Will I love Dare to Lead?

This book made me more courageous by reminding me of the importance of showing up as a leader even when I was scared.

Brown blends research with storytelling in a way that is relatable. I learned that vulnerability isn’t a weakness in leadership; it’s a superpower. I’ve always known that it was important to admit to supervisees and teammates when I didn’t have all the answers. But this book clarified the why—being vulnerable deepens trust and facilitates collaboration. This is particularly relevant to topics that involve ethics, as there can be a lot of shame and blame related to ethical… show more.

I went on a Brene Brown binge at one point, but of all her books, this one is the one that helped me be a better leader. The others helped me be a better person and more accepting of who I am.

This book changed the way I lead. I’ve completed her Values exercise with about 300 people since I read this book. This exercise changed the way I show up in the world and the way I engage with my direct reports and mentees. 

I dog-eared nearly every page of this book. Brené helps us see that vulnerability is a leadership superpower. Every time I re-read this classic, I walk away with a renewed commitment to lead with courage, even if I'm uncomfortable.

This book equips us to show up fully and fiercely.

I loved this book because Brene is the real deal. This book helped me know what qualities I needed to step up and own my full self–as an authentic, real-deal leader. When I didn’t feel confident during my career pause and after my burnout, I didn’t know what to do differently, let alone how to do it.

Through Brene’s storytelling and research, I felt inspired again. I wanted to step into my courageous self because I knew I was capable. Brene helped me get there in this book (and still does with her podcast under the same name!).

Like many people, I discovered Brené Brown through her eponymous TED talk on Vulnerability; that compelling insight is showcased here, too. I love the way this book takes us to the heart of what it means to lead with courage. Too often, we confuse bravado (behaviours) with bravery when it comes to leadership.

Brown’s version of courage and daring are very different and really resonate, embracing vulnerability as a key strength, coupled with empathy and integrity to breed a culture where people speak up, conversations are robust, and mistakes are welcomed as learning opportunities.

What really works for me is… show more.

How-to books are typically far from my favorites. They are often reductive and play fast and loose with psychology–pretending, for example, that personality traits are easily moldable—so I typically stay away.

Still, it was hard to resist the uplifting pull of a book that turns courage into a set of seemingly teachable and achievable skills, ultimately encouraging people to break through their inhibitions and step up and lead. 

There are many books on effective leadership. Brown speaks to engaging the hearts and minds of leaders including skills like staying curious, having courage, empathy, and making connections. 

I appreciated that the author’s advice is based on comprehensive data she and her team collected across a number of organizational contexts. She suggests that effective leadership is teachable, observable, and measurable and abstracts from her research findings concrete and actionable steps that leaders can take to be more effective leaders. She also demonstrates how she implements her findings in her own company and with some of the companies she consults with. 

As I… show more.

The arts world needs more great leaders. Heck, the world needs more great leaders! What makes a leader great?

Compassion, listening, serving, etc. In Dare to Lead, Brené Brown lays out and describes a number of truly important factors and approaches to becoming a successful leader. Our communities thrive when the arts thrive – I encourage all artists to become a leader!

Dare to Lead gives honest, straightforward, and actionable tools for ditching the old leadership playbook.

It takes a hell of a lot of courage to lead authentically and with empathy. Two traits that have long been absent in the leadership ranks for far too long. Brown does a masterful job mixing anecdotes with data-backed science to challenge a lot of leadership sacred cows.