Leading through change. Part 2: Courage

The Newsweek panel we mentioned framed courage as the ability to make bold decisions amid risk and turn challenge into opportunity. We see three ways leaders display courage: the nerve to make a decision without seeing the full picture, the resilience to come through setbacks, and being able to give attention to the long-term vision through all of it.

Courage means getting comfortable with uncertainty

This is arguably the hardest skill to get to grips with. In the past, leaders were rewarded for certainty, but now they’re expected to make good decisions and stay steady even when they don’t have all the information to hand. That’s a specific skill that many of us have never really mastered.

Not many people understand decision-making under pressure better than Rupal Patel, a former CIA analyst and field agent turned entrepreneur and author. Rupal works with leaders to help them think bigger, lead better and make bold decisions when the bigger picture is incomplete (probably a fair description of most Monday mornings right now).

But steadiness does not have to mean solemnity; Gavin Oattes is the other side of the coin. Gavin is an award-winning comedian and bestselling author; his latest keynote and book Confidently Lost make the case that you can find confidence, joy and resilience even when you don’t have the map. Gavin’s audiences have said they leave lighter and a bit braver.

Courage that lasts: what resilience really means

Every organisation says it values resilience, but for many it simply means moving through challenges intact. True resilience in leadership is something more, and it can be learned from people who have been tested and come through without losing their empathy.

Sabina Kadić-Mackenzie is a survivor and refugee of the Bosnian War; she draws on lived experience of trauma and recovery to help others develop emotional intelligence, leadership and the strength to thrive through adversity. Her perspective reframes what difficult times are, gently and with authority.

High-performing teams also learn about this from stories on the pitch and in the cockpit. Former international rugby captain Rory Lawson speaks about high-performance leadership and holding a team together when the pressure is on.

Daniel Lowes, a former RAF and Red Arrows pilot, spent a career where communication and leadership were matters of life and death. Both bring the discipline of performing well when it counts, and the important humility that comes with it.

Courage for the long term

Courage can also show itself when you remember why your organisation exists and where the world is heading, especially when everything feels urgent; we ned to remember the long-term vision.

Nathan Hudson-Peacock , an expedition medic and NHS A&E doctor, speaks on sustainability and climate change from the viewpoint of someone used to making decisions in demanding environments. Climate is a slow-moving change that leaders need to recognise and act on, and he makes that feel possible.

Lauren Currie OBE is on a mission to democratise leadership development and build confidence, particularly for women, so that more people are ready to step up as the definition of leadership widens. Because it’s worth remembering that change can be positive. It creates room for new leaders, and for organisations to do better.

Where does this leave us?

The world isn’t going to slow down to let anyone catch up, and pretending it will is of no use. But learning the skills that drive leaders and teams through change will help us keep up, and we can best learn them from people who have already lived them.

If your organisation is adapting (and whose isn’t), the right voice in the room can make a difference to how your team thinks about what’s coming. We have a full roster of incredible speakers who bring lived experience and a human voice to conferences, leadership days, away days and workshops, and can make the changes you’re facing seem manageable.

Have a look at our leadership speakers, or get in touch and tell us what your next event needs to do. We will help you find the voice that fits.