Courageous leadership is not about having all the answers.
It’s about staying curious, asking better questions, empowering others, and – often – choosing courage over comfort, even if that means openly embracing vulnerability.
In today’s fast changing business landscape – where uncertainty and ambiguity are the watchwords of a constantly changing world – organisations need leaders who can steer through complexity, inspire diverse teams and embrace innovation with a sense of integrity.
That can come at a cost – increased levels of pressure and the threat of burnout. And it means that even the most experienced leaders can face moments of doubt and isolation.
In October 2025, Peerpoint co-hosted a first-of-its-kind event in Dubai with A&O Shearman. We welcomed 55 general counsel for a powerful conversation on Courageous Leadership. Our panellists, Carolyn Aldous, Peerpoint's CEO, Jodi Norman and Ben Crawford, Partners, A&O Shearman and Brooke Lindsay, Group Chief Legal Officer, shared their leadership journeys, explored how to drive collective change, and emphasised the importance of building a culture where everyone feels they belong. Below, you can read their deeply personal accounts of how they are leading with courage.
Whether this is through telling stories of overcoming tough challenges to reach a senior position or striving to maintain high performance in a healthy way.
These stories also share ways to deal with self-doubt and imposter syndrome and leading authentically.
What binds all these stories together is a willingness to be honest and open – being brave enough to be vulnerable – in the search for better ways to lead.