Dare to Lead
"Empathy is connecting to the emotions that underpin an experience."
— Brené Brown, Dare to Lead (2018)
Introduction
| Dare to Lead | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Full title | Dare to Lead: Brave Work. Tough Conversations. Whole Hearts. |
| Author | Brené Brown |
| Language | English |
| Subject | Leadership; Courage; Vulnerability; Organizational culture |
| Genre | Nonfiction; Self-help; Business/Leadership |
| Publisher | Random House |
Publication date | 9 October 2018 |
| Publication place | United States |
| Media type | Print (hardcover); e-book; audiobook |
| Pages | 298 |
| ISBN | 978-0-399-59252-2 |
| Goodreads rating | 4.2/5 (as of 10 November 2025) |
| Website | brenebrown.com |
Introduction
Dare to Lead is a 2018 leadership book by Brené Brown, published by Random House.[1] Grounded in a seven-year study, it presents four teachable skill sets—rumbling with vulnerability, living into our values, BRAVING trust, and learning to rise.[2] Brown writes in a research-driven, story-rich register that pairs qualitative grounded-theory findings with practical tools such as the BRAVING Inventory.[3][4] It defines leadership beyond titles as the work of recognizing and developing potential, and organizes its chapters around those four skill sets.[1][2] Commercially, Random House lists it as a #1 New York Times bestseller; in the week of 22 October 2018 it ranked first overall in U.S. BookScan with 63,823 units; and Bloomberg included it among the Best Books of 2018.[1][5][6]
Chapter summary
This outline follows the Random House hardcover edition (9 October 2018, ISBN 978-0-399-59252-2, 298 pp.).[1][7]
I – Rumbling with Vulnerability
🎭 1 – The Moment and the Myths.
🦁 2 – The Call to Courage.
🛡️ 3 – The Armory.
💞 4 – Shame and Empathy.
🔍 5 – Curiosity and Grounded Confidence.
II – Living into Our Values
🧭 6 – Living into Our Values.
III – Braving Trust
🤝 7 – Braving Trust.
IV – Learning to Rise
🌅 8 – Learning to Rise.
Background & reception
🖋️ Author & writing. Brown is a research professor at the University of Houston (Huffington Foundation Endowed Chair) and also serves as a Professor of Practice in Management at the University of Texas at Austin’s McCombs School of Business, with two decades of work on courage, vulnerability, shame, and empathy.[8][9] She builds the book on grounded-theory methods and qualitative data, translating them into a four-part, skills-based playbook.[10][2] Reporting in The Washington Post, Mary Beth Albright calls it a “practical playbook” informed by research with 150 global C-suite executives.[11] Time likewise describes it as a leadership manual that systematizes courage into four skills.[3] Across the text and companion resources, Brown operationalizes trust via the BRAVING checklist and other downloadable tools for teams.[4][12]
📈 Commercial reception. Publishers Weekly reported that for the week of 22 October 2018, *Dare to Lead* was the No. 1 book in the United States, with 63,823 BookScan units.[5] Random House lists the title as a No. 1 New York Times bestseller, and the Wall Street Journal included it among “Five Books Executives Should Read to Prepare for 2019.”[1][13] Bloomberg also named it one of its Best Books of 2018.[6]
👍 Praise. The Washington Post praised it as “an absorbingly actionable handbook on creating a space for better work and more fulfilled people.”[11] Library Journal called it “an intriguing new approach to leadership development that combines courage, connection, and meaning,” recommending it to readers of servant-leadership classics.[14] Time highlighted Brown’s blend of grounded-theory rigor and warmth, noting that she “moves people rather than merely training them.”[3]
👎 Criticism. Some commentary has cautioned that the book steps into the airport-lounge style of business management and adopts pithy guru-style phrasing.[3] Earlier profile coverage in The Guardian reflected a strand of skepticism toward Brown’s popular reach, dubbing her a “celebrity self-help queen,” a label she rejects.[15] More recently, a Kirkus Reviews assessment of a follow-on leadership volume argued that the franchise risked reading like a sales pitch and rehash of earlier books, notably *Dare to Lead*.[16]
🌍 Impact & adoption. The University of Texas at Austin announced on 4 February 2020 that it would implement institution-wide courage-building training based on *Dare to Lead*, becoming the first university to adopt the program.[17] In the public sector, the U.S. Air Force documented Dare to Lead training with the 19th Airlift Wing at Little Rock Air Force Base on 13 December 2021.[18] The brand has also extended into media and enterprise platforms: in 2024 the Dare to Lead podcast returned under Vox Media’s network,[19] and BetterUp launched the Center for Daring Leadership with Brown as Executive Chair to scale the curriculum across organizations.[20]
Related content & more
YouTube videos
CapSach articles
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 "Dare to Lead by Brené Brown". Penguin Random House. Random House. 9 October 2018. Retrieved 10 November 2025.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 "Daring Leadership Assessment". Brené Brown. Brené Brown Education and Research Group. Retrieved 10 November 2025.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Luscombe, Belinda (1 November 2018). "America's Reigning Expert on Feelings, Brené Brown Now Takes on Leadership". Time. Retrieved 10 November 2025.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 "The BRAVING Inventory" (PDF). Brené Brown. Brené Brown Education and Research Group. 22 October 2021. Retrieved 10 November 2025.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Juris, Carolyn (19 October 2018). "This Week's Bestsellers: October 22, 2018". Publishers Weekly. Retrieved 10 November 2025.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 "Best Books 2018: Top Picks from Business and Finance". Bloomberg. 12 December 2018. Retrieved 10 November 2025.
- ↑ "Dare to lead : brave work, tough conversations, whole hearts". WorldCat. OCLC. Retrieved 10 November 2025.
- ↑ "Huffington Foundation Endows Chair for Brené Brown". University of Houston News. University of Houston. 24 February 2016. Retrieved 10 November 2025.
- ↑ "About Brené". Brené Brown. Brené Brown Education and Research Group. Retrieved 10 November 2025.
- ↑ "The Research". Brené Brown. Brené Brown Education and Research Group. Retrieved 10 November 2025.
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 Albright, Mary Beth (16 October 2018). "Brené Brown knows what makes a great leader — and most politicians wouldn't make the cut". The Washington Post. Retrieved 10 November 2025.
- ↑ "Guides & Resources (Dare to Lead)". Brené Brown. Brené Brown Education and Research Group. Retrieved 10 November 2025.
- ↑ "Five Books Executives Should Read to Prepare for 2019". The Wall Street Journal. 3 December 2018. Retrieved 10 November 2025.
- ↑ "Dare To Lead: Brave Work. Tough Conversations. Whole Hearts". Library Journal. 1 February 2019. Retrieved 10 November 2025.
- ↑ Cadwalladr, Carole (22 November 2015). "Brené Brown: 'People will find a million reasons to tear your work down'". The Guardian. Retrieved 10 November 2025.
- ↑ "STRONG GROUND (review)". Kirkus Reviews. October 2025. Retrieved 10 November 2025.
- ↑ "Brené Brown Brings 'Dare to Lead' Program to UT as New Visiting Professor of Management". UT Austin News. The University of Texas at Austin. 4 February 2020. Retrieved 10 November 2025.
- ↑ "Building courageous leaders through deliberate development". U.S. Air Force. 18th Air Force. 13 December 2021. Retrieved 10 November 2025.
- ↑ "Brené Brown joins Vox Media's podcast network". Axios. 14 February 2024. Retrieved 10 November 2025.
- ↑ "BetterUp and Brené Brown Partner to Bring the Center for Daring Leadership to Human Transformation Platform". BetterUp. 26 June 2024. Retrieved 10 November 2025.