What was your first big, bold, act of courage?

For Nithya Ruff, senior director for open source practice at Comcast, it was going to college.

'I had grown up in Bangalore, India,” she recounts. 'I had lived at home in the same city all my life. I came by myself to Fargo, N.D., and didn't know anyone there. And that developed a lot of courage in me.”

For most of us, it's easy to recall that first big leap into the unknown: The time when there was something to do, create or experience and we wanted it so badly that we broke out of our comfort zones, and away from familiar people and places.

But when was the last time you experienced it?

At any stage of your career, it's easier - though not necessarily safer - to stay comfortable. It takes a certain amount of pluck to declare your desire to take on more responsibility.

It also requires courage to let go of your status as the hands-on expert and lead instead. And it takes courage to declare your belief in others, and invest in their development.

'It is so important to not play it safe if you want to grow and get noticed,” says Ruff in my webinar on courage for emerging leaders. 'You must not let fear control you.”

Out of that first budding act of courage, Ruff's career blossomed. Today, she is a respected leader of open-source marketing, strategy and business models.

Here, Ruff offers three practices for creating a courage-driven career.

1 Expect 'No,” and ask, anyway

One of the first career courage lessons Ruff learned was not to sit back and assume others know your career goals.

'Whether it's a promotion, travel, or the opportunity to speak at a conference, I've found you need to ask for what you want,” she says. 'Frankly, the worst thing that can happen is someone will say no. Often, finds Ruff, people will simply say, 'Yes, why not?” But you'll never know unless you ask.

2 Start small, and stretch

'Courage - like a muscle - is developed with practice,” Ruff says. 'So start taking small risks. Start doing small things. And soon you'll find that your courage is well-developed.”

Look for ways to show courage at work daily and you'll notice these opportunities everywhere. They may show up as a chance to give a small presentation at work, volunteer for a stretch assignment or ask questions in a conference.

'Start taking those risks and develop your courage muscle,” Ruff encourages.

3 Dissect your fears

'Fear protects us in certain situations,” acknowledges Ruff. It alerts us to possible danger and prepares us to respond.

But if fear is holding you back from a new career opportunity, Ruff has a favorite technique to recommend.

'Dissect your fear,” she says. 'Try to understand why you feel afraid in that situation. Once you've analyzed a fear, it loses its emotional hold on you.”

'All of us have fears,” says Ruff, pointing out that it's the ability to act despite the fear that empowers us to take career-defining risks. Practicing career courage can make the difference between an exciting and fulfilling career, and one where your greatest talents are underused.

l Jo Miller is CEO of Women's Leadership Coaching Inc. and editor of BeLeaderly.com; @jo_miller.