Just like physical courage, everyday courage means we are willing to tolerate discomfort in service of what matters most to us. Here are some examples of everyday courage my clients practice:
| The courageous act | The discomfort we must tolerate | The outcomes we care about |
| Delegate a high stakes project | Loss of control | Growth of your direct report |
| Admit you don’t have all the answers | Uncertainty | A team where everyone is empowered to contribute |
| Offer your perspective, even when it differs from the boss | Risk of judgment | Better decisions through diverse input |
| Tell someone no to hold a boundary around responsiveness or workload | Disappointing others | Sustainable workload and habits. |
| Hold someone accountable for missed expectations | Managing their difficult emotions | A team that consistently achieves its goals |
What often makes these brave acts feel so difficult is fear—fear of failure, judgment, or loss. At the root of these fears is the belief: if we try and fail, we will no longer be worthy of love, belonging, trust, or respect.
If courage requires us to face our deepest fears of worthiness, then connection becomes one of the most powerful tools we have.
When we feel genuinely connected to others, we are reminded of our inherent worth. True connection means our value is not contingent upon our achievements, our ideas, or even our likability. Just as a toddler with a secure connection explores a room more bravely, returning to their caregiver for reassurance, our connections can give us the emotional safety to take risks. They remind us that even when we stumble, we are not alone, and we will not be abandoned for trying and failing.
- Who in your life supports you to be brave?
- How might you cultivate those connections more intentionally?
- What do you specifically need when you’re about to be brave and how can you ask for that support more directly?
Perhaps the most powerful connection of all is the one we have with ourselves.
- What habits help you connect to yourself?
- How do you rebuild self-trust after experiencing failure?