Dare to Lead
by Brené Brown
Brown's leadership book applies her research to organizations: rumbling with vulnerability, living into values, braving trust, learning to rise. It is more practical than her earlier work, with scripts and exercises for hard conversations, and the 'clear is kind' principle has become a management maxim.
Read it if…
you lead people and avoid difficult feedback because you want to be liked.
Skip it if…
you want a strategy or operations book; this is about courage in human interactions.
Three things you will actually use
- Clear is kind; unclear is unkind.
- Name the story you are making up before acting on it.
- Operationalize values into behaviors.
Do this first
Pick one conversation you are avoiding and have it this week, starting with 'the story I'm telling myself is...'
Our verdict
Practical and humane; a leadership book about the hard conversations.
Compare with other Leadership books
The Laws of Human Nature
Robert Greene · Leadership
Vast and uneven; a reference you will dip into for years.
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Supercommunicators
Charles Duhigg · Leadership
Practical and readable; a useful guide to actually talking.
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Emotional Intelligence 2.0
Travis Bradberry and Jean Greaves · Leadership
Practical and brief; a workbook more than a book.
CLICK TO SEEBrowse all Leadership book reviews or get the free Reality Code Cheat Sheet.
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