Worklife with Adam Grant ReThinking: Brené Brown on courageous leadership
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Sep 30, 2025 
Brené Brown, a renowned researcher and storyteller, dives into courageous leadership and her latest book, Strong Ground. She highlights the importance of authentic care in leadership and shares insights from her work with FBI negotiators on emotional resonance. Brené also tackles the complexities of hard conversations and the essence of vulnerability, emphasizing values as critical to effective leadership. She critiques the concept of 'executive presence,' arguing it often perpetuates bias, and encourages operationalizing values into actionable behaviors.
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Hire Learners, Not Know-It-Alls
- Leaders who act like they know everything damage learning and long-term performance.
- Hiring people who ask great questions and want to solve problems is more valuable than hiring know-it-alls.
Get Permission To Lead By Playing Back Priorities
- Ask your boss what success looks like and play back their priorities before requesting permission to lead.
- Offer specific actions you will take and then ask for permission to lead your team that way.
The Negotiator's Two Words
- Brené describes FBI negotiators' technique of reflecting emotion with two powerful words: "that's right."
- That simple playback creates connection that can change outcomes dramatically.
