Courage and Decisiveness: The New Hard Currency of Leadership

Leaders who fail to act courageously and decisively today are jeopardizing their company's future. This isn't an exaggeration—it's the reality in a world of permanent disruption. 


⌨️ Dirk Kowalewski   ⏱️ 8 Min. Read

Courage and decisiveness are no longer "soft skills." They are the hard currency of successful leadership—measurable in market share, employee retention, and innovation capacity.

Why Now?

 

1. Disruption Is the New Reality

Geopolitical tensions, the AI revolution, supply chain crises, interest rate shifts—the list goes on. There's no "normal" phase we can wait for anymore. Leaders who only perform well in stable times are structurally overwhelmed today. The speed and frequency of fundamental change are unprecedented.

2. Traditional Planning No Longer Suffices

Detailed five-year plans? Often obsolete before the planning sessions conclude. Instead, companies need leaders who can make bold decisions based on incomplete information. The new leadership competency is: experiment quickly, fail, learn, and course correct. "Fail fast" isn't a buzzword—it's a learning & survival strategy.

3. People Need Direction, Not Perfection

In uncertain times, workforce anxiety rises dramatically. Fear of AI, job loss, recession. People look up and ask: "Does our leadership know where we're headed?" Here, courage and decisiveness signal: "We don't have a finished plan, but we have a compass and the will to move forward." This reduces anxiety, strengthens confidence in self-efficacy, and sets things in motion.

4. Speed Creates Competitive Advantage

Companies whose leaders act quickly and decisively gain market share during crises. Competitors still waiting for "more data" fall behind.

An example: During the COVID-19 pandemic, Wizz Air leveraged the crisis for expansion. Under CEO József Váradi, new bases were opened and capacities expanded while the entire industry was in panic mode. Between 2020-2021, market share in Central and Eastern Europe rose to 17.5%, reaching nearly 40% in the low-cost segment. In 2023/24, Wizz Air reported a net profit of €365.9 million—proof of the long-term success of courageous decisions.

5. Our Brain Works Against Us

In uncertainty, our brain is programmed for safety and loss aversion (the so-called amygdala hijack). During phases of intense uncertainty, many leaders fall into paralysis or micromanagement. Exactly what teams need least right now.

The Uncomfortable Truth: It Stays Wild

 

We're not living in a "transition phase" back to old stability. We're living in a state of permanent uncertainty and high velocity of change. In this environment, leadership is no longer primarily defined by expertise or experience, but by the ability to act despite fear and incomplete information, set clear priorities, and decisively take others on the journey.

What Courageous Leadership Really Means

Courageous leaders make clear decisions even in uncertain situations and stand by them. They don't shy away from addressing uncomfortable truths and initiating necessary changes—even when facing massive resistance.

They take responsibility for their decisions, both in success and failure, thereby building trust. Instead of falling into analysis paralysis, they act decisively based on currently available information.

Such leaders encourage their teams to take risks, learn from mistakes, and keep moving forward. They lead by example, showing vulnerability themselves and speaking openly about uncertainties. Their decisiveness shows in setting clear priorities—even when that means saying no to other opportunities. They don't let short-term resistance deter them when convinced of the long-term direction.

Reflect Before You Act

Before implementing significant decisions, ask yourself and your fellow leaders these questions:

  • What are the tough decisions in the intended change process?
  • If we decide too late, what damage could occur?
  • How can we deal productively with headwinds?
  • How can we proceed to bring as many people along as possible?

A Practical Example: A leadership team decided to close a profitable business because it was blocking long-term strategic development. The resistance was massive. Intense verbal attacks occurred on a personal level. The leaders deliberately went into the affected department, explained their decision, and answered many questions. It was exhausting and uncomfortable, but it made them credible.

The Pull Effect of Courageous Leadership

Conscious observers recognize that enormous unrest currently prevails "externally" that cannot be ignored. But control over how people and companies respond lies within them—this is where the power for targeted change resides. If leadership doesn't move forward courageously and decisively now, no one can follow them. Courage and decisiveness from the leadership team enable people to be won over for change.


When this succeeds, organizations perform excellently even in turbulent times. Benchmarking against global excellence award winners reveals five common practices:

  1. Leaders are perceived as authentic pioneers. They provide direction, create reliability, and consciously tolerate uncertainty. This creates an environment where change is understood as a natural opportunity.

  2. Employees understand change as a natural part of their responsibilities. Their basic attitude is clearly oriented toward change and continuous development—working "in and on processes", is standard.

  3. Clearly articulated messages release energy. Pragmatic explanations with a view toward a "better future" make the purpose behind changes visible.

  4. Teams actively take responsibility. The ability to master change is anchored at all levels, consciously strengthened and lived.

  5. Feedback is firmly integrated. It serves not only for course correction but supports continuous learning and forward-looking development.

Where Do You Start? With Leadership Itself

Logically, everything begins with the leadership team. To proceed as effectively as possible here, targeted questions about the quality of collaboration help:

  • Does your leadership team work authentically, constructively, and with shared alignment?
  • How do you recognize that this is the case?
  • What concrete indicators show you the quality of collaboration?
  • How do you assess the current situation?
  • How much do we really stand up for each other?

It's essential to continuously work on the quality of collaboration with heart, hand, and mind. When the leadership team acts "as one," the most fundamental building block is set for effective collective advancement of the entire organization.

Posing the above questions as a leadership team in a discussion, without "ifs and buts", and giving each other open and honest feedback requires courage and seems impossible in some organizations. Right now, this courage is exactly what's needed!

Practical Ways to Train Courage and Decisiveness

Deliberate Exposure Exercises
Those who want to become more courageous should do more things that require courage. Deliberately seek situations that take you out of your comfort zone. Don't postpone difficult conversations. Communicate uncomfortable decisions promptly. Take unpopular positions in meetings. Each of these actions trains your "courage muscle."

Decision Training Through Time Limits
Consciously set deadlines for decisions and gradually reduce available time for information gathering. This trains the ability to deal with uncertainty and act based on incomplete data.

Reflection and Feedback Loops
Establish regular reflection routines after important decisions: What went well? What would you do differently? Actively seek feedback from trusted people to identify blind spots. Companies with robust feedback cultures see a 14.9% increase in employee engagement. At Google, a formal peer feedback system led to a 30% increase in engagement and 25% better employee retention.

Create Psychological Safety
Psychological safety is consistently one of the strongest predictors of team performance, productivity, quality, creativity, and innovation. Practice addressing mistakes openly—starting with your own errors. This creates a culture where courage is rewarded rather than punished.

Micro-Courage Practice
Courage is contagious. Employees who see their leaders act courageously are themselves more willing to be courageous and behave more ethically and helpfully toward colleagues. Train courage in small steps: speak at least one uncomfortable truth daily. Give critical feedback. Question the status quo. These micro-acts accumulate into transformative power.

Peer Coaching and Mentoring
Leadership isn't developed in isolation. Research confirms that mentoring is foundational to building effective leaders. Create regular touchpoints with peer leaders to work through tough challenges. Fresh perspectives don't just expand your thinking—they fuel the courage to act.

Conclusion

Courage and decisiveness are not innate talents—they are trainable skills. The question isn't whether you can develop them, but whether you're ready to start today. Start with a simple exercise: Identify a decision you've postponed this week, or a conversation you've avoided. Set yourself a 48-hour deadline. Act. Reflect. Learn.

Generally, courage and decisiveness unfold their desired impact when backed by clear strategic direction and a coordinated implementation plan (execution).

 

How clear are the leverage points (Strategy. People. Execution.) in your company and how productive is their interconnected impact?

If you want to work systematically on your company or elevate your leadership team to the next level, let's talk. I support leaders and teams in developing exactly these capabilities and transforming them into measurable success.

Contact me for an exploratory conversation initial: dirk@bestformconsulting.com

 

Sources

 

 

Excellence Resources

 

For leaders seeking to implement systematic excellence approaches, these resources offer deeper insights: