Why courage should be viewed as a muscle that needs to be trained

According to recent findings highlighted in National Geographic, the secret to longevity isn’t found in a fad diet or a bio-hack, but in your midsection. Scientists have confirmed that physical core strength is one of the most significant factors in ageing well. These deep muscles do more than flatten a stomach; they stabilise the spine, protect the back, and power virtually every movement – from the mundane task of carrying groceries to the vital act of breathing.

The conclusion is compelling: as muscular core strength increases, the risk of mortality decreases. If you want to live a long, healthy life, “strengthen your core” is the ultimate prescription. However, for the modern entrepreneur, there is a parallel insight that is just as vital for professional longevity. Just as physical muscles stabilise the body, there is a specific virtue that acts as the backbone of character and leadership: Courage.

In a viral 2009 post, palliative carer Bronnie Ware revealed the most common regret of the dying: “I wish I’d had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me.” She is not alone in this observation. From Aristotle to the Stoics, history’s greatest thinkers have identified courage as the foundational virtue. As Maya Angelou famously observed, “Courage is the most important of all the virtues because without courage, you can’t practice any other virtue consistently.”

Yet, in the business world, we often confuse courage with confidence, bravado, or rash risk-taking. We look to the loud, media-saturated narratives of wealthy elites and mistake arrogance for strength. True courage is not a performative act of heroism, nor is it the total absence of fear. It is not an ego trip. In researching my book on the subject, I found that true courage is a moral virtue. It is deliberate, purposeful, and often uncomfortable. It is the ability to act intentionally in service of a virtuous core mission, despite the risks involved.

Crucially, courage is not a birthright reserved for the lucky few; it is a skill. Like your physical core, it can be strengthened through a specific regimen of choices and habits. To build your moral core, focus on these fundamental pillars:

• Commit to a Purpose: The essential fuel for courage is conviction. You need a vision that extends beyond profit. The strength of your purpose determines the strength of your motivation to act when things get difficult.
• Own Your Potential: You will inevitably meet blockage – whether market forces or naysayers. In those moments, you must become your own chief advocate, asserting your right to be your authentic self and pursue your mission.
• Unmask Fear: Fear is the primary barrier to a courageous life. However, courage is not about being fearless; it is about acting despite the fear. When you acknowledge fear rather than suppressing it, you strip away its power to paralyse you.
• Reject Distracting Voices: We are bombarded with external pressure regarding who to be and how to lead. It is critical to curate your inner circle carefully and disregard the noise that threatens to derail your progress.
• Act Decisively: Good intentions mean nothing without execution. We often mask procrastination as “strategy.” Train yourself to make action your default mode, distinguishing clearly between helpful action and mere busyness.
• Grow from Failure: Failure is not the opposite of success; it is a component of it. Developing a courageous core means becoming comfortable with falling short, understanding that it is a necessary step in the process of growth.
• Embody Resilience: The world is not always fair. You must develop resilience and determination as the active alternatives to despair, ensuring you never stop reaching for your potential.

In an era defined by geopolitical rupture, supply chain upheaval, and relentless technological disruption, the business world, and society writ large, has never been more volatile. Navigating this landscape requires more than just an innovative concept or capital or strategy; it requires a stabilising inner force that elevates judgement and decision-making. Developing courage is not merely a self-help exercise; it is how we scale our potential and make a tangible, positive impact on a fractured world. Rather than obsessing over the illusion of strength – the business equivalent of an aesthetic “six-pack” or media-promoted heroism – we must commit to a regimen of diligent choice-making.

By training our courage muscles one decision at a time, we build the resilience required not just to survive the current economy, but to lead through it. Like our physical core, courage is the secret to living, and leading, our best life.