Courage is a fundamental trait that distinguishes exceptional employees in today's dynamic business environment. Courage in the workplace manifests as the willingness to speak up, challenge the status quo, make difficult decisions, and take calculated risks—even when faced with potential criticism or failure. Organizations with courageous employees innovate faster, identify problems earlier, and build stronger cultures of trust and accountability.

In the workplace, courage takes many forms: speaking truth to power, making difficult decisions with incomplete information, advocating for customers or team members, challenging established processes, taking accountability for mistakes, or pursuing innovative ideas despite uncertainty. For hiring managers, identifying candidates who demonstrate courage is crucial because these individuals often become change agents, ethical anchors, and innovative problem-solvers within their organizations.

When evaluating courage during interviews, focus on extracting specific examples of past behavior rather than hypothetical scenarios. Listen for instances where candidates took principled stands, made difficult choices, or ventured outside their comfort zones. The most revealing answers often come from thoughtful follow-up questions that probe deeper into candidates' thought processes, actions, and the results of their courageous decisions. Pay attention to candidates who can articulate both successful outcomes and valuable lessons learned from situations where their courage didn't yield the expected results—this demonstrates self-awareness and learning agility, two traits that often accompany genuine courage.

Interview Questions

Tell me about a time when you had to speak up about an unpopular issue that you felt strongly about. What was the situation, and how did you approach it?

Areas to Cover:

• The specific issue and why it was important to the candidate
• Why the issue was unpopular or difficult to raise
• How the candidate prepared before speaking up
• The approach and communication methods they chose
• The immediate reaction they received
• The ultimate outcome of their action
• What they learned from the experience

Follow-Up Questions:

• What made you decide this issue was worth speaking up about?
• How did you prepare for potential resistance or negative reactions?
• How did you feel during and after raising this issue?
• Looking back, would you approach the situation differently now? Why or why not?

Describe a situation where you needed to make a difficult decision with incomplete information or significant uncertainty. How did you handle it?

Areas to Cover:

• The nature of the decision and why it was difficult
• The stakes involved and potential consequences
• What information was available versus what was missing
• How the candidate approached the analysis
• The decision-making process they used
• How they communicated their decision to stakeholders
• The outcome and impact of their decision
• Lessons learned from the experience

Follow-Up Questions:

• What principles or values guided your decision-making process?
• How did you manage your own anxiety or doubt during this time?
• How did you explain your decision to others who may have disagreed?
• What would you do differently if faced with a similar situation in the future?

Share an example of when you challenged an established process or tradition that you believed needed to change. What was your approach, and what was the outcome?

Areas to Cover:

• The specific process/tradition and why the candidate felt it needed changing
• The organizational context and potential resistance points
• How they researched alternatives or solutions
• Their strategy for proposing the change
• How they built support for their position
• Obstacles they encountered and how they addressed them
• The eventual outcome and implementation
• Impact of the change on the organization

Follow-Up Questions:

• How did you determine that this particular process needed changing?
• How did you balance respect for established methods with the need for improvement?
• What resistance did you encounter, and how did you address it?
• What did this experience teach you about driving change in an organization?

Tell me about a time when you took on a task or project that others thought was too risky or difficult. What motivated you, and how did you approach it?

Areas to Cover:

• The nature of the task/project and why others considered it risky
• The candidate's motivation for taking it on
• How they assessed the actual risks involved
• Their strategy for mitigating those risks
• How they managed others' doubts or concerns
• Key challenges they faced during execution
• The ultimate outcome
• What they learned from the experience

Follow-Up Questions:

• What made you believe you could succeed when others were doubtful?
• How did you evaluate the actual risks versus the potential rewards?
• How did you respond to setbacks or moments of doubt during the process?
• How did this experience affect your approach to taking on challenging work?

Describe a situation where you had to stand firm on a decision or position despite significant pushback or pressure to change course.

Areas to Cover:

• The decision or position they maintained
• The nature and source of the pushback
• Why the candidate felt it was important to stand firm
• How they managed the pressure and maintained their resolve
• How they communicated their position to others
• Whether they made any adjustments to address valid concerns
• The outcome of maintaining their position
• Lessons learned from the experience

Follow-Up Questions:

• How did you distinguish between constructive feedback and pressure that should be resisted?
• What gave you the confidence to maintain your position?
• How did you manage relationships with those who disagreed with you?
• Were there moments when you doubted your stance? How did you handle those doubts?

Share an example of when you needed to deliver difficult feedback or have a challenging conversation with someone. How did you approach it?

Areas to Cover:

• The nature of the feedback or conversation
• Why it was difficult or challenging
• How the candidate prepared for the conversation
• Their approach and communication techniques
• How they managed emotions (both their own and the other person's)
• The immediate reaction they received
• The longer-term outcome or impact
• What they learned about handling difficult conversations

Follow-Up Questions:

• What made this particular conversation so challenging for you?
• How did you prepare mentally and emotionally for this discussion?
• How did you ensure your message was clear while still being respectful?
• What would you do differently in a similar situation in the future?

Tell me about a time when you made a significant mistake or experienced a professional failure. How did you handle it?

Areas to Cover:

• The nature of the mistake or failure
• The impact it had on the work, team, or organization
• How quickly the candidate recognized and acknowledged the issue
• The specific actions they took to address it
• How they communicated about the mistake to others
• What they did to prevent similar issues in the future
• How they processed the experience emotionally
• The lessons they learned from it

Follow-Up Questions:

• How difficult was it for you to acknowledge this mistake?
• How did others respond to your handling of the situation?
• What specifically did you learn from this experience?
• How has this experience changed your approach to similar situations?

Describe a situation where you had to advocate for a customer, colleague, or direct report when it wasn't the easy thing to do.

Areas to Cover:

• The specific situation and who they were advocating for
• Why advocacy was needed in this situation
• What made it difficult or challenging to advocate
• The approach they took to make their case
• Any resistance they encountered
• The outcome of their advocacy
• The impact on their relationship with the person they advocated for
• What they learned from the experience

Follow-Up Questions:

• What motivated you to speak up in this situation?
• How did you balance the needs of the person you were advocating for with other considerations?
• What risks did you face in choosing to advocate, and how did you manage them?
• How did this experience affect your willingness to advocate for others in the future?

Share an example of when you had to make an unpopular decision that you knew was right for the long-term good of the team or company.

Areas to Cover:

• The decision and why it was unpopular
• The context and constraints influencing the decision
• How the candidate evaluated their options
• Their process for making the final decision
• How they communicated and implemented it
• How they managed the negative reactions
• The long-term impact of the decision
• How they felt about the experience in retrospect

Follow-Up Questions:

• How did you know this was the right decision despite its unpopularity?
• How did you prepare yourself for the negative reactions you anticipated?
• How did you maintain morale and momentum after making this decision?
• Looking back, what would you have done differently, if anything?

Tell me about a time when you pursued an innovative idea or solution despite skepticism or uncertainty about its success.

Areas to Cover:

• The innovative idea or solution they pursued
• The source of skepticism or uncertainty
• Why they believed in the idea despite doubts
• How they evaluated the potential risks and rewards
• Their approach to gaining support or resources
• Challenges they encountered during implementation
• The ultimate outcome of the innovation
• What they learned from the experience

Follow-Up Questions:

• What gave you the confidence to pursue this idea despite the skepticism?
• How did you test or validate your idea before fully committing to it?
• How did you respond to setbacks or moments when the skeptics seemed to be right?
• How has this experience influenced your approach to innovation?

Describe a situation where you had to go against conventional wisdom or challenge an "expert" opinion because you believed a different approach was needed.

Areas to Cover:

• The conventional wisdom or expert opinion they challenged
• Why they believed a different approach was necessary
• How they researched or validated their alternative perspective
• Their approach to presenting their view
• How they managed potential friction with the experts
• The outcome of pursuing their alternative approach
• How others responded to the results
• What they learned from going against the grain

Follow-Up Questions:

• How did you build your case when challenging established expertise?
• How did you maintain respect for others while disagreeing with their views?
• What gave you the confidence that your perspective had merit?
• How has this experience affected how you evaluate expert opinions now?

Share an example of when you had to make a quick decision on an important matter without having all the information you would have liked.

Areas to Cover:

• The decision that needed to be made quickly
• Why it was important and time-sensitive
• What information was available versus what was missing
• How they assessed the situation with limited information
• The decision-making process they used
• Any contingency plans they put in place
• The outcome of their decision
• What they learned about decision-making under pressure

Follow-Up Questions:

• How did you determine which information was essential versus nice-to-have?
• How did you manage your own anxiety about making a decision with incomplete information?
• What principles guided your decision-making in this situation?
• How has this experience changed your approach to urgent decisions?

Tell me about a time when you raised an ethical concern or challenged a practice that you felt was wrong, even though it might have been easier to stay silent.

Areas to Cover:

• The specific ethical concern or questionable practice
• Why it troubled the candidate
• The risks they faced in speaking up
• How they raised the concern
• The initial response they received
• Any follow-up actions they took
• The ultimate resolution of the situation
• The impact of this experience on their professional outlook

Follow-Up Questions:

• What specific values or principles motivated you to speak up?
• How did you decide when and how to raise this concern?
• How did this experience affect your relationships with those involved?
• What would you tell others facing a similar ethical dilemma?

Describe a situation where you had to deliver bad news or unpopular information to a team, customer, or stakeholder.

Areas to Cover:

• The nature of the bad news or unpopular information
• The potential impact on those receiving the news
• How the candidate prepared for the communication
• Their strategy for delivering the message
• How they managed emotional reactions
• What follow-up or support they provided
• The ultimate outcome or resolution
• What they learned about communicating difficult information

Follow-Up Questions:

• How did you prepare yourself emotionally to deliver this news?
• What specific techniques did you use to make the message clear but compassionate?
• How did you respond to negative or emotional reactions?
• What would you do differently if you had to deliver similar news in the future?

Share an example of when you pursued a goal or project despite significant obstacles or setbacks. What kept you going?

Areas to Cover:

• The goal or project and its importance
• The major obstacles or setbacks encountered
• The impact of these challenges on timelines, resources, or morale
• How the candidate responded to each setback
• What motivated them to persist
• How they adapted their approach based on challenges
• The ultimate outcome of their persistence
• What they learned about resilience and determination

Follow-Up Questions:

• At what point did you consider whether to continue or abandon the effort?
• How did you maintain your motivation when facing multiple setbacks?
• How did you help others stay committed to the goal?
• What personal qualities or support systems helped you persevere?

Frequently Asked Questions

How many courage-related questions should I include in an interview?

Focus on quality over quantity. Including 2-3 well-chosen questions about courage, with thoughtful follow-up, will yield better insights than rushing through many questions. Select questions that are most relevant to the specific role and the types of courage it requires.

What should I look for in candidates' responses to courage questions?

Look for specificity in their examples, clarity about their decision-making process, self-awareness about their emotions during challenging situations, and reflection on what they learned. Strong candidates typically share both successes and failures, take ownership of their actions, and demonstrate how they've grown from experiences requiring courage.

How can I differentiate between genuine courage and recklessness in candidates' answers?

Genuine courage involves thoughtful risk assessment, consideration of consequences, and principled decision-making, while recklessness lacks these elements. Ask follow-up questions about how they evaluated risks, what principles guided their decisions, and how they prepared for potential negative outcomes to distinguish between the two.

Should I expect different types of courage from junior versus senior candidates?

Yes. Junior candidates might demonstrate courage through speaking up in meetings, admitting mistakes, or taking on challenging assignments. Senior candidates should additionally show courage in making difficult organizational decisions, challenging powerful stakeholders, navigating significant uncertainty, or taking accountability for team outcomes. Adjust your expectations based on the candidate's career stage.

How does courage relate to other important workplace competencies?

Courage often enables or amplifies other valuable traits. It's closely linked to integrity, innovation, adaptability, and effective leadership. Someone with courage is more likely to practice honest communication, push creative boundaries, embrace change, and inspire others through principled action.

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