Ryan Berman: Why Courage Is the Missing Leadership Skill

Courage can show up in telling the truth, making difficult decisions, and acting without having all the answers. In this episode, Dean Newlund and Ryan Berman explore what courage looks like in leadership, how fear shapes our choices, and how we can build the courage to move forward.

In this episode, Dean Newlund and Ryan Berman discuss:

• Why telling the truth and staying authentic takes courage
• How fear shapes leadership and workplace culture
• Building courage through curiosity and experimentation
• Using knowledge, belief, and action to make decisions
• Managing loneliness and perspective in leadership

Key Takeaways:

• Create more alignment between your personal and professional self by examining whether your work reflects the values that give you energy.
• Make courageous conversations safer by checking impact and asking what the other person heard instead of assuming your intent was clear.
• Treat mistakes as part of experimentation, creating space to test ideas, learn from what happens, and keep moving.
• Use knowledge, faith, and action together to avoid paralysis from overthinking or recklessness from acting without enough understanding.
• Pay attention to relationships that may shift as you grow in leadership, and make connection and shared purpose part of how you lead.

"Knowledge plus faith plus action equals courage.” — Ryan Berman

About Ryan Berman:

Ryan Berman is a corporate fear fighter, founder of Courageous, author of Return On Courage, and host of The Courageous Podcast. For 25+ years, Ryan has helped companies operationalize courage where they need it most, counseling organizations including Google, Procter & Gamble, Kellogg’s, Kraft Heinz, Bausch & Lomb, Tropicana, the Atlanta Falcons, and Snapchat. His consulting firm, Courageous, guides clients through courageous conversations, decisions, ideas, and transformation. Ryan believes that change is hard, but the hardships of not changing are far harder. 

Connect with Ryan Berman:  

Website: http://www.ryanberman.com/

Book: Return On Courage: https://www.returnoncourage.com/

Show: The Courageous Podcast: https://ryanberman.com/courageous-podcast/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bravewhatshard/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ryan_berman/

See Dean’s TedTalk “Why Business Needs Intuition” here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EEq9IYvgV7I

Connect with Dean:

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgqRK8GC8jBIFYPmECUCMkw

Website: https://www.mfileadership.com/

The Mission Statement E-Newsletter: https://www.mfileadership.com/blog/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/deannewlund/

X (Twitter): https://twitter.com/deannewlund

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MissionFacilitators/

Email: dean.newlund@mfileadership.com

Phone: 1-800-926-7370

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