Of the five Scrum values — Commitment, Focus, Openness, Respect, and Courage — most teams practice four reasonably well. Courage is the one they avoid. Yet Courage is what makes the other four values meaningful. Without it, Openness becomes performative, Commitment turns into silent pressure, and Respect becomes an excuse not to speak up. Courage shows up in small, practical moments: telling the Product Owner the backlog isn't ready, admitting uncertainty during estimation, or raising a real problem in the Daily Scrum. After 20 years working with Scrum teams, the clearest differentiator between teams that improve and teams that stagnate is willingness to say what's true — even when it's uncomfortable. Courage doesn't require a dramatic stand. It just requires speaking up one moment sooner than feels safe.