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#1 New York Times bestselling author Brené Brown returns with an urgent call to reimagine the essentials of courageous leadership in the midst of global instability, uncertainty and complexity. With actionable and tactical insights, Brown identifies the mindsets and skill sets we need to sharpen focus, power growth and reconnect to ourselves and each other.

Over the past six years, Brené Brown, along with a global community of coaches and facilitators, has taken more than 150,000 leaders in forty-five countries through her Dare to Lead courage-building work. In Strong Ground, Brown shares the lessons from these experiences along with wisdom from other thinkers. This is a handbook for everyone from senior leaders developing and executing complex strategies to GenZers entering and navigating turbulent work environments. It is also an unflinching assessment of what happens when we continue to perpetuate the falsehood that performance and wholeheartedness are mutually exclusive.

With equal amounts of optimism and caution about AI, Brown writes, 'I hear a lot of experts trying to soothe people’s anxiety about the pace of technological change by offering platitudes like, What makes us human will ensure our relevance. This is dangerous simply because, right now, we’re not especially good at what makes us human. We’re not hardwired for this level of uncertainty, and many of us feel as if the constant need to self-protect is driving the humanity right out of us. This is why organisational transformation today must foster deep connection, deep thinking and deep collaboration. We need the courage to lead people in a way that honours and protects the wisdom of the human spirit.'

Brown offers a broad assessment of the skillsets and mindsets we need moving forward, including the capacity for respectful and difficult conversations, increased productive urgency and smart prioritisation rather than reactivity, and strategic risk-taking, paradoxical thinking and situational and anticipatory awareness skills. She identifies the toughest skill set as the discipline, humility and confidence to unlearn and relearn.

Brown writes, 'Individuals and organisations are building new muscles. Finding our strong ground – that athletic stance – is the only thing that can provide both unwavering stability in a maelstrom of uncertainty and a platform for the fast, explosive change that the world is demanding.'

© Brené Brown 2025 (P) Penguin Audio 2025