The courage to speak up… smells very different when you do it right

Following last week’s post

the one about how the opposite of courage isn’t fear, but avoidance

today we’re diving into the first kind of courage.

There are moments in management

when the room feels filled with the distinct scent of

“I want to say something… but maybe this isn’t the right time.”

It’s a familiar smell.

A subtle mix of lukewarm coffee,

an air conditioner working a little too hard,

and papers shuffling not because anyone needs them,

but just to fill the silence.

And then the classic lines appear:

“Well… only if that’s okay…”

“I don’t want to interrupt, but…”

“I just have a small point… really small…”

(And if you’re anything like me,

you recognize those sentences in yourself too.

Yes, I’m looking at you. And at me.)

And here comes the truth,

the kind that sometimes stings

like a metal chair in a conference room:

The courage to speak up isn’t about raising your volume.

It’s about raising your intent.

You don’t need to shout.

You don’t need to demand.

You don’t need to give a speech.

Sometimes courage sounds like a short sentence,

said calmly,

at the exact moment everyone was hoping

someone would be willing to say

what everyone else was already feeling.

And sometimes courage sounds like this instead:

“Let’s talk about this one-on-one.”

Because here’s the truth:

the courage to speak up isn’t about

who spoke the loudest,

but about who chose the right arena.

When you say the right thing,

in the right way,

to the right person,

in the right room

your message passes through layers of defense

as if they were a thin curtain,

not a fortified wall.

And then something beautiful happens:

Your team doesn’t just hear you.

They feel you.

In their chest. In their gut.

In the place where real change is born.

And this

this is the first kind of courage

that separates

a manager who gets work done

from a leader who actually moves people.

Before you scroll on, pause for a moment and ask yourself:

If today you removed just one

“only if that’s okay…”

and replaced it with one clear sentence of truth

what would you talk about?

(Don’t answer me.

Answer yourself.

That’s where the courage muscle starts to grow.)

Next post, we’ll move on to the second kind of courage:

the courage to trust.

The one that decides whether you keep holding

357 tasks by yourself,

or finally start building a team

that actually walks with you.

(Hint: it takes more courage than it looks.)