I had the extraordinary opportunity to be trained by Brené Brown and certified as a facilitator of her Dare to Lead™ program. After two and a half days of talking shame, vulnerability, and courage with Brené, these were three of my biggest takeaways:

Our protective armor is smothering us. 

Self-preservation is a natural reflex. If we feel something is a threat to our existence, we put on armor to protect ourselves. New job where we risk being viewed as incompetent? We put on the armor of ‘know it all’. Struggling student at risk of being perceived as stupid? We put on the armor of humor. Veteran professional who’s afraid of being obsolete or replaced by the young new hire who’s full of ideas? Put on the armor of tradition and hold fast to this-is-how-it’s-always-been-done. C-suite executive who has to have all the answers lest she be perceived as the token female exec? On goes the armor of perfectionism. And while we might be inclined to think this armor is protecting us, it’s actually heavy as hell, wearing us down and keeping us from bringing our gifts and talents to the world.

“Courage is the minimum viable product in culture.” (Brené Brown)

We’ve heard the quote, “culture eats strategy for breakfast,” and we know that students perform better in classrooms where they feel seen, heard, and valued–and safe enough to take the risks required for deep, meaningful learning. The same is true for our education leaders–when they feel seen, heard, and valued, they too can do their best work.

So how do we create such safe spaces? How do we create a culture where our leaders aren’t weighed down by the need to be perfect or fear of failure but that are empowered by the understanding that getting it wrong is the first step to getting it right? Where radical candor is embraced, risk-taking and innovation are valued, and people truly come first?

We focus on creating a culture of courage and give our people the skills to be the brave leaders our kids deserve.

Courage is teachable. 

When I looked back over my notes and settled on the first two takeaways, I thought to myself, “If I hadn’t been sitting in this training, I might be saying to myself, ‘Yea but how do you create courage?’” That. That question, that curiosity, is the beginning of everything. That question highlights the most significant takeaway from the training and Brené’s seven years of researching courageous leadership: courage is teachable. In a world where we like formulas and predictable inputs and outputs, this is revolutionary. Having a roadmap for creating courage means we have what we need to be the brave, daring leaders who create spaces where people are increasingly more comfortable showing up as their unarmored selves.

Can you imagine a school where children felt courageous enough to take off their armor and ask questions when they didn’t understand? Can you imagine how much quicker we could pivot if employees were curious, brave, and willing to explore new possibilities because we taught them that rumbling with vulnerability was actually courageous? Can you imagine if the Black and Brown people we hired as a result of DEIB efforts could trust that we wouldn’t run from difficult conversations but commit to approaching them with courage and curiosity instead? 

Teaching courage isn’t about squishy kumbaya–it’s about helping people get rid of their armor so they are free to ask questions, try new things, and risk being wrong on the way to getting it right. During our training, Brené said, “When we ask ourselves who will be standing in 5 years, the future of leadership is courage.” This is the revolution. 

Aisha Crumbine is 20-year educator, who believes all children can learn and that one of the best ways to affect change in schools is to support the development of the adults. She is a Certified Dare to Lead™ Facilitator, who helps leaders develop courage-building skills through interactive workshops as well as speaking engagements. Interested in having Aisha facilitate the Dare to Lead™ curriculum to help your team begin creating a culture of courage, contact her here.