Building a Courageous Culture - Emerging Nurse Leader

By Rose O. Sherman, EdD, RN, NEA-BC, FAAN

A new leader is frustrated because she wants to engage her unit staff in unit governance, but there is little interest. She tells me that “I really want their input, but they say nothing.” Why is that I ask? I learn that the former leader was somewhat toxic and used a command and control style of leadership. Your staff probably has FOSU I tell her. They have a fear of speaking up based on their experiences with the previous manager. “But I am not like that,” she says. Yes, but they don’t know that I reply.

This leader is confronted with a classic case of a culture where acts of courage were not encouraged, and trust was low. In their new book, Courageous Cultures, Karen Hurt and David Dye present a roadmap for leaders on how to create a culture where safe silence dies, and acts of courage are rewarded. The goal of a courageous culture is to foster an environment where the staff speaks up, take smart risks, solve problems, and advocate for patients. It is a place where there are an agreement and an understanding that we will speak up and share ideas. It is a culture where the default is to contribute and engage in the work. A courageous culture is one in which FOSU is not the expected behavior seen in so many work environments. It is also not a culture where there is a diffusion of responsibility. This is when we see something but know other people see it as well – and none of us say anything. Everyone retreats to a safe silence zone.

For this new leader, it is essential to understand that not speaking up is usually a result of one or more of the following experiences:

The prior leader did not want their ideas.
No one either asks for, nor do they express alternate opinions.
Staff lacks the confidence to share because new ideas are quickly shut down.
The staff has challenges articulating their ideas.
The staff doesn’t believe anything will change, so they don’t bother.
The staff has been shamed, blamed, or intimidated by leaders.

To begin to set a foundation for a courageous culture, this new leader will need to start with her behavior. Some key actions she can take include:

Showing vulnerability and acknowledging you don’t have all the answers – personal connection builds trust.
Managing poor performance – to have a culture of accountability, you have to start by having the courage to address performance issues directly.
Advocate for your team – demonstrate that you have the courage and power to influence decisions that impact your staff.
Take risks – make some small bets to improve longstanding challenges on the unit.
Make timely decisions – in courageous cultures, people should not be afraid to act, and that starts with the leader.
Share credit – to grow a courageous culture give credit to others, and through this, you will gain influence.
Ask courageous questions such as, What is a problem with this unit that no one talks about? OR “What must I do as a leader on this unit if we are to be successful? OR “What is the most courageous thing you have done on the unit?

Creating a courageous culture requires a strong foundation and takes time to build. If this new leader commits to the work, the results could be astonishing.

Read to Lead

Hurt, K. & Dye, D. (2020). Courageous cultures: How to build teams of micro-innovators, problem solvers, and customer service advocates. New York: Harper Collins.

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Read Rose Sherman’s book available now – The Nurse Leader Coach: Become the Boss No One Wants to Leave