Courage in HR: The Backbone of Effective People Leadership

“If it wasn’t scary, everyone would do it. If it was easy, there wouldn’t be any growth in it.” ― Ryan Holiday, Courage Is Calling: Fortune Favors the Brave

This is part 1 of a 4 part series on applying the Cardinal Virtues to our craft as HR professionals, or any professional. To read the introduction, click here.

It’s safe to say that when most of us are first starting out in our careers, there is uncertainty, anxiousness, and nerves. I certainly had all of those things in spades. I rarely spoke up. I kept my head down. I didn’t want to be seen as rocking the boat, because what could be worse than losing a job!?

The answer is to lose your own self-respect by compromising your principles.

I remember the day I did just that.

The Day I Stood Still

I was discussing a potential hire with a leader at the organization where I worked. I advocated for hiring a young Black man, who was interning for us at the time. He was professional, had a great attitude, and knew who we were. It made sense to give him a shot. He was a bigger young man, a little weighty, and had long dreads. Honestly, I didn’t think much of it. He was who he was, and he was someone I thought would excel in the role.

The leader looked at me and said, I don’t exactly remember word for word, but something to the effect of “but his look just doesn’t fit.”

I was literally dumbfounded and didn’t know what to say. So, instead of saying anything, I looked at this individual with contempt and just turned and walked away. To this day, I wish I said what needed to be said. I wish I stood up in that moment to push back against a not so veiled racist remark. I lost all respect for that leader that day, but I also lost respect for myself.

I shrank in that moment. I allowed fear to control me – fear of retaliation, fear of being fired, fear of doing the right thing. Courage was calling, but I put it to voice message.

Courage Is Calling

Courage is a cardinal virtue central to many philosophies, especially Stoic philosophy. It is the capacity to confront fear, uncertainty, and intimidation in order to pursue what is right, fair, and just. It is unfortunately lacking in many HR professionals, like me that day. Thankfully, it is present in many many more.

For HR professionals, courage is a foundational quality that empowers us to stand firm in difficult situations, make uncomfortable decisions, and advocate for people in a way that aligns with our own integrity. Without courage, an HR leader becomes a bystander rather than a change agent.

In HR, courage can manifest in several forms, from holding difficult conversations with employees to standing up against unfair practices, challenging company norms, or leading through uncertainty. Courage is not simply about bold actions; it’s also about quiet resilience, the willingness to remain steadfast in the face of opposition, and the discipline to hold people accountable.

Defining Courage in HR

In the Stoic tradition, courage is the virtue of facing situations that others would consider dangerous or unpleasant when something more important is at stake. It’s based on the idea that what’s more important than safety is what’s in line with excellence and rationality.

Ryan Holiday writes in his book, Courage Is Calling: Fortune Favors the Brave, that “Courage is honest commitment to noble ideals. The opposite of courage is not, as some argue, being afraid. It’s apathy. It’s disenchantment. It’s despair. It’s throwing up your hands and saying, “What’s the point anyway?”

What does this mean for HR professionals. I believe courage involves:

• Speaking Truth to Power: Addressing senior leadership on sensitive or controversial topics, even when the conversation could have personal or professional repercussions.
• Advocating for Fairness: Ensuring that equity and justice prevail, even if it means pushing back against entrenched policies or practices.
• Taking Responsibility: Owning mistakes, addressing challenges head-on, and leading by example in moments of crisis or uncertainty.

Other characteristics of Stoic courage include:

• Not fearing the unknown: Stoics believe that most things we fear are external to us and therefore nothing to us. 
• Prioritizing rationality: Stoics are more concerned with doing what’s rational than avoiding externals to keep themselves safe. 
• Defying fear: Stoic courage is about assessing that something else is more important than fear. 
• Standing up for what’s right: Stoic courage is about championing the cause of right. 
• Being good and straightforward: Stoic courage is about being a lover of truth and a foe to deception. 

Courageous Actions in Everyday HR
In practical HR work, courage may appear in different forms. Here are a few real-world examples of how courage plays a crucial role:

Example 1: Addressing Toxic Behavior at the Top
Imagine a situation where a senior leader exhibits toxic behavior, such as berating staff, engaging in discriminatory practices, or creating an environment of fear. Often, junior staff and middle management feel powerless to confront this behavior due to the individual’s position of power.

As an HR leader, it takes immense courage to address such a situation.

Approaching this senior leader, documenting instances of misconduct, and reporting behavior that goes against the company’s values might feel risky. But courage compels you to act—not just for compliance, but for the well-being of the organization and, more importantly, its people.

I once worked with a colleague who faced this very scenario. After months of observation and numerous complaints from employees, the HR leader brought the issue to the CEO’s attention. This wasn’t just an instance of filling out a formal complaint; the HR leader made a case for the company’s culture, employee well-being, and long-term success. As a result, changes were made, and the toxic leader was eventually removed. That HR professional didn’t just solve a problem; they safeguarded the organization’s values and helped rebuild trust.

Example 2: Protecting Employees During Budget Cuts
Courage also emerges in moments of organizational transition. When budget cuts come, often HR professionals are the ones delivering the hard news. But how you deliver it makes a difference. Courage doesn’t just mean executing layoffs; it also means fighting for those employees’ dignity and rights.

I’ve worked most of my career in the grant funded nonprofit space. Grants are fickle, and many grant funds dry up. If there’s no funding replacement, the programs are dissolved. It often leads to layoffs, many of which I have had to coordinate and manage. Instead of seeing this as a cold, transactional event, I take it as an opportunity to act courageously. We’ve offered outplacement services, including resume review and coaching, and arranged for mental health support during the transition. We faced difficult conversations with transparency and compassion, even when employees were angry, disappointed, or scared. Courage wasn’t about making the layoffs easier; it was about protecting the dignity of each person involved, ensuring their transition was handled with respect.

Courageous Conversations: The Heart of HR
One of the most challenging yet essential aspects of HR is having difficult conversations. Whether it’s addressing performance issues, handling complaints about harassment, or talking about compensation, courage is needed to navigate these discussions.

Example 3: Confronting Underperformance
Take, for example, the situation of an underperforming employee. Perhaps the employee is well-liked by their peers, or maybe they have been with the organization for a long time. Confronting them about their lack of results requires tact, patience, and most of all, courage. There’s always a temptation to avoid conflict, hoping that the issue will resolve itself or that someone else will take the lead. But HR professionals must have the courage to be direct, providing constructive feedback and, if necessary, implementing corrective measures.

In a recent coaching session with an employee who was struggling to meet expectations, I felt the weight of this decision. His personal issues had affected his job performance, and while I offered support, it was clear that improvement was necessary. Courage required me to be firm, set clear expectations, and offer a path forward without compromising the needs of the organization. It wasn’t easy, but it was necessary for both the employee’s growth and the team’s success.

Practical Tips for Building Courage in HR
Courage, like all virtues, is like a muscle. The more it is used the more it grows and strengthens. It becomes a habit. Some steps that have helped me over time to lean into my courage have been based on acceptance. Admitting that I am afraid, or hesitant, but then remembering that leaders need to get things done and do things they don’t necessarily want to do.

Some steps to gaining courage that have helped me include:

• Admitting that a challenge is scary
• Accepting that you may be feeling afraid
• Setting a long term goal
• Practicing good discipline around your anxiety and alarm
• Facing your obstacles head-on 

Here are some ways HR professionals can build and demonstrate courage in their work:

• Embrace Difficult Conversations: Addressing uncomfortable topics head-on—whether related to performance, conflict, or organizational change—helps to build trust and credibility. Practice direct communication while maintaining empathy.
• Stand Up for Ethics: Advocate for employees’ rights and fair treatment, even when faced with opposition from higher-ups or company culture. Document issues and present a clear case for why certain changes are necessary.
• Lead with Transparency: Whether it’s during layoffs, restructuring, or implementing new policies, be honest with employees. Transparency requires courage but builds trust.
• Seek Feedback, Even When It’s Uncomfortable: Solicit feedback from employees and peers to identify areas of improvement, even if the feedback may be difficult to hear. A courageous leader is willing to face criticism in order to grow.
• Develop Emotional Resilience: Courage in HR often means facing pushback, anger, or disappointment from employees or leadership. Practice emotional resilience by focusing on the bigger picture—ensuring fairness, justice, and organizational health.

Courage as a Path to Justice
Courage is not just about being brave for bravery’s sake. If we don’t manage our courage, it could lead to recklessness, taking on too much risk without considering the consequences.

In the Stoic sense, courage is tightly bound to justice. As Marcus Aurelius wrote, “Waste no more time arguing what a good man should be. Be one.” In HR, this means that courage must always be directed toward what is right and just for the people we serve. When we act courageously, we are safeguarding the humanity of every employee, every leader, and the organization as a whole.

Example 4: Standing Up for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
Courage is often required when advocating for DEI initiatives. It’s easy to let diversity programs fall by the wayside when met with resistance or indifference from leadership. But real courage means standing firm in your commitment to equity, ensuring that marginalized voices are heard and supported.

I learned from my failure at a previous organization, as discussed at the opening of this article. However, I used this failure to learn and get better. I read all I could about DEI, the Black experience, and how organizations can contribute to making right longtime inequities. I’ve used this knowledge to spearhead DEI initiatives are other positions. I expected some pushback, so I did my work to make the case that a diverse, equitable, and inclusive workforce is essential for long-term success, and that any organization ignoring DEI risks alienating talent and falling behind.

I gathered data on the benefits of diverse teams, gathering employee testimonials, and fostering open dialogue, the initiatives I’ve put forth have been supported. Taking the steps to lean into the difficult area has lead to cultural transformation at the organizations I’ve been at, and I hope they can bleed over into society in areas we touch.

The Day I Stood Up
I’ve thought a lot about the day I stood still. I wish I stood up to that racist leader. In someways, however, I did not let that experience go to waste. I took a vow since that time to grow myself. I took a vow to not stand down again, but to stand up as much as I could when I could for myself and for others who could not.

Courage is not about fearlessness; it’s about facing fear and uncertainty with resolve. It’s about speaking up when something is wrong, advocating for fairness, and staying resilient in the face of difficult circumstances. Courage, in HR, is the foundation upon which trust, justice, and positive change are built.

I am happy to say, I’ve built my courage since that day, and I look at it not as a day I stood down as much as a day I decided I need to stand up from now on.

As HR professionals, as human beings, let us remember that courage is not an optional quality—it’s essential. By cultivating this virtue, we not only become better leaders, but we also create better workplaces, ensuring that all employees feel seen, valued, and treated with dignity.

Remember when you stand up that:

• Courage is the foundation of HR leadership: It allows for difficult conversations and stands up for fairness and justice.
• Difficult conversations require courage: Performance reviews, layoffs, and addressing toxic behavior are key areas where courage is needed.
• Advocating for DEI and fairness takes courage: HR professionals must champion equity, even in the face of resistance.
• Transparency builds trust: Courageous HR leaders communicate openly and honestly, especially during times of change.

“Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgment that something else is more important than fear.” – Ambrose Redmoon

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