Bravery vs. Confidence: The Hidden Battle in Leadership

By Van Tran, Co-Founder of API Rising

Leadership isn’t just about being in charge—it’s about the inner battles we navigate to earn, wield, and grow into that power. One of the most under-discussed, yet deeply personal, battles many emerging leaders face—especially those of us who are Asian or Pacific Islander—is the tension between bravery and confidence.

Both are vital. But they aren’t the same.

Confidence Is the Destination. Bravery Is the Vehicle.

Confidence is what we often see celebrated: the executive who speaks with authority in the boardroom, the poised keynote speaker at a major conference, the VP who advocates fiercely for their team. Confidence is external, polished, visible.

But bravery? Bravery is internal. Quiet. Messy. It’s the shaky first attempt to speak up in a meeting. The decision to set a boundary when it’s easier to stay silent. The courage to apply for a job you feel 60% ready for, because you believe in your potential. It’s showing up before you feel ready.

Bravery Comes First

In API Rising’s programs like Career Rising and Leadership Rising, we often hear participants—brilliant, seasoned professionals—say things like:

“I know I can do the job, but I don’t feel like I belong in the room.”

“I’ve done everything right, but I still struggle to speak up.”

These aren't issues of skill or capability. They're about the internal permission we give ourselves to take space. And for many AAPI professionals, that permission doesn’t come easily.

Cultural norms often encourage humility, harmony, and deference—values that can be misread in Western corporate cultures as a lack of assertiveness or ambition. So we wait until we feel fully confident before we step forward. But waiting can mean getting passed over, overlooked, or undervalued.

That’s where bravery must lead.

Confidence Grows Through Action

Confidence isn’t born. It’s built—brick by brick—through brave moments.

When we created the Career Rising curriculum, we made sure participants first explored their values, only-ness, and spheres of influence. Why? Because confidence that’s rooted in external validation can waver. But confidence built on clarity of purpose and identity? That’s unshakable.

We don’t just talk about self-advocacy—we practice it. In role plays. In peer reflections. In conversations with real mentors and sponsors. We normalize the uncomfortable. We celebrate the courageous.

And over time, those small acts of bravery compound. And confidence blooms.

Bravery Is Often Invisible, But It Changes Everything

Let’s not forget: many of the boldest moves in a leader’s journey happen in silence.

• The moment you choose to tell your manager, “I want to grow into a VP role.”
• The day you decide to share a deeply personal story that shaped your leadership.
• The choice to apply for an executive leadership program, even if you feel like an imposter.

These aren’t always the stories people put on LinkedIn. But they’re the turning points that shape careers—and lives.

To the Brave Leaders in the Making

If you’re reading this and wondering if you have what it takes to lead—know this:

You do.

But you don’t need to wait until you feel “confident.” You just need to start with one brave step. One honest conversation. One action aligned with your values.

At API Rising, we believe leadership doesn’t begin with confidence. It begins with bravery—the willingness to try, to stumble, to grow.

And in a world that often confuses volume with value, your quiet bravery is powerful beyond measure.