Exploring the 6 VIA Strength groups - this week, Courage
Ciara Gogan, MPC
Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging certified leader. Passionate about equity and fairness. Views on this page are my own.
Exploring the 6 VIA Strength groups - this week, Courage
Courage is made up of the following 4 Strengths:
Bravery
Perseverance
Honesty
Zest
In my VIA Character Strengths profile, none of the Courage Strengths are in my Signature Strengths, but Bravery is my #5. We all have these strengths in some measure, and all have the ability to draw upon them when needed. Each of them allows us to use the ones we have more of in that group to grow the others. For example, I have Bravery in my top 5 but Zest is low on my list. If I'm feeling unsure in a situation but need to appear enthusiastic, I can use my bravery to bring forth zest (or at least the appearance of zest!)
I am a firm believer in authenticity, being who you are and bringing that whole-self to everything you do. Courage can play a huge role in this, especially if, like many, you've been hiding some aspect of yourself for fear of judgement. Here's a great reminder from Thrive Global that talks about how important authenticity is in today's business place. "Authenticity is the new professionalism"