Chapter 7: Lead Bravely - Cultivate a culture that fuels courage, not fear
Live Brave with Dr Margie Warrell
Release Date: 12/01/2021
135 - Growth Begins the Moment You Say Yes with Lisa Nichols
Live Brave with Dr Margie Warrell
So often we tell ourselves that growth will come once we feel more confident, more prepared, or more certain. But what I’ve learned, through my own life and through conversations like this one, is that growth usually begins much earlier than that. I sit down with Lisa Nichols to explore what happens when we stop waiting and start saying yes. Yes to what’s already within us. Yes to the next step, even when it feels unfamiliar. And yes, to using our gifts, rather than focusing on what we think we lack. Lisa shares the deeply personal story behind her book Something Extra, inspired by her...
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134 - How Your Personal Brand Changes When You Stop Hiding Your Story with Goldie Chan
Live Brave with Dr Margie Warrell
Your personal brand is shaped by the stories you tell and the truths you hide. And when those stories come from fear, self-protection, or old narratives, they quietly limit your confidence, visibility, and leadership presence. In this conversation with personal branding expert Goldie Chan, I explore what happens when you stop shrinking your story and begin showing up with more honesty, courage, and authenticity. We talk about how personal branding really works, how to protect your energy in a digital world, and how evolving your narrative helps you step forward as the leader you are becoming....
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133 - This Is What Happens When You Stop Holding Yourself Back in 2026
Live Brave with Dr Margie Warrell
How often do you put off the very thing you most need to do because it will feel awkward? You hold back from asking, saying, or doing what matters, not because it’s wrong, but because it feels uncomfortable. In this episode, I explore why awkwardness is not a sign you’re failing. It is often evidence that you’re choosing your values over comfort. Confidence does not come before action. It follows it. Courage is not about eliminating discomfort or waiting until you feel ready. It is about acting in alignment with who you want to be, even when your nervous system would prefer you play it...
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132 - A Toolkit for Courage: How to Break Fear’s Grip and Build Real Confidence with Mick Hunt
Live Brave with Dr Margie Warrell
Fear shapes our lives in ways we often don’t recognize. It colors our decisions, narrows our vision, and quietly convinces us to play smaller than we’re meant to. Yet fear can also become the catalyst that strengthens our character and deepens our courage — if we’re willing to meet it with honesty and self-leadership. In this conversation, bestselling author and CEO Mick Hunt shares how early adversity shaped the leader he became, and how emotional intelligence, integrity, and self-leadership helped him transform fear into purpose. He opens up about the promise he made at ten years...
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131 - The Small Daily Actions That Change Your Llfe
Live Brave with Dr Margie Warrell
Small daily actions shape our lives far more than big resolutions. Every courageous change I’ve ever made began with one simple choice — a choice to show up a little braver than I felt like being at the moment. In a world that constantly pushes us to “Go Big,” I’ve learned that our greatest growth doesn’t come from big, lofty actions but from the small, intentional acts we repeat every day. In this episode, I talk about how identity drives behavior, why momentum matters more than motivation, and how small daily wins slowly rewire our brains and expand our capacity to do...
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130 - New Courage Works Series: The Real Reason Fear Holds You Back (And How to Break Free)
Live Brave with Dr Margie Warrell
Fear often shapes our choices long before we notice it, nudging us toward safety instead of growth. In this new Courage Works series on the Live Brave Podcast, I unpack how hidden threat biases and self-protective scripts quietly limit our confidence, decision-making, and potential. I explore how fear becomes ambient in an uncertain world, and why it so often trades our potential for false security. Drawing on my work with leaders at Google, Amazon, and NASA, I share why courage is a learnable daily practice and the meta skill we all need to lead and live with greater clarity and impact. ...
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129 - Your Brain Is Ghosting Your Future Self — And It's Costing You
Live Brave with Dr Margie Warrell
What if the real cost of playing it safe isn't what you miss today—it's who you never become tomorrow? Your brain treats your future self like a stranger—and that's why you keep choosing comfort over courage. In this episode, I explore the neuroscience behind this disconnect and why it leads us to make decisions our future selves will regret. You'll discover why prioritizing what feels safer today is actually the riskiest choice you can make. I share Richard Branson’s advice that inspired my climb up Mt. Kilimanjaro (with my four kids!) and why you need to risk more “worthy...
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128 - Brave the Awkward: Why Awkward isn’t the problem, it’s your pathway
Live Brave with Dr Margie Warrell
We’ve all had those moments of hesitation—“Do I speak up or stay quiet? Do I make the change or stick with the familiar?” Too often, fear of feeling awkward, exposed, or foolish keeps us playing it safe. Yet the awkward moments we try hardest to avoid aren’t obstacles—they’re the very gateways to the growth, opportunities, connection and confidence we desire the most. In this episode, I share why my response to the “Pool Guest” (Ep 127) turned out to be wiser than I first thought—and why it matters. Because the more we practice braving the awkward in everyday moments,...
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127 - Finding the treasure when you fail, fall short or wimp out
Live Brave with Dr Margie Warrell
Warning: This episode may not be your cup of tea if you’d rather not hear about nudity (or Oprah… or Jill Biden). Why? Because it starts with a wild and wacky story ripped straight from my morning. It might make you laugh, raise your eyebrows, and—hopefully—not judge me too harshly for failing to walk my own talk and say, “Could you please put your clothes on?” Let’s face it: if our deeply ingrained patterns didn’t sometimes win out, there’d be no need for courage. As I share in this episode, to be human is to be flawed, fallible, and to fail. But growth comes not from...
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126 - The True Measure of Courage with Former Navy SEAL Alex Pease
Live Brave with Dr Margie Warrell
In this episode, I sit down with Alex Pease, a former Navy SEAL whose extraordinary story—both heart-wrenching and deeply inspiring —threads through The Courage Gap. Alex’s journey reveals the truest measure of courage: the willingness to embrace vulnerability and give ourselves grace. We dive into the universal need to belong, the power of authentic leadership, and why forgiving our failures is essential—not just for healing the past, but for unlocking our future. If you’ve ever resisted lowering your guard, struggled to make peace with your past, or wished for the courage you...
info_outlineResearch has found that the biggest predictor of high-performing teams is psychological safety; that is how safe people feel to speak up, share mistakes or ask for help. Yet creating a 'culture of courage' is not just relevant to organizations, it’s relevant to each and every one of us in every sphere of life. When people around you feel safe and encouraged to be open, honest, and to engage in candid conversations, it not only helps them to achieve more but it creates an environment in which everyone is able to bring their bravest selves to their biggest challenges and boldest goals. So whether you’re a leader of many or just trying to lead yourself to higher ground, this episode will help you become a more inspiring ambassador for the world (and family, and community and workplace) you want to live in. It draws on the three-part framework for leading more bravely and cultivating a ‘culture of courage’ outlined in Chapter 7 of my book Stop Playing Safe.
Grab your copy of Stop Playing Safe here
Check out my Live Brave Weekend here