Course Outcomes

  • Define courage and its impact on people and organizations.
  • Discuss fear and its effects on people and organizations.
  • Facilitate a discussion that allows participants a chance to identify specific opportunities where they can leverage courage.

Course Overview

People who lead with courage know what courage at work really means: the courage to be honest; the courage to tell people not what they want to hear but what they should hear; the courage to take action when it’s needed and cut losses when they need to be cut; the courage to hold people, teams, and organizations accountable; the courage to look people in the eye and fire them; and the courage to grab the bull by its proverbial horns. While some of those activities may not be fun, failing to act can have devastating effects on an organization. The Courage to Lead: Having the Guts and Skill to Do What Needs to Be Done is a hands-on workshop designed to help leaders assess the extent to which they currently leverage courage and to provide them with tools to grow that capacity.

Program Objectives

At this program’s conclusion, participants should be able to:

  • Discuss three categories of courage.
  • Identify ten specific activities in which courageous leaders engage.
  • Describe the drain fear can have on people and organizations.
  • Leverage their existing strengths.
  • Assess risks when making choices related to courage.
  • Respond and adapt to “courage killers.”
  • Promote courage within their work teams.

The following outline highlights some of the course’s key learning points. As part of your training program, we will modify content as needed to meet your business objectives. Upon request, we will provide you with a copy of the participant materials prior to the session(s).

Workshop Outline

Courage: Let’s Get Specific and Honest

This workshop begins with a discussion where participants will define courage and what it looks and sounds like in their workplace. Next, group members will work in teams and discuss the extent to which their organization has one or more signs that courage is present or lacking in their organization.

Are You Afraid?: Signs Your Organization Needs to Act with More Courage

In this program module, we will discuss the impact of fear on people, processes, and the work product produced.  From lack of innovation to fear of punishment, we will look at the damage organizations suffer as a result of fear and why leading with courage and encouraging courage is an essential component in organizations that are performing at their top capacity.

What Kind of Courage Have You Got?: Strengths and Opportunities

In this portion of the program, participants will learn about three primary ways courage presents itself at work: a willingness to share information, a willingness to ask questions and when needed voice an opinion of dissent, and a willingness to challenge the status quo. Next, they will complete a questionnaire to identify their strengths and opportunities.

The Top Ten: A Closer Look at What Courageous Leaders Do

Acknowledging reality, encouraging pushback, seeking honest feedback, and holding people accountable are a few of the behaviors courageous leaders regularly exhibit. In this course segment, we will look at not only what courageous leaders do but how they do it.

The Right Risk: Intentional Courage

“Blindly taking risks is a good idea,” said no one ever, and courage involves risk. This part of the course explores intentional risk taking and tools for making mindful choices about when and how to exhibit courage at work. During this segment, participants will explore a range of case studies and consider their real-life examples within the intentional courage framework.

Culture Cues: Courage in a Range of Environments

When it comes to courage, some environments are more supportive than others. In this workshop segment, we will look at tools and techniques for leading with courage in a challenging workplace as well as actions leaders can take to encourage courage in their team members.

Ideas to Action: Crafting a Plan

In this final module, participants will spend time crafting an action plan. In the plan, they will identify when and how they will implement the tools and concepts discussed during the course.

By the end of this hands-on workshop, participants should have a thorough understanding of the benefits of leading with courage, techniques they can immediately apply, and tactics they can use to manage with courage up and down the organization.