The Courage Playbook: 4 Ways to Build a Culture of Bold Thinking
Image source: Mario Verduzco via Unsplash
In today’s world, standing still is riskier than making a mistake. For businesses to thrive, they must embrace change, spark innovation, and question everything - all of which demand courage.
The 2025 CMO Barometer reveals that innovative thinking has leapt from 5th to 2nd place among the skills most critical for a CMO’s success, second only to leadership and team building. Interestingly, leadership and innovation share a vital ingredient: courage.
But courage isn’t just a personal trait; it’s a cultural mindset. When organizations cultivate a courageous environment, people are empowered to take bold steps that lead to meaningful growth. So, how can leaders build a culture where courage thrives? These four strategies have helped Mediaplus teams drive innovation and growth across 21 countries.
1. Create a Safe Space for Risks
Innovation thrives on experimentation - and experimentation comes with mistakes. To succeed, failure must be treated as a learning opportunity, not a setback.
How to bring it to life: Celebrate bold decisions, even when they don’t succeed. Host open discussions about what went wrong and what was learned to build confidence and foster resilience. At Mediaplus, we launched an internal Innovation Award to spotlight creative risk-taking across our teams. Ideas are judged on creativity, disruptiveness, and problem-solving potential. This motivates employees to push boundaries, resulting in fresh ideas that make a real impact.
2. Lead by Example
Courage starts at the top. When leaders take bold steps, admit their mistakes, and remain transparent, they inspire teams to do the same.
How to bring it to life: Share your challenges and lessons openly. Vulnerability fosters trust and encourages others to embrace bold ideas.
At Mediaplus International, weekly meetings include a 'Hits and Shits' segment where successes and failures are discussed - even by leaders. For instance, when technical issues derailed a critical meeting, the team rallied, and the client praised their response. Sharing such experiences strengthens team dynamics and sparks innovation.
3. Empower Independent Action
Micromanagement kills creativity. When employees feel trusted to take initiative, they’re more likely to pursue bold ideas and calculated risks.
How to bring it to life: Delegate decision-making authority and provide the resources your team needs to succeed. Offer guidance, but give them space to explore. At Mediaplus Group, 'ownership projects' empower employees to pitch and lead their ideas. One example is the BÄM Collective, a global team of 50 colleagues who develop ground breaking media concepts alongside their regular roles.
4. Celebrate Bold Ideas – Big and Small
Recognising courageous efforts - even those that don’t yield immediate success - reinforces a culture of innovation. Small wins and lessons learned pave the way for bigger breakthroughs.
How to bring it to life: Highlight and reward bold thinking regularly. This creates a feedback loop that encourages employees to take risks.
Each year, Mediaplus Group teams set personal goals that challenge them to step out of their comfort zones. The aim is to promote entrepreneurial thinking instead of focusing purely on getting the job done. A core component of this is the personal innovation performance. These incremental challenges boost confidence and contribute to long-term growth for both: individuals and the company.
Courage Drives Growth
Courage is contagious. When leaders foster a culture that empowers bold thinking, innovation flourishes, teams grow stronger, and businesses gain the resilience needed to thrive in an uncertain future.
The takeaway? Start small. Encourage risk-taking, celebrate creativity, and lead with transparency. By building a culture of courage, your organization can unlock its full potential. And, as Seneca wisely said: “It is not because it is difficult that we do not dare, but because we do not dare that it is difficult.”
