunities
Leadership development programs can help people at all levels build the confidence to speak up, make tough decisions, and navigate difficult conversations. Give employees the tools and support they need to grow into courageous leaders. - Model courageous behavior at all levels of leadership
Actions speak louder than words. When leaders openly admit mistakes, ask for feedback, and make decisions transparently, they give everyone else permission to do the same. Ensure courageous is consistent, from the C-suite down to frontline managers.
Overcoming barriers to workplace courage
Even in well-intentioned organizations, certain obstacles can prevent people from acting courageously. Here’s what to look for and address:
- Fear of failure or criticism. Normalize failure as part of the innovation process. Ensure that performance reviews recognize thoughtful risk-taking, even when outcomes aren't perfect.
- Organizational hierarchies. Power dynamics can silence voices, particularly those of people in junior roles or from underrepresented groups. Communicate that everyone's input is equally valued equally and ensure that leaders are seeking out diverse perspectives.
- Lack of trust or psychological safety. Trust can erode quickly if employees see colleagues being punished for speaking up. Respond constructively to input so that employees know their opinions are valued.
Acknowledge any challenges honestly and take concrete steps to address them. This might mean revising how your organization handles failures, being more transparent in communications, or training leaders to respond more effectively to difficult feedback.
Measuring the impact of courage
How do you know if your efforts to build a more courageous culture are actually working? The right employee engagement survey tool, like Great Place To Work’s Trust Index™, can provide the insights you need, by measuring psychological safety and empowerment.
For example, our Innovation Velocity Ratio describes an organization’s ability to quickly harness, mobilize and respond to new information and ideas.
Other metrics, such as employee experience feedback and retention rates, can give you a robust picture of workplace courage. For example, organizations where courage is supported see significantly higher retention than typical workplaces — two-thirds less turnover than the U.S. average at the Fortune 100 Best Workplaces.
How your workplace scores on employee experience statements such as the following will indicate to what degree they feel safe to take risks, share ideas, and act boldly:
- “Management is approachable and easy to talk with.”
- “I can be myself at work.”
- “Management trusts people to do a good job without watching over their shoulders.”
- “People here are willing to give extra to get the job done.”
- “Management makes its expectations clear.”
By regularly measuring these factors, you can identify specific areas where courage needs strengthening and track progress over time.
Build a courage-driven culture that fuels innovation
Workplaces that get courage right see tangible business results. They adapt more quickly to market changes, attract and retain top talent, and innovate at rates their competitors can't match.
Building a culture of courage starts with leaders who are willing to model vulnerability and becomes embedded when you consistently recognize and reward brave behaviors by everyone.
Want to show the world you offer an exceptional company culture? Earning Great Place To Work Certification™ is proof that your organization supports courageous behavior.
