Winston Churchill

The Power of Courage in Leadership

Seven examples of finding more courage as a leader.

Analysing the magic ingredients for courageous leadership inspired by a quote from effective leader Winston Churchill.





Challenging times don’t exclude anyone; we can all expect them. If we want to be an effective leader, we need to face them head-on. Those challenging times are often the corner we turn on the road to success. It’s worth pushing ahead, even when, or especially when, it’s not easy.


It’s not only in the face of significant challenges that we require courage to lead. At times we need courage to be an effective leader even on a day to day basis.

Statue of Winston Churchill in Westminster, London.

Delegation is one area that comes to mind. It’s not always easy to delegate; it requires trust in the other person and an ability to let go. Both require courage to a degree. Some leaders are fearful that others won’t do the job so well, and the consequences are too much of a risk. Or, due to their insecurities, they fear that the other person will do the job too well.

Insecurities are often behind several issues leaders face. If they are there, then they need to be addressed because if they aren’t, they will lead to a plethora of other issues which will impact you, your team, and ultimately your business.

Fearful leaders often hesitate to share their knowledge with others, preventing great alliance partnerships that can lead to mutually beneficial results. Those same leaders are reluctant to invest time and resources into training and developing their staff; they don’t want them to become empowered.

As leaders, we must face those fears and have the courage to take risks, to trust others and most importantly, to believe and trust yourself.

When facing challenging times, pause and reflect on your behaviour. Ask yourself the following:

  2.  Have I considered the risks involved?
  3.  If it doesn’t work, how bad will the consequences be?


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