Harnessing the Full Spectrum of Courage in Fast-Changing Times

With thanks to Malcolm Lightbody @mlightbody via Unsplash.

Leading our lives with courage and compassion is a no-brainer. 

It might even conjure the image of a beauty contestant breathlessly attesting to her passionate belief in world peace. Who, after all, doesn’t want to be courageous and compassionate (or at least wouldn’t prefer to think of themselves in those terms? 

For people in leadership positions—or who aspire to have a positive influence in their corner of the world—leading with courage and compassion is all the more critical.

Without it, there is little hope of tackling real-world challenges, whether in mission-driven organizations, purpose-driven corporations, or well-meaning communities, schools, and families. 

Yet, are most of us as courageous and compassionate as we could be? Odds are: Not by a long shot. We are, after all, subject to the Dunning-Kruger effect, which shows that people with limited competence in a particular domain tend to overestimate their abilities. 

The same is true, in particular, concerning our evaluations of how courageous we would be. 

What Gets in the Way

This is why anyone who wants to lead with courage and compassion in today’s uncertain world needs to understand what gets in the way. 

One clear obstacle is a narrow view of what leading with courage looks like. 

For example, who comes to mind if you picture a courageous person—or perhaps a person in a courageous profession? 

For many, it’s a firefighter entering a burning building, a man jumping onto subway tracks to save someone who fell, or perhaps a particularly famous pilot who landed a plane on the Hudson River when the plane’s engines failed.

In other words, we often think of courage in physical terms — some act of physical daring taken to help another. 

But physical courage is only one of many types of courage. 

Six Types of Courage 

For example, Dr. Lisa Dungate and award-winning author Jennifer Armstrong have identified six types of courage: 

1. Physical courage

2. Emotional courage 

3. Intellectual courage

4. Social courage

5. Moral courage

6. Spiritual courage

Psychotherapist Dragna Djukic summarizes them well here. 

Like most things, these different forms of courage are not isolated from each other. 

For example, when my youngest son worked as a wildland firefighter this summer, it took more than physical courage. Similarly, when my oldest son left the country to serve in the Peace Corps last year, it took more than a will to expand his horizons through intellectual courage. 

From Understanding to Action 

But thinking about these six expressions of courage is helpful because it helps us recognize the greater variety of ways to develop the courage to lead. 

They also can help us begin, as followers of Gallup Strength-Finders might suggest, from where we naturally feel most courageous. Does morality motivate you? Find your courage there. Are you intellectually courageous? Use that. You get the picture. 

Six ways in. One straightforward hack for embracing the expansiveness of courage. 

It’s like looking at life through a kaleidoscope to see how much more is possible. 

Thanks for reading! 

Lisa 

P.S. In early 2024, I will host a series of conversations about leading with courage and compassion. I hope you’ll stay connected here to learn more. Please also consider sharing this with friends or colleagues you think might be interested.