Book Reviews

Dare to Lead by Brené Brown

Confession: I fell behind on my reading goal for the year, so I’ve been a bit absent from the blog. Evenings where I should have been blogging, I have been reading. One of the books I finished recently I very purposely read slowly. (Man, that was a lot of -ly in one sentence.) Dare to Lead is one of my favorite books of the year so far.

The Book

In her #1 NYT bestsellers, Brené Brown 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.

Leadership is not about titles, status and power over people. Leaders are people who hold themselves accountable for recognising the potential in people and ideas, and developing that potential. This is a book for everyone who is ready to choose courage over comfort, make a difference and lead.

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 and work to align authority and accountability. We don’t avoid difficult conversations and situations; we lean into the vulnerability that’s necessary to do good work.

But daring leadership in a culture that’s defined by scarcity, fear and uncertainty requires building courage skills, which are uniquely human. The irony is that we’re choosing not to invest in developing the hearts and minds of leaders at the same time we’re scrambling to figure out what we have to offer that machines can’t do better and faster. What can we do better? Empathy, connection and courage to start.

Brené Brown spent the past two decades researching the emotions that give meaning to our lives. Over the past seven years, she found that leaders in organisations ranging from small entrepreneurial start-ups and family-owned businesses to non-profits, civic organisations and Fortune 50 companies, are asking the same questions:

How do you cultivate braver, more daring leaders? And, how do you embed the value of courage in your culture?

Dare to Lead answers these questions and gives us actionable strategies and real examples from her new research-based, courage-building program.

Brené writes, ‘One of the most important findings of my career is that courage can be taught, developed and measured. Courage is a collection of four skill sets supported by twenty-eight behaviors. All it requires is a commitment to doing bold work, having tough conversations and showing up with our whole hearts. Easy? No. Choosing courage over comfort is not easy. Worth it? Always. We want to be brave with our lives and work. It’s why we’re here.’

My Thoughts

I absolutely loved this book. Now, I am not currently in a position of leadership at work, but I hope to be in the next couple of years. While this book is called Dare to Lead, it’s applicable for more than just leadership. There are actually a lot of great tips that have helped me with interactions with my coworkers and bosses.

Thus, don’t write this book off if you aren’t a leader or want to be a leader. At the end of the day, everyone leads someone, whether it’s coworkers, children, or even strangers on the street. Lead by example. As Dr. Brown writes, “I define a leader as anyone who takes responsibility for finding the potential in people and processes, and who has the courage to develop that potential.” (Page 4)

To tell you just how much I loved this book…I WROTE IN IT. I know. I besmirched the pages of this book to write in it. I was running out of Post-It flags, so I broke out the pen. Dare to Lead is just that good.

One of the most powerful aspects of the book is that Dr. Brown is not just writing as a leader. Her first/real job is as a researcher, speaking with people in leadership positions. What she writes about and the concepts she presents are actually backed by real data, not just anecdotes.

Favorite Quotes from Dare to Lead

Across all of our data there’s not a shred of empirical evidence that vulnerability is weakness.

Dare to Lead, Page 20

Shame is the feeling that washes over us and makes us feel so flawed that we question whether we’re worthy of love, belonging, and connection.

Dare to Lead, Page 75

Being the knower can save people in hard situations, and it’s easy to buy into the belief that being a knower is the only value we bring to relationships and work.

Dare to Lead, Page 91

It turns out that we assume the worst about people’s intentions when they’re not respectful of our boundaries.

Dare to Lead, Page 213

I could keep going on and on about Dare to Lead. I really could. This book will stay on my shelves for years to come. I have recommended it to just about everyone I have come into contact with because it’s just so enlightening!

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