Choosing Courage: The Everyday Guide to Being Brave at Work

An inspirational, practical, and research-based guide for standing up and speaking out skillfully at work.

Have you ever wanted to disagree with your boss? Speak up about your company’s lack of diversity or unequal pay practices? Make a tough decision you knew would be unpopular?

We all have opportunities to be courageous at work. But since courage requires risk—to our reputations, our social standing, and, in some cases, our jobs—we often fail to act, which leaves us feeling powerless and regretful for not doing what we know is right. There’s a better way to handle these crucial moments—and Choosing Courage provides the moral imperative and research-based tactics to help you become more competently courageous at work.

Doing for courage what Angela Duckworth has done for grit and Brene Brown for vulnerability, Jim Detert, the world’s foremost expert on workplace courage, explains that courage isn’t a character trait that only a few possess; it’s a virtue developed through practice. And with the right attitude and approach, you can learn to hone it like any other skill and incorporate it into your everyday life.

Full of stories of ordinary people who’ve acted courageously, Choosing Courage will give you a fresh perspective on the power of voicing your authentic ideas and opinions. Whether you’re looking to make a mark, stay true to your values, act with more integrity, or simply grow as a professional, this is the guide you need to achieve greater impact at work.

Jim Detert is the John L. Colley Professor of Business Administration at the University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business. Detert’s research focuses on workplace courage, why people speak up or stay silent at work, ethical decision-making and behavior, and other leadership-related topics. His research has won several academic best-paper awards, and his teaching and curriculum development have also won multiple awards at UVA and Cornell. His work is regularly featured in various media outlets.

You can find Jim Detert at linkedin.com/in/jim-detert-785464b7 and darden.virginia.edu/executive-education/leading-with-courage.