Big Moments, Bold Moves: Why Courage Defines Championship Teams

March Madness, Workplace Magic: A 4-part series (Article 4 of 4)

A tied game. Ten seconds left. The crowd is on its feet. The ball swings to a player standing behind the arc. They hesitate—just for a second. The defense closes in. The shot never goes up.

Hesitation kills momentum. It costs teams championships and as they say in business “time kills all deals”.

The best players—and the best teams—don’t freeze when the pressure is on. They trust their preparation, take the shot, and live with the outcome.

In business, hesitation costs just as much. A leader avoids a tough decision, a team delays a bold move, and suddenly, the competition pulls ahead.

The best teams—on the court and in the office—win because they have courage.

Courage: The X-Factor in Business Success

Every leader wants innovation, bold thinking, and smart risk-taking. But too often, companies create cultures that punish mistakes rather than reward initiative.

Without courage, teams and the players on them:

• Play it safe: They avoid risk, which means they avoid opportunity.

• Fear failure: They don’t take the shot unless they know it will go in.

• Move too slowly: Decisions get caught in endless loops of approval and second-guessing.

Meanwhile, high-performing teams trust their instincts, act decisively, and embrace the unknown. They don’t succeed every time—but they know that not taking the shot is the surest way to lose.

How Do You Measure—and Build—Courage?

Most businesses claim they encourage bold thinking. However, few actually measure whether they actually are.

• Psychological Safety: Managers who make their team feel safe taking risks and voiding ideas without fear of backlash and empowering their people to do their best work

• Decision-Making Speed: The best teams act with confidence, making informed decisions quickly rather than getting stuck in approval loops.

• Calculated Risk-Taking: Bold organizations empower employees to propose and execute innovative ideas and reward them accordingly

Courage isn’t about reckless decision-making. It’s about creating an environment where teams feel empowered to make bold, smart moves—even if there’s a chance they’ll fail.

Winning Play: Make Courage a Habit

Just like elite athletes train for high-pressure moments, organizations must build courage into their culture every day. That means:

• Rewarding initiative, not just success: Celebrate bold ideas, even when they don’t pan out. Make risk-taking a muscle, not a gamble.

• Encouraging fast, informed decisions: Remove red tape that slows progress and dampens innovation.

• Making bold action worth it: In sports, winners play for the glory but also the trophy. In business, winning outcomes should have an objective reward all people can play for.

The teams that win March Madness don’t just take shots—they take the right shots at the right time. The same goes for business.

So ask yourself: Is your team playing to win—or just trying not to lose?

Bold moves and smart risks set winning teams apart. But how do you know if your organization truly embraces courage?

Winning teams don’t hesitate—they trust their instincts and take decisive action. Discover where your team stands.

Check your SKOR now.