CM 190: Jim Detert on Being Brave at Work

When you think about courage at work, what comes to mind? Most of us think of the whistleblowers, the people who speak out on illegal corporate practices.

Yet many who succeed in changing the workplace, do so on a smaller scale. They push back on sexist comments. Point out bias in hiring. Or challenge unequal promotion practices. Each is an example of courage at work, and it’s a form of courage most of us say we want to see.

But research shows many of us don't exercise this kind of courage, even though staying silent is something we regret. So how can we overcome our fears and do what’s needed to create workplaces aligned with our values?

Jim Detert tells us how. He’s a Professor of Business Administration at the University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business. After years of studying workplace courage, he knows the steps we can take to do so without jeopardizing our jobs. And he shares these steps in this interview and in his book, Choosing Courage: The Everyday Guide to Being Brave at Work.

Episode Links

Winfred Rembert

Stuart Scott

Climbing the Courage Ladder

The Importance of Courage

Cultivating Everyday Courage

The Temporal Pattern to the Experience of Regret

Sir Walter Scott

The Team

Learn more about host, Gayle Allen, and producer, Rob Mancabelli, here.

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