Leadership Book Review Blog: Dare to Lead

Dare to Lead or Dare to Read?

This book doesn’t follow a linear outline. Several times I thought to myself, “what am I reading about, and where is this going?” I would stop and look back at the Table of Contents to see if I could make sense of where this book was going. I think this bothered me the most because I anticipate my book may end up that way, as that is often how the thoughts in my head rattle around. As they say, it takes one to know one!

Brene references her other books quite often in this book and quotes many other authors. I may have been disappointed if I had read her other books, and many of the principles and practices were repeated here. I wonder if this book could have been half as long as it was.

That being said, Brene is incredibly relatable, and that is one characteristic I appreciate most in an author. She talks about soft skills, though we dare not call them soft. Having courage, being vulnerable, staying curious, showing empathy, and building trust is as hard as it comes. They should be on the hard skills list. But I digress. Brene talks about these soft skills, the skills that require empathy and understanding through the use of a lot of curse words. She balances hard and soft messaging well!

Combined with her quick wit and sharp sense of humor, her writing style easily captivates the reader and draws you into the lesson she shares. You may be more drawn into her writing if you watch her TedTalk or YouTube videos. She’s quite an engaging speaker as well.

I started reading this book on a plane (surprise, surprise) as I headed to facilitate a New Leader Assimilation. With Brene in my head, I leaned into the group more than I would usually have, engaged them in some tough conversation about team dynamics, and they all agreed on concrete and specific action items to improve communication and trust within the team. I’d call that a win!

I’d recommend this book to anyone interested in personal growth. The lessons Brene shares through her stories will help you become a more vulnerable and empathetic human. But that’s only if you are willing and want to do the work. As Brene says, “Easy? No. Because choosing courage over comfort is not always our default. Worth it? Always.”

If you dare to read this book and it piques your curiosity about your leadership strengths and opportunities, reach out and ask me about doing a 360 Leadership Assessment. We can quickly help you identify small changes that will lead to big results.