Courage is choosing to step out of our comfort zones. Courageous leaders take risks and make decisions with the potential for revolutionary change in their workplaces and in their industries. Their boldness inspires their teams, energizes customers, and positions their companies for transformational success.

Fast Company released their 2018 list of the 100 Most Creative People in Business.  They come from a variety of fields, but were each chosen for moving his or her entire sector forward in a completely new way during the past year.  They are leaders who developed and implemented unique ideas that are changing the landscape in their industry and beyond.

From making large scale healthcare personal to fighting inequality through architecture, the leaders on this list are doing bold things that have a major impact.  As you read through each of their stories, one theme emerges:  courage.

For example, Gianna Puerini and Dilip Kumar designed the Amazon Go experience.  Amazon Go is a retail store in downtown Seattle that is cashier-free.  The article states:

Shoppers identify themselves (and their Amazon account) by scanning their phones upon entering. Ceiling-mounted cameras and AI software identify items as they’re removed from shelves—and shoppers simply leave when they’re done. People queued up around the block when Go opened in January. Amazon is reportedly planning to open up to six more this year, and the “just walk out” concept has already been cloned in China.

When asked about creating the experience, Kumar stated, “We had to keep distinguishing between things that were impossible and things that just hadn’t been done before.”

We can follow the example of the 100 Most Creative People in Business. To build courage, we expand our horizons and let go of the familiar, persevere in the face of adversity, and choose to act even when we feel fearful.