“Courage is Contagious”

I came across an old interview with Dr. Brené Brown this morning about her book, Dare to Lead, and this statement jumped out at me. She followed it with, “so is fear.”

That stopped me.

I spend my days helping leaders have the right conversations—at the right time, with the right level of skill. The reality is, when there is a great deal of uncertainty in the organization or larger environment, fear tends to show up first. When cash flow is tight, layoffs are imminent or your department isn’t hitting important milestones, fear may drive your team in ways that aren’t even conscious.

So, what does it mean to be courageous in those moments?

Dr. Brown’s research is clear: courage isn’t a personality trait. It’s a skill set. And it’s not all-or-nothing—we don’t exist in a fixed state of either “courageous” or “fearful.” Instead, courage is something we build, moment by moment, through practice.

Here are the four skills she outlined:

🔹 Rumble with vulnerability—stay present in discomfort rather than shutting down or avoiding.

🔹 Live your values—define them clearly enough that you know what’s in alignment (and what isn’t).

🔹 Build trust—not just in others, but in yourself.

🔹 Learn to recover—trust that you can get back up after hard moments.

If courage is contagious, then every small act of bravery sends ripples.

Leaders, the way you show up matters. What’s one way you’re choosing courage this week?