“Discomfort is always a necessary part of enlightenment.” — Pearl Cleave

You’ve probably been in a meeting where someone starts to share an idea, only to be cut off mid-sentence.

That happened to one of my former direct reports during a meeting we attended together. He barely got two sentences out before the operations director shut him down. Her tone was dismissive, and I watched him retreat into his chair, feeling embarrassed and demoralized.

I could let the moment pass, chalk it up to a bad interaction, and hope he recovered confidence later. Or, I could speak up in real time to make it clear that his voice mattered.

I chose the second.

And, to be honest, things got uncomfortable. The room went quiet. The operations director seemed stunned, and after the meeting, she was distant.

But, something more important happened. That moment reflected back to my teammate that he was worthy of being spoken to with respect and capable of speaking up for himself in the future.

That’s courageous communication.

And, courageous communication is the foundation of courageous leadership.

Look at any list of must-have leadership qualities and courage is almost always on it.

Courage can take many forms, and in leadership, one of its most powerful expressions is through communication — the moments when we use our voice for a worthy purpose, particularly when it carries risk.

If you can’t articulate your vision, advocate for your team, deliver critical feedback, or address behavior that undermines your values, you miss the opportunity to create an environment where others can learn, grow, take worthwhile risks, and do their best work. When leaders avoid courageous communication, they model (consciously or subconsciously) risk-aversion. And, teams quickly learn to shrug their shoulders (read: disengage) and stay quiet.

When we think of leadership, we often focus on strategy, decision-making, and vision. Those things are great, AND they don’t live in isolation. They come to life through language.

So much of leadership is conversation … conversations to direct work, inspire action, develop talent, deliver feedback, and align teams.

These conversations are the real work of leadership. And, they often require courage because they involve the risk of conflict, rejection, isolation, awkwardness, or making someone uncomfortable.

When leaders communicate courageously, they build trust, because people know they’ll hear truth over convenience. Research from Harvard Business Review shows that transparency increases employee engagement and alignment, especially during periods of uncertainty.

Leaders who communicate courageously also model risk-taking. They demonstrate to others that it’s safe to speak up, even when it’s uncomfortable. This is critical to establishing psychological safety, which is a proven driver of team performance. 

And, leaders who speak up courageously protect and amplify diverse perspectives, which leads to stronger decisions and innovation. McKinsey & Company research confirms that organizations with diverse leadership teams are more likely to outperform peers in profitability, and that diversity of thought drives better problem-solving.

Even better, those benefits compound. The more leaders like you communicate courageously, the more your people see and want to use their own ability to do the same.

So, if you want to lead courageously, start with your words. Use them to advocate. Use them to inspire. Use them to develop. Use them to protect. And, use them to model the kind of courageous leadership you want to see in others.