Bravery Beats Brainpower: What Distinguishes The Strongest Teams

Forbes

06-05-2025

Waist-up view with focus on multiracial professional interacting with diverse project team in modern ... More conference room. getty
From leadership teams to project groups, the number one thing that distinguishes exceptional teams from merely good ones isn't intelligence, experience, or information—it's courage. This "courage gap" separates those who excel from those who simply perform.
Today, as teams face relentless pressures—tech disruption, economic volatility, changing stakeholder expectations, and a world that moves faster every day—the courage gap has never been more consequential. Having spent decades studying human behavior and advising teams at all levels, I see it play out the same way everywhere: the greatest risks are rarely invisible; they're just unspoken.
While speaking at an event with the National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD)recently, I shared insights on governance and decision-making with board directors. While boards operate at the highest organizational level, the principles I discussed apply universally to teams of all kinds. As I told the directors:
Teams do not fail because no one knows the risks, but because no one was willing to name them out loud, early enough, or insist they be addressed. This dynamic plays out whether you're in a boardroom or a project team meeting.
The data confirms this courage gap across all organizational levels. A PwC survey found that 46% of directors believe a fellow board member should be replaced—yet few ever say so. McKinsey research reveals that 85% of executives acknowledge their teams waste significant time avoiding conflicts rather than addressing them constructively. Meanwhile, Deloitte has identified "under-voicing" and groupthink as key risks undermining team performance.
A recent EY Global Board Risk Survey found that 79% of organizations have experienced at least one significant risk event that could have been avoided with stronger internal challenge and debate. Even more concerning, McKinsey reports that 67% of teams make lower-quality decisions due to fear of conflict.
These patterns echo through recent corporate crises.
Before the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank, concerns about financial oversight went unvoiced. At Boeing, warnings about safety concerns with the 737 MAX were suppressed until tragedy struck—costing 346 lives. At Wells Fargo, internal reports and whistleblower complaints flagged unethical practices, including the creation of millions of unauthorized accounts, but leadership failed to act. In each case, the courage gap had enormous costs—not just for companies, but for customers, employees, and society.
Why do capable, intelligent team members fail to bridge this courage gap? It's rarely about ignorance or indifference. It's fear—of friction, fallout, or losing favor with those whose approval they seek. Too often, we let the comfort of consensus override the courage to dissent.
Yet here's the paradox:
The best teams don't avoid friction—they embrace productive friction as essential.
Constructive conflict is key to refining thinking, testing assumptions, and surfacing blind spots. When teams avoid conflict in the name of harmony, they widen the courage gap and forfeit the intellectual rigor that leads to better decisions. Innovation dies in echo chambers. As Patrick Lencioni noted, the most effective teams aren't the ones with the least conflict—they're the ones that know how to channel it productively, trusting that disagreement is a means to improvement, not a threat to cohesion.
Every poor team decision can be traced back to this courage gap: concerns that weren't voiced, conversations that weren't had, and conflict that wasn't constructively embraced. General George Patton once observed that "If everyone is thinking alike, somebody isn't thinking." I disagree. People were thinking. They were just afraid to express the thoughts that put them at risk of losing status or creating discord.
So what separates the best teams from merely good ones? From my work with boards, executive teams, and organizations worldwide, I've identified five critical practices:
Lead the conversation that isn't being had. The strongest teams ask: What's the conversation we most need to have, but aren't? If you have a concern or a question, chances are others do too. Taking the lead to ask the hard question and risk the friction is how exceptional teams distinguish themselves.
Own your unique value and perspective. You're on the team for a reason. You bring a lens no one else does. And you don't need decades of experience for your voice to matter. When you hold back, you widen the courage gap and deprive others of that value. This isn't about puffing up or posturing—it's about owning the difference your difference makes.
Make it safer for others to bridge the courage gap. Everyone shapes the culture. The best teams go out of their way to foster psychological safety and a 'culture of courage.' They invite challenge. Admit when they're wrong. Ask for feedback. Share when they change their mind. As Tanuja Dehne noted at the NACD meeting, consider holding a regular "culture retreat" to de-risk candor and build trust. You can't culture your way into new behaviors. You have to behave your way into a braver culture.
Normalize intelligent risk-taking. Brave teams reward initiative, not just outcomes. They don't punish failure born from thoughtful risk—they learn from it. A Boston Consulting Group study found that organizations with a high-risk tolerance outperform their peers by 17% in innovation revenue. Google's famous Project Oxygen research revealed that psychological safety—including the freedom to take risks without fear of punishment—was the number one factor in high-performing teams. Accenture research shows that companies with a "fail fast, learn faster" culture are twice as likely to report revenue growth of 10% or more annually. Encourage team members to experiment, prototype ideas, and share what didn't work (and what they learned). Celebrate bold attempts, even when they fall short. Over time, this shifts the focus from playing it safe to playing for impact.
Hold each other accountable for courage. Courage isn't just a personal virtue—it's a shared responsibility. High-performing teams create peer accountability not only around goals but around behaviors: speaking up, leaning in, calling things out. Harvard Business Review research indicates that teams with structured accountability for candor and constructive dissent are 76% more likely to make high-quality decisions. Gallup data shows that teams where members feel responsible for upholding team norms show 27% higher productivity. This could mean check-ins where team members share one risk they took that week, or holding space in meetings for those who haven't spoken to contribute. Courage grows when it's expected, not exceptional.
Creating and scaling a 'courage mindset' unlocks the conversations, innovation, and learning needed to adapt faster, manage risk better, and drive stronger outcomes for all stakeholders. But don't wait for someone else to lead the way. The Courage Advantage
Just as fear is contagious, so too is courage. When you choose courage over comfort, service over self-protection and decide to step up, speak up, and lead with conviction—guided by values, not emotions—you embolden others to cross the courage gap too.
Deloitte research indicates that teams with leaders who actively encourage dissent and constructive challenge are 42% more likely to identify emerging risks early and 67% more likely to implement successful innovation initiatives. A Boston Consulting Group study found that diverse teams with high psychological safety generate 20% more revenue from innovation than their peers.
As I wrote in The Courage Gap: You can't culture your way into new behaviors. You have to behave your way into a braver culture.
Creating and scaling a 'courage mindset' unlocks the conversations, innovation, and learning needed to adapt faster, manage risk better, and drive stronger outcomes for all stakeholders. But don't wait for someone else to lead the way. The Courage Advantage
Just as fear is contagious, so too is courage. When you choose courage over comfort, service over self-protection and decide to step up, speak up, and lead with conviction—guided by values, not emotions—you embolden others to cross the courage gap too.
Deloitte research indicates that teams with leaders who actively encourage dissent and constructive challenge are 42% more likely to identify emerging risks early and 67% more likely to implement successful innovation initiatives. A Boston Consulting Group study found that diverse teams with high psychological safety generate 20% more revenue from innovation than their peers.
The future will be fraught with disruption, uncertainty, and risk. Yet just as we are our greatest source of risk—in how we perceive and respond to the challenges around us—we are also our greatest source of overcoming it. We do that every time we close the gap between what we're doing and what we're capable of doing - individually and collectively.
The best teams aren't distinguished by having the smartest people or the most resources. What sets them apart is their willingness to close the courage gap—to embrace productive friction, voice concerns, and engage in brave conversations that drive exceptional results.
Margie Warrell, PhD is a leadership speake r, advisor, and bestselling author of The Courage Gap whose expertise in courage-building helps organizations foster cultures where candor flourishes and better decisions emerge. For keynotes, workshops, or advisory services for your board or leadership team, visit margiewarrell.com