Dare to Lead: Brave Work. Tough Conversations. Whole Hearts.
#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER - Brené Brown has taught us what it means to dare greatly, rise strong, and brave the wilderness. Now, based on new research conducted with leaders, change makers, and culture shifters, she's showing us how to put those ideas into practice so we can step up and lead. Don't miss the five-part HBO Max docuseries Brené Brown: Atlas of the Heart! NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY BLOOMBERG
Leadership is not about titles, status, and wielding power. A leader is anyone who takes responsibility for recognizing the potential in people and ideas, and has the courage to develop that potential. When we dare to lead, we don't pretend to have the right answers; we stay curious and ask the right questions. We don't see power as finite and hoard it; we know that power becomes infinite when we share it with others. We don't avoid difficult conversations and situations; we lean into vulnerability when it's necessary to do good work. But daring leadership in a culture defined by scarcity, fear, and uncertainty requires skill-building around traits that are deeply and uniquely human. The irony is that we're choosing not to invest in developing the hearts and minds of leaders at the exact same time as we're scrambling to figure out what we have to offer that machines and AI can't do better and faster. What can we do better? Empathy, connection, and courage, to start. Four-time #1 New York Times bestselling author Brené Brown has spent the past two decades studying the emotions and experiences that give meaning to our lives, and the past seven years working with transformative leaders and teams spanning the globe. She found that leaders in organizations ranging from small entrepreneurial startups and family-owned businesses to nonprofits, civic organizations, and Fortune 50 companies all ask the same question: How do you cultivate braver, more daring leaders, and how do you embed the value of courage in your culture? In this new book, Brown uses research, stories, and examples to answer these questions in the no-BS style that millions of readers have come to expect and love. Brown writes, "One of the most important findings of my career is that daring leadership is a collection of four skill sets that are 100 percent teachable, observable, and measurable. It's learning and unlearning that requires brave work, tough conversations, and showing up with your whole heart. Easy? No. Because choosing courage over comfort is not always our default. Worth it? Always. We want to be brave with our lives and our work. It's why we're here." Whether you've read Daring Greatly and Rising Strong or you're new to Brené Brown's work, this book is for anyone who wants to step up and into brave leadership.
Leadership is not about titles, status, and wielding power. A leader is anyone who takes responsibility for recognizing the potential in people and ideas, and has the courage to develop that potential. When we dare to lead, we don't pretend to have the right answers; we stay curious and ask the right questions. We don't see power as finite and hoard it; we know that power becomes infinite when we share it with others. We don't avoid difficult conversations and situations; we lean into vulnerability when it's necessary to do good work. But daring leadership in a culture defined by scarcity, fear, and uncertainty requires skill-building around traits that are deeply and uniquely human. The irony is that we're choosing not to invest in developing the hearts and minds of leaders at the exact same time as we're scrambling to figure out what we have to offer that machines and AI can't do better and faster. What can we do better? Empathy, connection, and courage, to start. Four-time #1 New York Times bestselling author Brené Brown has spent the past two decades studying the emotions and experiences that give meaning to our lives, and the past seven years working with transformative leaders and teams spanning the globe. She found that leaders in organizations ranging from small entrepreneurial startups and family-owned businesses to nonprofits, civic organizations, and Fortune 50 companies all ask the same question: How do you cultivate braver, more daring leaders, and how do you embed the value of courage in your culture? In this new book, Brown uses research, stories, and examples to answer these questions in the no-BS style that millions of readers have come to expect and love. Brown writes, "One of the most important findings of my career is that daring leadership is a collection of four skill sets that are 100 percent teachable, observable, and measurable. It's learning and unlearning that requires brave work, tough conversations, and showing up with your whole heart. Easy? No. Because choosing courage over comfort is not always our default. Worth it? Always. We want to be brave with our lives and our work. It's why we're here." Whether you've read Daring Greatly and Rising Strong or you're new to Brené Brown's work, this book is for anyone who wants to step up and into brave leadership.
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Community Reviews
Love Brene. Another fine example here which was particularly useful for me in my first year of management. Its essentially her other books but adapted to a professional setting which is helpful.
Managing is a totally different skill and practice. Managing a team is not easy to rumble with vulnerability, set a vision, hold people accountable etc - brene has some really useful tools and advice here which I’ll continue to try and bring into my management. All my notes:
Being quick to answer can be good but not as powerful as having good questions - reward good questions, curious learners
* not being right but getting it right
* Work on curiosity and critical thinking skills
Criticism - who is the invisible army? Roosevelt quoted it’s not the critics. Make contributions and take risks. No criticism without contribution. Everyone come to meeting with a point of view. The people who count are the people who put themselves out there and make contributions
Power with has to do with finding common ground among different interests to build collective strength. Mutual support, Respect for differences. Multiplied individual strengths, resources etc to have a bigger impact
Power to is giving people agency and recognising unique potential Power within self worth and self knowledge allows us to challenge assumptions
How do you understand your value and show it. Stop hustling for our worth and focus on where you have value, focus on where you are strong
Task who owns it
Authority - do they have the authority to decide and own it
Set up for success
Checklist
Paint done for me - what does done look like for this task?
Naming and normalising fear and uncertainty
This is difficult there’s no simple answers
Pain and fear which would be easy to unload on others but that would be outside of our integrity
We will walk through this in a way that makes us feel proud
Leaders just spend a reasonable amount of Time attending for fears and feelings or squander an unreasonable amount of time managing unproductive behaviours
Practice vulnerabilities a lot again again again that will make you more confident in the big things
Einstein spend 55 mins thinking about the problem and then 5 mins on the solution
The story I make up
I’m curious about
tell me More
That’s not my Experience
I’m wondering
Help me understand
Walk me through
We’re both dug in tell me about your passion around this
Tell me why this doesn’t fit or work for you
I’m working from these assumptions
What problem are we actually trying to solve
What do you see as the benefit or goal here
I know I’m living outside my values when I’m
- resentful
- Stay quiet instead of pissing someone off
- Put work before my well-being
- Not setting good boundaries
Living into my values still feels difficult / it’s never easy. Decisions are tough! Look for quiet moments when I feel strong and solid and usually really tired
Love is not a victory March it’s a cold and a broken hallelujah
Engaged feedback checklist
1. I’m ready for feedback when I’m ready to sit next to you
2. Willing to put a problem in front of us instead of between us or pushing it towards you - there’s something that needs to change
3. Ready to listen, ask questions and not fully understand. Come from curiosity. I need time to think about this can we come back tomorrow
4. When I can acknowledge what you do well instead of just picking apart your mistakes
5. When I can recognise your strengths and how you can use them to address a challenge
6. When I can hold you accountable without shaming or blaming
7. When I’m open to owning my part
8. When resolving these challenges will lead to growth and opportunity
9. When I can model the vulnerability and openness that I expect to see from you
When receiving feedback have a value motto “I’m brave enough to listen” “there’s something valuable here - take what works leave what’s left” “this is the path to mastery”
I’m getting overwhelmed with everything you’re saying. I’m on overload right now. Let’s dig into one of those things and come back to the other issues. I can only hear so much right now. I need a break
The way you’re acting is keeping me from hearing what you’re saying. I get you’re upset that’s ok but we’re going to have to find a different way to do this cause I’m just sitting here defending myself.
Ask people to seek out feedback from their peers 1:1 - also identifying how people have demonstrated and lived into their values. you talk about how you want to continue this feedback. Share feedback with leaders
Be brave
* clear boundaries
* Lean into difficult conversations and decisions
* I talk to people not about them
Serve the work - stewardship
* I take responsibility for our communities experience
* I’m responsible for the energy I bring and work to remain positive
* I take ownership to adapting to the fast pace of this environment
Take good care
* treat colleagues with respect and compassion by responding in an appropriate time and manner
* I practice gratitude with my team and colleagues
* I’m mindful of other people’s time
Assumption of positive intent
* setting and maintaining boundaries - what boundaries need to be in place for me to be in my integrity and generous with my assumptions about the words, actions, intentions of other people
* People are doing the best they can
Trust - choosing to make something you value vulnerable to another persons actions
Distrust - What is important to me is not safe with this person in this / any situation
Trust - braving inventory individual exercise and compare
* Boundaries
* Reliability
* Accountability
* Vault - don’t share my confidential info or others
* Integrity - choose courage over comfort. Right over what’s fun fast and easy.
* Non judgement - willing to ask for help so I know if you’re out of your depth
* Generosity
Managing is a totally different skill and practice. Managing a team is not easy to rumble with vulnerability, set a vision, hold people accountable etc - brene has some really useful tools and advice here which I’ll continue to try and bring into my management. All my notes:
Being quick to answer can be good but not as powerful as having good questions - reward good questions, curious learners
* not being right but getting it right
* Work on curiosity and critical thinking skills
Criticism - who is the invisible army? Roosevelt quoted it’s not the critics. Make contributions and take risks. No criticism without contribution. Everyone come to meeting with a point of view. The people who count are the people who put themselves out there and make contributions
Power with has to do with finding common ground among different interests to build collective strength. Mutual support, Respect for differences. Multiplied individual strengths, resources etc to have a bigger impact
Power to is giving people agency and recognising unique potential Power within self worth and self knowledge allows us to challenge assumptions
How do you understand your value and show it. Stop hustling for our worth and focus on where you have value, focus on where you are strong
Task who owns it
Authority - do they have the authority to decide and own it
Set up for success
Checklist
Paint done for me - what does done look like for this task?
Naming and normalising fear and uncertainty
This is difficult there’s no simple answers
Pain and fear which would be easy to unload on others but that would be outside of our integrity
We will walk through this in a way that makes us feel proud
Leaders just spend a reasonable amount of Time attending for fears and feelings or squander an unreasonable amount of time managing unproductive behaviours
Practice vulnerabilities a lot again again again that will make you more confident in the big things
Einstein spend 55 mins thinking about the problem and then 5 mins on the solution
The story I make up
I’m curious about
tell me More
That’s not my Experience
I’m wondering
Help me understand
Walk me through
We’re both dug in tell me about your passion around this
Tell me why this doesn’t fit or work for you
I’m working from these assumptions
What problem are we actually trying to solve
What do you see as the benefit or goal here
I know I’m living outside my values when I’m
- resentful
- Stay quiet instead of pissing someone off
- Put work before my well-being
- Not setting good boundaries
Living into my values still feels difficult / it’s never easy. Decisions are tough! Look for quiet moments when I feel strong and solid and usually really tired
Love is not a victory March it’s a cold and a broken hallelujah
Engaged feedback checklist
1. I’m ready for feedback when I’m ready to sit next to you
2. Willing to put a problem in front of us instead of between us or pushing it towards you - there’s something that needs to change
3. Ready to listen, ask questions and not fully understand. Come from curiosity. I need time to think about this can we come back tomorrow
4. When I can acknowledge what you do well instead of just picking apart your mistakes
5. When I can recognise your strengths and how you can use them to address a challenge
6. When I can hold you accountable without shaming or blaming
7. When I’m open to owning my part
8. When resolving these challenges will lead to growth and opportunity
9. When I can model the vulnerability and openness that I expect to see from you
When receiving feedback have a value motto “I’m brave enough to listen” “there’s something valuable here - take what works leave what’s left” “this is the path to mastery”
I’m getting overwhelmed with everything you’re saying. I’m on overload right now. Let’s dig into one of those things and come back to the other issues. I can only hear so much right now. I need a break
The way you’re acting is keeping me from hearing what you’re saying. I get you’re upset that’s ok but we’re going to have to find a different way to do this cause I’m just sitting here defending myself.
Ask people to seek out feedback from their peers 1:1 - also identifying how people have demonstrated and lived into their values. you talk about how you want to continue this feedback. Share feedback with leaders
Be brave
* clear boundaries
* Lean into difficult conversations and decisions
* I talk to people not about them
Serve the work - stewardship
* I take responsibility for our communities experience
* I’m responsible for the energy I bring and work to remain positive
* I take ownership to adapting to the fast pace of this environment
Take good care
* treat colleagues with respect and compassion by responding in an appropriate time and manner
* I practice gratitude with my team and colleagues
* I’m mindful of other people’s time
Assumption of positive intent
* setting and maintaining boundaries - what boundaries need to be in place for me to be in my integrity and generous with my assumptions about the words, actions, intentions of other people
* People are doing the best they can
Trust - choosing to make something you value vulnerable to another persons actions
Distrust - What is important to me is not safe with this person in this / any situation
Trust - braving inventory individual exercise and compare
* Boundaries
* Reliability
* Accountability
* Vault - don’t share my confidential info or others
* Integrity - choose courage over comfort. Right over what’s fun fast and easy.
* Non judgement - willing to ask for help so I know if you’re out of your depth
* Generosity
Show more
the lessons for managers or organizations to be more effective are groundbreaking. It is hard to practice this with any regularity unless I find a way to build it into my daily routine. I have yet to crack this code. I guess I need to re-read
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