HBR's 10 Must Reads on Communication, Updated and Expanded (featuring "The Surprising Power of Questions" by Alison Wood Brooks and Leslie K. John)

10

Cultivating Everyday Courage

by James R. Detert

In many stories we hear about workplace courage, the people who fight for positive change end up being ostracized—and sometimes even lose their jobs. What I’ve seen in the course of my research, though, tells a more nuanced story. Most acts of courage don’t come from whistleblowers or organizational martyrs. Instead, they come from respected insiders at all levels who take action—be it campaigning for a risky strategic move, pushing to change an unfair policy, or speaking out against unethical behavior—because they believe it’s the right thing to do. Their reputations and track records enable them to make more headway than those on the margins or outside the organization could. And when they ...