The Courageous Operating System with Eveline Shen
Wed Feb 04 2026
Leadership today requires more than skill, strategy, or resilience alone — it requires courage that is grounded, aligned, and sustainable.
Eveline Shen, who prefers to be called Ev, is an award-winning leader and social change strategist with more than two decades of experience building movements and developing courageous leaders. As the former executive director of one of the largest women-of-color-led, multi-issue organizations in the country, she helped expand the national Reproductive Justice movement. Today, as the founder of Leading Courageously, Ev teaches leaders how to stay true to their values, transform adversity into strength, and sustain their impact through her Courageous Operating System.
In this episode, we explore how leaders can move beyond reactive leadership and instead operate from a deeply integrated system that aligns values, strengths, purpose, and courage.
What you will learn from this episode:
Why leadership tools alone are insufficient without an integrated system. What the Courageous Operating System is and how it aligns nine core leadership components. Why women and marginalized leaders often need permission and support to fully claim their leadership power.
Topics Covered:
02:45 – Ev's journey from intern to executive director and movement builder.
05:10 – Building leaderful organizations within the Reproductive Justice movement.
07:20 – Why Ev founded Leading Courageously and shifted to leadership development full-time.
09:15 – Coaching, team work, and leadership programs as a sustainable business model.
11:10 – Why Ev wrote Choosing to Lead Against the Current.
13:30 – The leadership gap: why new leaders are promoted without support or training.
15:40 – Tools vs. systems: what makes the Courageous Operating System different.
19:05 – Courage as staying true to values, not people-pleasing or firefighting.
20:40 – Everyday acts of courage and why women leaders underestimate them.
Key Takeaways:
"Leadership tools are helpful, but without a system, they can't carry you through complexity." — Eveline Shen
"The Courageous Operating System interlocks leadership components so they move in the same direction." — Eveline Shen
"Courage is not just about bold moments — it's about everyday decisions." — Eveline Shen
"When leaders slow down, they create space to lead from purpose instead of reaction." — Eveline Shen
"Staying true to your values often requires more courage than taking action." — Eveline Shen
Ways to Connect with Eveline Shen:
Website: https://leadingcourageously.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eveline-shen-a600b8b/ Book: Choosing to Lead Against the Current
Ways to Connect with Sarah E. Brown:
Website: https://www.sarahebrown.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DrSarahEBrown LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahebrownphd To speak with her: bookachatwithsarahebrown.com
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Leadership today requires more than skill, strategy, or resilience alone — it requires courage that is grounded, aligned, and sustainable. Eveline Shen, who prefers to be called Ev, is an award-winning leader and social change strategist with more than two decades of experience building movements and developing courageous leaders. As the former executive director of one of the largest women-of-color-led, multi-issue organizations in the country, she helped expand the national Reproductive Justice movement. Today, as the founder of Leading Courageously, Ev teaches leaders how to stay true to their values, transform adversity into strength, and sustain their impact through her Courageous Operating System. In this episode, we explore how leaders can move beyond reactive leadership and instead operate from a deeply integrated system that aligns values, strengths, purpose, and courage. What you will learn from this episode: Why leadership tools alone are insufficient without an integrated system. What the Courageous Operating System is and how it aligns nine core leadership components. Why women and marginalized leaders often need permission and support to fully claim their leadership power. Topics Covered: 02:45 – Ev's journey from intern to executive director and movement builder. 05:10 – Building leaderful organizations within the Reproductive Justice movement. 07:20 – Why Ev founded Leading Courageously and shifted to leadership development full-time. 09:15 – Coaching, team work, and leadership programs as a sustainable business model. 11:10 – Why Ev wrote Choosing to Lead Against the Current. 13:30 – The leadership gap: why new leaders are promoted without support or training. 15:40 – Tools vs. systems: what makes the Courageous Operating System different. 19:05 – Courage as staying true to values, not people-pleasing or firefighting. 20:40 – Everyday acts of courage and why women leaders underestimate them. Key Takeaways: "Leadership tools are helpful, but without a system, they can't carry you through complexity." — Eveline Shen "The Courageous Operating System interlocks leadership components so they move in the same direction." — Eveline Shen "Courage is not just about bold moments — it's about everyday decisions." — Eveline Shen "When leaders slow down, they create space to lead from purpose instead of reaction." — Eveline Shen "Staying true to your values often requires more courage than taking action." — Eveline Shen Ways to Connect with Eveline Shen: Website: https://leadingcourageously.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eveline-shen-a600b8b/ Book: Choosing to Lead Against the Current Ways to Connect with Sarah E. Brown: Website: https://www.sarahebrown.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DrSarahEBrown LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahebrownphd To speak with her: bookachatwithsarahebrown.com