Showing Courage in Leadership Roles

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

In the past, courage has not been recognized as an important attribute for nurse leaders.  This is changing.  In my recent conversations with current nurse leaders about what our future leaders will need, the ability to act courageously is increasingly part of the discussion. Without question, innovation is needed in healthcare systems globally. Conversations about needed change can be difficult, and one can often feel like a lone voice. It is courage that makes change possible.  In a Harvard Business Review article, Rosabeth Moss Kantor wrote“Moral courage enables people to stand up for principle rather than stand on the sidelines.” 

Consider when staff may know something is wrong, but don’t speak up. Wrong-site surgery is a great example. While strides continue to be made to reduce wrong-site surgeries, these events persist despite being considered “never events” in healthcare. In 2022, wrong-site surgery accounted for 6% of the 1,441 sentinel events reviewed by The Joint Commission. In some of these situations, the surgical checklist was not followed, or other shortcuts occurred, and the nurses involved did not speak up. Truth-telling is an important part of patient safety that we often don’t discuss.

What is Courage in Leadership

Courage in leadership is doing what is right despite being afraid or risking negative repercussions. Fear is the most common reason people give when they avoid being courageous.  Think about how you feel when you watch a leader who demonstrates personal courage. Most likely, you will trust that leader more. Courage comes from feeling very deeply about important values and working to achieve goals that are consistent with those values. Although sticking to the status quo may be tempting, this is not how change occurs. Every leader ultimately has the choice to lead with courage or without it. Taking a risk in situations where you feel passionately or have a deep sense of purpose does not guarantee a successful outcome. But many leaders, throughout their careers, have situations where they did not speak up and later deeply regret it.

Examples of Courageous Leadership Behaviors

1. Providing honest feedback in conversations and discussions.
2. Sharing alternative viewpoints with the rest of the team.
3. Speaking up rather than being compliant in silence.
4. Not settling for “we have always done it this way.”
5. Making decisions when you are in uncharted territory, and the safe path is to do nothing.

Developing Courage

The first step to becoming a more courageous leader is to be clear about your vision and values. When you choose to be courageous, it is important to know what your goals are in the situation and what you hope to achieve. Scripting in advance what you are about to say can be helpful and anticipate the people who will disagree with your message the most. To be courageous, you must also be honest and admit when you have made a mistake or taken a wrong path. Telling staff that you were wrong in a situation is a powerful act of leadership courage, as is the willingness to entertain new ideas and change your assumptions. Courage is a learned skill, and all of us can be courageous. To be courageous means stepping out of your comfort zone and taking risks. As we move into the future, we will need innovation in nursing and health care that is ground-breaking and tradition-defying. Keep in mind, that most great ideas begin in situations where there are naysayers who believe that it cannot be done until it happens.

Read to Lead

Kantor, R.M. (2011).  Courage in the C-Suite.  Harvard Business Review. 89(12), 28.

© emergingrnleader.com 2023

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