Dare to Lead: Brave Work. Tough Conversations. Whole Hearts.
By: Brené Brown

In Dare to Lead, author/researcher Brené Brown ties together the research topics explored in her previous works to inspire readers to become leaders. Brown has a way of weaving a compelling narrative throughout her stories and examples; she’s a strong storyteller and is only getting better. However, most of the experiences noted in the book are hers, and therefore limited the scope of relatability for some readers. This discussion was not the first time we have come across Dare to Lead; check out the blog on our team’s book recommendations from 2018 for more insight on the book.

For our discussion, we focused on the importance of each team member’s core values, how we react when faced with a Rumbling situation, and how it all applies to our work environment. Though narrowing down the two most important values was a difficult task, it was also fun to see what everyone picked for themselves. The ensuing discussion about how each value fit each person gave us all a better sense of each other as well. While the discussion about facing Rumbling situations was enlightening, our focus on how we each respond to these situations was the true exercise in vulnerability that Brown seems to be aiming for throughout the book. Acknowledging our reactions and putting forth solutions to better ourselves moving forward takes courage, even when you are among a group of your peers.

We also took the differences between Armored Leadership and Daring Leadership (see the workbook for more information) and discussed how they affect us now, and how they have affected us in the past. Our team noticed several similarities between our company’s principles and the attributes of Daring Leadership, and how that plays a role in who we are and how we interact with our customers.

All of Brené Brown’s books seem to have an impact on us not only as individuals but also as a team.

Brown, Brené. Dare to Lead: Brave Work. Tough Conversations. Whole Hearts.Random House, 2018.