Emerging Leaders: 3 types of courage for aspiring leaders

Transforming yourself from high-performing employee into a leader can be a challenge — one that takes strength, moxie, resilience and courage. There are many different forms of courage that emerging leaders must draw from to successfully make the leap into leadership.

Here are three types you'll need if you aspire to lead:

1. Courage to take risks

'If you're not taking risks in your career,' says Valerie Oswalt, vice president of sales, west area for Mondelez International, 'you might actually be creating more risk for yourself.'

Psychologists tell us that humans are wired for 'negativity bias,' meaning we tend to overestimate risk and underestimate opportunity, and so we avoid taking risks — the kind that could make or break a career.

So unless you're pushing the limits of your career comfort zone — by considering bold moves such as a role in a different functional area, proposing a new idea or taking an international assignment — you're not exploiting the full capacity of your career growth.

2. Courage to seek out feedback

Feedback is a critical tool for aspiring leaders. It takes courage to ask, 'How am I doing, and how can I improve?' To get an honest answer, you will have had to make it safe for others to speak up and give you their unbiased perspective.

Don't wait to get feedback in those once-a-year, high-stakes performance reviews. Feedback fuels course correction along your leadership journey, and hearing it only once a year could have you sailing far off course.

Make a practice of regularly requesting feedback so that it becomes a part of the conversations you have every day. And be open to all the different types of feedback you receive, whether it is delivered expertly or not.

3. Courage to let others shine

'Great leaders know when to step aside,' says Tara Jaye Frank, vice president of multicultural strategy for Hallmark Cards Inc. and author of 'Say Yes: A Woman's Guide to Advancing Her Professional Purpose.'

At times, Frank says, '…

the most important step a leader can take is a step out of the way.' This means having the courage to relinquish your place in the leadership spotlight, empower others and let them step up and lead.

Ask yourself, Am I the only one who can get this task done, take the credit, and be in the spotlight? Or is there an up-and-comer on the team for whom this could be an ideal development opportunity, and if so, how can I empower that person to benefit from this experience?

In sports terms, it's the equivalent of passing the ball to someone in a better position to score. A real team player — and true leader — will do what's right for the team, the project or the opportunity, and not just for herself.

As my good friend, career strategist Jennifer McClanahan-Flint, says, 'Being courageous doesn't mean you aren't afraid to do what scares you. It simply means you trust the foundation within to hold you steady as you move through the shaky parts.'

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